Introduction
IWMI is seeking simultaneously to strengthen its own field research capacity and make a strong contribution to professional development of water resources researchers, especially those from developing countries. Having recently announced a program for post-doctoral scientists, this document explains the program for attracting and supporting excellent Ph.D. student researchers, in cooperation with interested universities.

The Program
Our program has two "tracks":

1. long term strategic partnerships with a limited number of universities that are willing to enter into a sandwich-program with IWMI, i.e., with joint university-IWMI responsibility for the PhD students and their research; and
2. students from other recognized universities on a case-by-case basis.

Long term strategic university partnerships
IWMI wishes to establish partnerships with interested university departments, faculty and professors having a long term interest and capacities in water resources and irrigation management. IWMI is a multi-disciplinary research institute; our partnerships will therefore be with a variety of universities and departments representing different disciplines. Partner universities may be in both developed and developing countries, but the former are expected to have students from developing countries. IWMI will work with these partner universities to develop a Ph.D. program to be operated by the university in collaboration with us.

In these programs, IWMI and its university partners will offer joint scholarships for a complete PhD program, covering coursework, living and travel expenses and research cost for the duration of the project at rates adjusted to the cost of living in the locations where the coursework and research is undertaken. Joint, appropriate funding and financing will be worked out on a case-by-case basis between the university and IWMI, but for students the essence is that they will be offered complete coverage scholarships. IWMI and its partners will advertise the Scholarships, which are often expected to be focused on specific subjects of interest - or even specific projects for which a Scholarship would be available, and jointly select the most suitable candidates. The students will go for coursework (where necessary) at the strategic partner university in question and do their field research as part of the IWMI research program. An IWMI researcher will normally be part of each student's PhD committee.

Other students
The large majority of IWMI's Ph.D. projects will be through strategic partner universities. Since the Scholarships at the partner-universities will be widely advertised the expectation is that this will provide opportunities to the wide audience of capable young people with a PhD ambition that IWMI wants to reach. In addition, IWMI could provide (limited or partial) support on a case-by-case basis to students from other universities that approach IWMI. Those students will normally already be accepted as a PhD candidate by their universities and will request partial support for carrying out their research.

IWMI "complete-package" support will be limited to the annual number of Scholarships with its strategic partners, budgeted and advertised annually and with competitive selection, i.e. IWMI will not start a continuous process of evaluating ad-hoc proposals.

For more info and how to apply please visit: IWMI PhD Scholarship Program.