What it Mean to be a Postdoctoral Scholar:

A postdoctoral Scholar/fellow is someone who professionally conducts research and experiments in his specialized field of study after rounding off his doctoral degree (usually a PhD). This position aims to contribute to innovation and societal development and also pursue additional research, teaching, or training to acquire better skills to qualify for a career in research, academia or any other fields.

For the individual to be successful in his endeavors, he must carry out more research, broaden his expertise in his specialist subject, and even go as far as integrating a team and acquiring more sophisticated research methods and new skills.

Today, most universities make it essential that their doctoral graduates partake in a research program to broaden their knowledge and also develop the scholarly mission of the school. A lot of these research often give birth to relevant publications, research papers, innovative techniques for undertaking a task, and so much more.

Top Postdoctoral Fellowships around the world

A Postdoctoral fellow can complete his research without any external financial support. However, this method is not advisable because of the financial strain it can put on the researcher. It can also discourage him if he is unable to complete the project due to inadequate funding.

That is why several institutions around the world have decided to offer postdoctoral scholarships (and other support) to aid researchers until the end of their project.

Some of these scholarship programs include:

1. Steinberg Global Health Postdoctoral Fellowship:

Steinberg Global Health Postdoctoral Fellowship aims to award a sponsorship grant to PhD students around the world who are currently undertaking or about to conduct research related to global health.

A minimum grant of $50,000 will be awarded to the selected candidate to help complete the research.

2. Postdoctoral Fellowships at University of St.Gallen:

The University of St.Gallen annually invites grant-seeking researchers to its “International Postdoctoral Fellowship” which aims to sponsor the research of postdoctoral Scholars from around the world.

The scholarship is focused majorly on researchers in the field of Management, Economics, Law, Social Science, and International Affairs.

3. THIS Institute Postdoctoral Fellowships at University of Oxford:

THIS Institute Postdoctoral Fellowships will provide a research sponsorship grant of  £150k to support international students at Oxford who has received their PhD two – six years before applying for the award.

The Fellowship awards include a salary/stipend for both living and research expenses.

4. VISTA Postdoctoral Fellowships at York University:

York University is offering a great opportunity to students from around the world through its VISTA Postdoctoral Fellowships. The Fellowship aims to sponsor the research of enthusiastic PhD students. It will provide a minimum grant of $55,000 per year, including extra benefits for 24 months, an Annual research allowance of $7,500, plus an Annual networking allowance of $1,000.

5. Postdoctoral Research Fellowships at Harvard University:

Harvard University has established a Postdoctoral Research Fellowships to sponsor the research of exceptional junior Scholars and researchers. Qualified candidates will receive a maximum amount of $ 30,000/session to aid their research.

Why Attain a Postdoctoral Degree?

According to Wikipedia “The ultimate goal of a postdoctoral research position is to pursue additional research, training, or teaching to have better skills to pursue a career in academia, research, or any other fields.”.

In other words, a Postdoctoral Degree is a training period where you develop the skills, knowledge and experience needed to qualify for the final position in your field of study. It is not a career goal but a stepping stone.

So, if your desired career in the future requires you to possess a Postdoctoral degree before qualifying, then by all means, get the degree. However, if it doesn’t, you probably don’t need the extra financial and mental load added to your current responsibilities (especially if you’re still paying your student loan).

How to Find a Fellowship and Apply

Finding a scholarship in your field of interest shouldn’t be a tedious task if you know where to look. A few places you can enquire at are:

• Your previous or current university
• The financial aid office at a tertiary institution
• Federal scholarship agencies
• Your state grant agency
• The reference section of the library
• Foundations, local businesses, religious or community organizations, and civic groups
• Organizations related to your desired field of study

How to Apply:

Although a majority of scholarship programs generally offer some form of financial or educational support to their applicant, they, however, do not have the same application requirements.

Therefore, we recommend that you visit the scholarship websites or do a little research on Google to find out what will enable you to qualify for the grant.

In conclusion, acquiring a Postdoctoral degree is indeed a noteworthy achievement. It is an excellent way for you as a PhD holder to contribute to innovation and development and also attain additional qualifications in your desired field of study.

However, if your future career does not require you to possess a Postdoctoral degree, then you probably don’t need the extra mental load added to your current responsibilities (especially if you’re still paying your student loan).

Application opens for postdoctoral fellowship for developing countries every year.

You’ll find postdoctoral fellowship in Canada, USA, UK, Turkey, Germany etc postdoctoral fellowship in agriculture, education, economics, research fellowship for developing countries, postdoctoral fellowship for women

Start here to apply for postdoctoral fellowship for international students.