Commonwealth Professional Fellowships 2020

Commonwealth Professional Fellowships are for mid-career professionals from low and middle income Commonwealth countries to spend between six weeks and three months at a UK host organisation working in their sector on a programme of professional development.

Funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Commonwealth Professional Fellowships provide talented and motivated professionals with the opportunity to enhance knowledge and skills in their given sector.

These Fellowships are offered under six development themes:

1. Science and technology for development
2. Strengthening health systems and capacity
3. Promoting global prosperity
4. Strengthening global peace, security and governance
5. Strengthening resilience and response to crises
6. Access, inclusion and opportunity

Commonwealth Professional Fellowships Eligibility.

To be eligible for these fellowships, you must:

• Applicants should be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
• Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
• Have at least five years’ full-time, or equivalent part-time, relevant work experience, in a profession related to the subject of the Fellowships programme, by the proposed start of the fellowship – voluntary work experience will not be counted towards this minimum
• Be in employment at the time of application that they will return to upon completion of the fellowship
• Not have undertaken a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship within the last five years (at the time of application)
• Not be seeking to undertake an academic programme of research or study in the UK. Academics are eligible to apply for the scheme, but only to undertake programmes of academic management, not research or courses relevant to their research subject
• Be available to undertake the Fellowship between February 10, 2020 and March 16, 2020. You should check exact dates with the prospective Host.

Eligible Countries

Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Rwanda, St Helena, St Lucia, St Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia

Commonwealth Professional Fellowships Benefits.

Each fellowship provides:

• Approved return airfare from the Fellow’s home country to the UK
• Stipend (living allowance) payable monthly (or pro rata) for the duration of the award at the rate of £1,696 per month, or £2,104 per month for those at organisations in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at 2019-2020 levels). Exceptionally, depending on the programme arranged, a peripatetic living allowance may be payable. Further details if applicable will be given at the time of offer
• Arrival allowance of up to £953.45 at current rates, including an element for warm clothing and reimbursement of the standard visa application fee
• Flat rate contribution of £800 to the costs of the Host organisation relating to the administration and support of the Fellow, setting up of appropriate meetings, any materials required, and incidental travel for the Fellow during the award (to be paid to the Host organisation on receipt of an invoice)
• Fees of up to a maximum of £2,000 will be agreed for awards under two months and up to a maximum of £3000 for awards of three months (to be paid to the Host organisation on receipt of an invoice)

Commonwealth Professional Fellowships Selection Criteria.

Applications are considered according to the following selection criteria:

• The extent to which the proposed fellowship will ensure the transfer of skills relevant to the needs of the Fellow’s home country
• The extent to which those skills will lead to practical benefits for the home country following the fellowship
• The extent to which the fellowship will have a catalytic effect, either within the home country concerned, or in establishing new relationships with the UK

How to Apply for Commonwealth Professional Fellowships.

The closing date for submission of your application is 4pm (BST) on Friday 20 September 2019

The closing date for the submission of references is 4pm (BST) on Monday 30 September 2019.   Your application must include at least two references by this date, one of which must be from your current employer, otherwise it will be considered ineligible.

Once the closing date for Fellows’ applications and references has passed your application will be shared with the Host organisation you have applied to in order for them to review all applications and nominate the candidates they wish to put forward to the Commission. The Commission will make the final selections of individual Fellows.

Apply Here Official Link