2023 Fully-funded Quantum Leap Africa (QLA) PhD Scholarship for African Students

The field of data science is emerging as a critical discipline with high relevance to economic growth and development. This doctoral training program established by AIMS will provide emerging African scientists the opportunity to conduct research at the forefront of data science, and work towards a PhD degree within a high-quality training program in Africa, in cooperation with institutions internationally.

The program will focus on theoretical foundations of data science as well as applications of data science to improve the daily lives of Africans. It is built on the understanding that modern approaches in data science require a combination of expertise spanning the areas of mathematics, statistics, computer science, and the applied sciences.

AIMS will be offering up to seven fully-funded PhD positions in this prestigious new doctoral program. The recruited students will be based in Rwanda at AIMS Rwanda, or any of the other AIMS centers, in partnership with universities and research institutions across Africa and globally. The program aims to train future change-makers, who will have an impact across academia, industry, education, and government.

Value of Awards: Fully funded (stipend, equipment, health insurance, relocation costs, conference attendance, direct cost to graduating institution such as tuition fees and registration fees)

Eligibility

Master’s degree (completed by Sept 2023) in mathematics, statistics, computer science, engineering, physics or other relevant fields;
Research potential evidenced by academic performance and involvement in relevant academic activities;
Motivation for pursuing a PhD by research in the suggested topic;
Sufficient theoretical foundations evidenced by prior work (courses/thesis/other training);
Qualification for pursuing research on the chosen topic, including relevant programming expertise;
Being an African national.

Selection Process

The selection process is competitive, and conducted in two phases:

Phase1:The application must be submitted through the online submission form by midnight (Central African Time) on deadline 14 April 2023.

You will be asked to submit the following documents

Application Form
CV (you can use your own format, but please make sure to cover the content mentioned this template that applies to your case. The template.tex file also contains general tips on writing CVs at the top.)
Transcripts (Please submit your undergraduate and your masters level transcripts. Additional transcripts can be submitted if relevant.)

As part of the application form, you will be able to

Select or suggest a research topic
Name two academics (ideally senior researchers), who are willing to write a letter of support.
Make sure to contact your referee writers well in advance and only submit names of referees that
have explicitly agreed to write you a reference letter. Referees will automatically receive a
request to submit their reference letter for you in case you are shortlisted for Phase 2 of the selection process.
Indicate whether you are already admitted at a university or otherwise have future plans that you consider to combine with this program

Additionally, the application form will allow you to tell us more about your research interests, motivation for pursuing a PhD and future plans. Your answers to the following questions will be central to the selection process, as they will allow us to judge the strength of your expertise and training, the suitability of your research background for the selected topics, and to see whether you have a realistic idea of the aims and scope of the topic you are applying to. The characters are limited explicitly to encourage you to only focus on the relevant details – make sure you use the available space efficiently to communicate information relevant to the above selection criteria. We advise that you prepare your answers offline with care.

What is your motivation to pursue a PhD? Here, you can also mention plans for your future career. (1500 characters)
Which research directions are you most interested in and why? Justify why you are qualified to pursue research in this area. Here, you can also comment on your reason for choosing the research topics selected above (2500 characters).

The first question is the short version of a motivation letter. The second question is the short version of a research statement.

As part of this application process, it is our goal to support your individual situation and work together to design a PhD program that fits your circumstances.

Remarks on submitting your application

You will be asked to select one main research topic (or suggest your own); there is the possibility to indicate a second topic choice (or suggest your own).
If you propose your own topic, make sure you prepare the topic description with care (max 2000 characters). Have a look at the proposed TOPICS 2022 and TOPICS 2023 as a guidance for style and detail. Most importantly, the topic description should explain what exactly you will do as part of your PhD, including the methods used, the technical skills you need, and if data is needed, which data sets you are planning to use and how you will get access to them. From your description, it should be possible for us to assess if the proposed research topic is
1. novel and interesting to the international research community,
2. realistically achievable in the context of a PhD,
3. matching with your skill background and with the skill background of your proposed supervisors,
4. equipping you with the expertise to proceed into a successful future career,
5. fitting to the scope of our PhD program.
Make sure that you satisfy the required background and skills when selecting or proposing a research topic.
Arrangements are flexible, and we can work with selected candidates to adapt to individual circumstances.
No reference letters are required in Phase 1 of the application process. Please notify your referees that you are submitting their names as part of this application, as they may be contacted for letters or additional information as part of the selection process.
Make sure your CV is complete and professional.

Phase 2: A small number of shortlisted candidates will be invited to round 2 of the selection process. In Phase 2, supervision teams are formed and applicants discuss with potential supervisors more details on their research plans. As part of Phase 2, applicants are asked to submit a detailed research proposal.

Method of Application:

Candidates can choose from a list of proposed research topics, and AIMS will assist in building a supervision team around these topics. Alternatively, candidates can suggest their own research topics, together with a proposed supervision team. Selected students will start in October 2023.