Knowledge of the sources and mechanics of graduate research financing will not only help you in navigating through the scholarship search process but also in tailoring your application to match the specifications.
The scholarship can be directly awarded to the students by the sponsor to undertake the research/study. The student may or may not be under obligations specified by the sponsor during or after the research programme. For instance, a company awarding scholarships as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility, without having much expectations on the research/study outcome.
The scholarship can be received as part of a research funding budget. This comes through an organisation which has competitively secured a research grant from a grant agency, usually a government body responsible for sponsoring research projects. These organisations (mostly universities) use part of the budget to hire graduate students to conduct the research. The main sources of such funding are companies (through R & D) and government (through universities and designated agencies). Fewer portions of the funds come from private donors and charity. By extension, part of the research funding goes into scholarship financing for postgraduate research.
Sources of Postgraduate Scholarship Fund
I break down the scholarship funding sources into four categories:
- Government and public agencies
- Charity and not-for-profit organizations
- Private donors
- Public and private businesses
1. Government and public agencies
Sources of scholarships for international students vary from country to country. Many countries like USA, UK, New Zealand, Japan, and Germany award government-funded scholarships to exceptional international students from around the globe. This is part of their efforts to internationalize their education systems while staying committed to global development and cooperation . Some of the scholarship offered by governments are the US Fulbright Foreign Student Program, UK & British Commonwealth Government, and British Chevening Scholarship.
2. Charity and Not-for-profit Organization
Oftentimes, some charity organizations which are run or influenced by people who appreciate the value of education and research provide funding for postgraduate studies. The charity can also come in form of Foundations set up to meet particular gaps and needs in the society. Some of these charity organizations are Aga Khan Foundation, American Association of University Women and Stephen Oluwole Awokoya Foundation for Science Education.
3. Private Donors
Private donors are individuals who have set up a private fund for students to receive financial assistance. These study grants come in varying amounts with specific eligibility criteria set by the donor. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of financial need or merit depending on the donor. Some donors prefer to remain anonymous and can channel the funds to an organisation (charity or universities) to manage and disburse.
4. Private and Public Businesses
Some businesses fund research as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Others may have a memorandum of understanding with the universities and government to fund the research under agreements that it will benefit in the research. Example of such scholarships from oil and gas companies in Nigeria are NNPC/Total National merit scholarships, Agip postgraduate scholarships, Shell postgraduate scholarships and NLNG scholarships.
To wrap up...
This is in no way an exhaustive list and is only to give you a broader perspective of where to look and what options there are. Some scholarships may have peculiar requirements and obligations based on the source of funding, e.g. scholarship conditions, eligibility and worth of the scholarship. Please do share your thoughts about scholarship funding sources in the comment section below.
I have been trying to secure one for long but without any meaningful success
This information is very vital. Thank you for taking out time. But more valuable if you become an agent to assist with securing some and also to disseminate this information to both students and graduates through other social platforms.
Am a graduate student, and am excited that I benefited from this post
Hi Precious, thanks a lot for your helpful comment. I am always happy to mentor students through the process of securing scholarships. It will be great to have more people sharing my posts across various social platforms. If you would like to volunteer to be part of this I will be very grateful. Please keep in touch!
Hi Charles, sorry that your efforts have not yet met with success. Have you considered reaching out to mentors who could guide you through the journey? There are closed groups and online communities which you could join where students and graduates help each other in matters of scholarship seeking. I am sure if you surround yourself with the right people, information, and feedback systems that help you continually improve on your efforts you will eventually win at this. I wish you the best!