The Women in Science Displacement Outreach Master’s Program (OWSD WISDOM) is a pilot project that aims to provide scholarships to displaced women to pursue master’s degree programmes at high-quality universities in the Global South, in partnership with the United Nations Refugee Agency UNHCR.

Extended Call for Fully Funded Master’s Scholarship Applications for Refugee Women Scientists in Uganda

The deadline for applications is 14th July, 2025 EAT by midnight.

Women In Science Displacement Outreach Master’s (WISDOM) Scholarships – 2025

Background

The Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) – a programme unit of UNESCO, in partnership with Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), is offering fully funded master’s scholarships for refugee women scientists in Uganda. This initiative is part of the OWSD-WISDOM Pilot Project, supported by funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

The main objectives of the OWSD WISDOM pilot project are:

1. Promoting equitable and sustainable inclusion in national education systems for women who are refugees or asylum seekers with a human rights-based approach in mind.
2. Foster safe enabling environments that support learning by working with host institutes on protection and gender transformative awareness raising.
3. Enable displaced women to use their education toward sustainable futures.

 
Number of Scholarships and study duration

A total of 20 fully funded scholarships will be offered for Master’s programmes in science for a maximum duration of two (2) years. 
The Scholarships will be awarded on a competitive basis to female refugees currently residing in Uganda.

Eligible study programmes at MUST for WISDOM Scholarships

1. Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering,
2. Master of Science in Health Information Technology,
3. Master of Science in Information Systems,
4. Master of Science in Anatomy,
5. Master of Science in Biochemistry,
6. Master of Pharmacy in Clinical Pharmacy,
7. Master of Science in Pharmacology,
8. Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Analysis,
9. Master of Science in Pharmacognosy and Natural Medicine Science,
10. Master of Science Physiology,
11. Master of Medical Laboratory Science,
12. Master of Public Health,
13. Master of Nursing Science – Critical Care Nursing,
14. Master of Nursing Science – Community Midwifery and Reproductive Health,
15. Master of Nursing Science – Mental Health Nursing,
16. Master of Nursing Science – Paediatric Clinical Nursing,
17. Master of Science in Chemistry,
18. Master of Science in Mathematics,
19. Master of Science in Physics,

Scholarship Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the WISDOM Scholarships, candidates must meet the following requirements:

Admission Requirements:

The candidate must meet the minimum requirements for admission into Master’s programmes as stipulated by the Mbarara University Senate.

1. Nationality:
   The candidate must be a national of an eligible country (Please see list of countries below).

    

   • Africa:
     Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of Congo., Democratic Republic of Congo. of the, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Kingdom of Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
   • Asia and the Pacific:
     Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Kiribati Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
   • Arab region:
     Djibouti, Palestine (West Bank and Gaza Strip), Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen
   • Latin America and the Caribbean:
     Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay
2. Refugee Status:
   Proof of refugee status issued by UNHCR and the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), with the candidate residing in Uganda at the time of application.
3. Full-Time Study Commitment:
   Be able to commit to full-time study for the duration of the Master’s programme (maximum of two years).
4. Recommendation Letters:
   Two recommendation letters from academic or professional references must be provided.
5. Personal Statement:
   A personal statement outlining your academic goals, career aspirations, and how this scholarship will help you overcome barriers in your educational journey.

Funding provided through OWSD

The WISDOM Scholarship covers the following expenses for the duration of the study:

1. MSc. Tuition Fees and Research Costs: Full coverage of tuition fees and research-related expenses.
2. Health Insurance: Health insurance coverage.
3. Allowances:
   • Living Allowance to cover daily expenses.
   • Personal Allowance for additional personal needs.
   • Residence Documentation to ensure legal residence status during the study period.
   • Travel Allowance to cover travel expenses.
4. Completion/Termination Allowance provided upon completion or termination of the programme.

Language of instruction

The language of instruction at Mbarara University of Science and Technology is English.

How to apply for the scholarship

If interested to apply, the process is as follows;

1. Send the required documents below to this email; wisdomproject@must.ac.ug

1. A personal statement
2. Proof of nationality (passport biodata page or national)
3. Refugee status documentation from UNHCR and OPM
4. Two Recommendation letters from academic or professional references
5. Secondary School and Bachelors Academic papers. Below are the minimum requirements;

• • Honors degree from an accredited degree awarding institution
  • Uganda certificate of education (UCE)/ ‘O’ level or its equivalent with a minimum of a pass in atleast five subjects obtained at the same sitting
  • Uganda Certificate of Education (UACE)/ ‘A’ level or with atleast two principle passes or its equivalent attained at the same sitting.
  • Diploma holders should have a credit from an accredited institution
  • Applicants whose first language is not English or did not go through an education system with English as a medium of instruction are required to provide evidence from a recognised English language training institution that they have sufficient command of the English language to cope with the programmes.
  • Successful candidates will be required to submit verification letters from UNEB equating their secondary school qualifications/results and NCHE or Degree and/or Diploma qualifications at the time of registration.

2. Applicants with all the above documents will be guided on how to apply to Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
   Visit https://applications.must.ac.ug/ to apply for admission into the postgraduate programme.

3. If selected for the MUST programme, then you will be recommended for inclusion in the WISDOM Scholarship programme.

4. Awarded candidates will be informed of the outcome by end of July 2025.

Deadline

The deadline for application is 14th July 2025 EAT by midnight. 

The programmes are scheduled to start Mid August 2025. 

Contacts for further enquiries 

For any other clarification or guidance required, kindly contact;

Ms Sheila Niinye Twinamatsiko,
Project Focal Person,
Mbarara University of Science and Technology (Uganda),
wisdomproject@must.ac.ug
+256782595511/ +256704741514

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