About this opportunity
This is a South-North-South circular programme for sustainable development. UNESCO-TWAS, in collaboration with the Lincei Academy and the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), offers young scientists from least developed countries the chance to spend three months in research laboratories at centres of excellence in Trieste or Udine, Italy. The purpose is twofold: to build the capacity of promising experts, especially those at the start of their career, and to catalyse the formation of links for further collaboration. Your research proposal must fall under the umbrella of sustainability science, meaning it should be relevant to areas that support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The entry criteria are specific, so check them before you invest time. You must be a maximum age of 40 years on 31 December of the application year, hold an MSc or a higher degree, be a national of a least developed country, and currently hold a research position in a least developed country. Particular attention goes to projects under the sustainability science umbrella, and women scientists are encouraged to apply. Two further limits matter. Applicants already on site in the host country are not eligible, and applications for part-time visits will be considered ineligible. You must also provide evidence that you will return to your home country when the fellowship ends, and a successful applicant must not take up other assignments during the period of the programme.
The support is a fully covered visit rather than a published cash grant. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, through UNESCO-TWAS, cover travel expenses and provide subsistence costs for the stay in Italy. TWAS does not publish a stipend figure for this programme. Host institutions you can apply to are SISSA, the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN, with only one host supervisor available, Prof. Andrea Vacchi), the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), the University of Trieste, the University of Udine, the Materials Foundry National Research Council (IOM-CNR), Area Science Park and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste. Each institution opens only the scientific fields listed on the application form, from astroparticle physics and cognitive neuroscience at SISSA to non-communicable diseases and computational biology at ICGEB, oceanography, seismic engineering and the sustainable blue economy at OGS, and environmental biology at the University of Trieste and cultural heritage at the University of Udine.
Sequence matters more than speed here. TWAS strongly recommends starting well in advance because you first study the host institution website to choose a research area and a possible host supervisor, then get in touch with that supervisor to introduce yourself and discuss the research plan, and only once there is agreement do you obtain the acceptance letter. That letter is one of the documents you submit, and it must state the proposed three month timing, refer to the proposed cooperation, and make clear that you and the host have agreed the scientific work, the timing of the visit and the facilities available. Applications are completed in English on the TWAS online form, you can save and revise as many times as you need before submitting, and once submitted an application cannot be updated, modified or deleted. Applications must reach TWAS by 31 October 2026. Fellowships are awarded by the Selection Committee on the basis of scientific merit, and technical questions about the online form go to onlineforms@twas.org while programme questions go to exchanges@twas.org.
What you receive
- A three month research visit to a laboratory at a centre of excellence in Trieste or Udine, Italy
- Travel expenses covered
- Subsistence costs for the stay in Italy provided
- Collaborative research and training internship in fields under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
- Capacity building aimed at experts at the beginning of their career
- A formed link with an Italian host institution for further collaboration after the visit
- Choice of nine eligible host institutions, including SISSA, ICGEB, INFN, OGS, the University of Trieste, the University of Udine, IOM-CNR, Area Science Park and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste
Who can apply
- Maximum age of 40 years on 31 December of the application year
- Must hold an MSc or a higher degree
- Must be a national of a least developed country
- Must hold a research position in a least developed country
- The research proposal must fall under the umbrella of sustainability science and support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
- The application must be in one of the scientific fields specified for the chosen host institution on the application form
- The applicant must provide evidence that they will return to their home country upon completion of the fellowship
- A recent invitation letter from an eligible host laboratory is required
- Women scientists are encouraged to apply
Who should not apply
- Applicants already on site in the host country are not eligible
- Applications for part-time visits will be considered ineligible
- Successful applicants must not take up other assignments during the period of the programme
- Applicants may apply for only one programme per calendar year in the TWAS and OWSD portfolio, and will not be eligible to visit another institution in that year
- Only signed reference letters can be accepted
- Reprints of articles should not be enclosed with the publication list
Documents to prepare
- The completed application form
- Copy of passport, even if expired, only the page with personal details
- The applicant's curriculum vitae
- A statement on scientific interests and future plans for research in sustainability sciences in the home country, explicitly referring to which SDGs contributions are likely to be made
- Full list of publications, without reprints of articles
- Copy of the MSc or higher certificate
- A recent invitation letter from one of the eligible host laboratories, stating the proposed time of the visit of 3 months, referring to the proposed cooperation, and making evident that the applicant and host have agreed the scientific work, the timing and the facilities available
- Recent letters of recommendation from two referees familiar with the applicant's work, signed
How to apply
- Study the website of each eligible host institution to identify a research area and a possible host supervisor
- Get in touch with the potential host supervisor to introduce yourself and discuss a research plan for a possible visit
- Once there is agreement, obtain the acceptance letter from the potential host supervisor, covering the three month timing, the agreed facilities and the scientific work to be done
- Prepare the supporting materials: passport details page, curriculum vitae, statement of scientific interests referring to the SDGs, full list of publications, MSc or higher certificate and two signed letters of recommendation
- Open the TWAS online application for the TWAS-SISSA-Lincei Research Cooperation Visits Programme and create an account, since the form requires you to log in to apply
- Complete the application in English, save and retrieve it as often as you need, then submit it before 31 October 2026, knowing that a submitted application cannot be updated, modified or deleted
Selection process
- Fellowships are awarded by the Selection Committee on the basis of scientific merit
- Only applications in the scientific fields listed on the application form for the chosen institution are considered
- Particular attention is given to research projects that fall under the umbrella of sustainability science
- An application is only complete once the invitation letter from an eligible host laboratory has been obtained and included
- Technical problems with the online form are handled by onlineforms@twas.org, separate from the programme contact exchanges@twas.org
Sources and verification
- Official source , Discovered by the opportunity automation module.
Questions applicants ask
Which nationalities qualify?
Nationals of a least developed country. The programme uses the United Nations list of least developed countries, which includes Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia, alongside least developed countries in Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Is Nigeria eligible?
No, not on its own. Nigeria does not appear on the list of least developed countries that this programme uses. A Nigerian researcher can only apply through a qualifying least developed country nationality and a research position held in that country.
Do I need a host before I apply?
Yes. A recent invitation letter from one of the nine eligible host laboratories is part of the required material, and it must state the proposed three month timing and confirm that the conditions for the work, including facilities, have been agreed. TWAS recommends making that contact well before the deadline.
What does the fellowship pay?
TWAS does not publish a stipend figure. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, through UNESCO-TWAS, cover travel expenses and provide subsistence costs for the stay in Italy.
Can I apply if I am already in Italy?
No. Applicants already on site in the host country are not eligible, and part-time visits are also considered ineligible.
Can I edit my application after submitting it?
No. You can save, retrieve and update the application as many times as you want before submitting it, but once it is submitted you will only be able to view it.
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