Scholarships

oliveoil The main goal of the scholarship programme is to build capacity in Africa regarding nutrition matters. Scholarships are available for post graduate qualifications. We urge applicants to first apply for registration at African institutions. There are a number of institutions at which post graduate qualifications can be obtained. Support lasts for a maximum of 24 months.

Upon graduation, scholarship awardees return to their home countries to put into practice the knowledge and expertise acquired in order to improve health care locally.

Every successful applicant will agree to spend at least 1 year after graduation in their country of origin, and their photograph with a short description of who they are will be published on the NNIA website.

Click here to download our Application for Research Training Grant form

Scholarships awarded in 2011

C Stevenson Ms Cherly Stevenson been awarded a 2011 NNIA Research
Grant to the value of R150 000 towards her PhD study on Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Gut Flora Microbiota.

Ms Zpporah Nekesa Bukania-Apungu has been awarded a 2011 NNIA Reserach Training Grant to the value of USD20 500 for her study on Vitamin B12,B6 and Folate in relation to CVDs amongst adults in Kenya

Ms Evette Venter has been awarded a 2011 NNIA Research Grant to the value of R150 000 towards her study on “The use of probiotics in the management of Necrotising Enterocolitis in HIV exposed premature and very-low birth weight infants”

Administrative Requirements
The following documents, as appropriate, should accompany all applications:

An updated Curriculum Vitae of the Applicant.
A detailed letter of support of the application from the Head of Department of the parent Institution together with a recommendation stating the need/interest/utility of the planned training as well as an assessment of the candidate's past performance.
A letter from the Head of the Department of the host Institution confirming the acceptance of the candidate and an agreed upon starting date.
In the case of individuals applying in their private capacity, a letter of recommendation from local/international academic peers or dignitaries.
The relevant application form, downloadable and duly completed.
A detailed plan of the proposed training/activity clearly indicating its specific outcomes.
A detailed budget for the proposed training/activity.

NNIA Assessment of Applications
A Panel of members of the NNIA's Scientific Board (SB) with the relevant expertise in a given field, together with, when appropriate, co-opted established scientists in the relevant field of application will assess all scholarship applications. The following will apply:

The decision of the Panel will be final.
The application for support must fall within the scope of NNIA's focus areas of interest.
The panel reserves the right to guide deserving applicants to introducing improvements in their applications in a manner impartial to the final outcome of the application. This right pertains exclusively to capacity building in the preparation of applications for scientific/financial support.

The NNIA's SB will forward recommendations to the Grants Committee of NNI Switzerland, as appropriate, which considers applications from all countries. Candidates will be notified of the SB's decision by letter from the NNIA's SB.

Exclusions
The Panel will not accept applications, which are submitted from:

Candidates who have already spent more than 12 months outside their home country during the 3 years preceding the application.
Candidates who have already left their country at the time of applying for the scholarship.
Candidates who have completed more than half of any training programme they may be receiving.

Conditions

Successful candidates will be required to start their training within 1 year of being notified of the scholarship award.
A progress report annually or at the expiry of the scholarship, as the case may be, must be submitted to the NNIA's SB.
All successful applicants will be expected to declare their written intention to return to their original/related environment/Institution/Country of work/origin in which the acquired expertise by the scholarship will be implemented with a view to improving prevailing/recommended practices in the relevant field of practice.

For more information contact the NNIA Secretariat at nnia@medprof.co.za or nnia@za.nestle.com