PhD Research Scholarship

SEARCA established the PhD Research Scholarship in November 2005 to provide financial support for qualified PhD students to conduct research and produce their dissertation relevant to the priority thrusts of SEARCA (see scholarship statistics).

Eligibility

Priority 1. Southeast Asian nationals who are enrolled in PhD programs in any of the member universities under the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC)¹.

Priority 2. Southeast Asian nationals who are regular staff members of government agencies or non-profit development-oriented institutions, and are PhD students of agricultural universities outside of UC.

Research Topics

The topic of the applicant's PhD research must be aligned with SEARCA's overarching theme of Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation (ATTAIN). Moreover, priority research topics must fall within the ATTAIN priority areas:

• Agri-Business Models for Increased Productivity and Income
• Sustainable Farming Systems and Natural Resource Management
• Food and Nutrition Security
• Transformational Leadership for Agricultural and Rural Development (ARD)
• Gender and Youth Engagement in ARD
• Enhanced ARD towards Climate Resilience
• Eco-Health/One-Health Applications to ARD

Scholarship Benefits

Entitlements of the PhD Research Scholarship include research funds not to exceed USD 4,500 and optional internship at SEARCA for up to two (2) months². For those who will avail of the internship, additional scholarship fund may be allocated to cover travel expenses to and from SEARCA, travel and accident insurance, and stipend during the period of internship.

Application Procedure

Applicants must fill out online the SEARCA PhD Research Scholarship application form and upload a copy of all required documents.

The required documents to be submitted should be in English:

1. Letter of application for the research scholarship which should be addressed to the SEARCA Director;
2. Official endorsement from the employer (if employed);
3. Accomplished recommendation form from the Dean of Graduate School of the university where the applicant is pursuing the degree program;
4. Dissertation research outline/proposal approved by the Advisory Committee and Dean of Graduate School;
5. Budgetary requirement for the entire research duly attested and recommended by the major adviser and Dean of Graduate School;
6. True copy of grades for courses taken, certified by the Graduate School;
7. Letter from the applicant certifying that he/she is not receiving any other research grant from any other institution. If partial funding has been obtained from other sources, the applicant must submit a certification from the funding agency indicating the grant amount and items covered by the grant, as well as proof that there will be no conflict with the funding agency when applying for another funding/scholarship;
8. Research timetable indicating the activities involved in the research and the expected date of defense which should not exceed one year.

Scholarship Statistics

PhD Research Scholarships Ongoing as of FY 2023-2024

Total PhD Research Scholarships Granted as of FY 2023-2024

Contact Information

For inquiries, please contact: