Commonwealth Professional Fellowships is offering opportunities for mid-career professionals from low and middle-income countries to work at a UK host organization for a professional development program.
The host organizations where the fellows will work cut across the nonprofit, healthcare, and academic sector. Some of these institutions are the British Geological Society, NHS Trust, Knowledge for Change, Universities of Lancaster, Salford, Bradford, and others.
The fellowship aims to identify talented individuals who have the potential to make a change and provide them with the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills in their given sector.
About the program
In a document seen by Nairametrics, the Commonwealth Professional Fellowship will contribute to the host organization costs, approved fares, and personal maintenance.
Nairametrics reliably gathers that the following will be paid for: Stipend (living allowance) payable monthly (or pro rata) for the duration of the award at the rate of £1,944 per month, or £2,397 per month for those who will work in organizations in the London metropolitan area.
Fellows are not allowed to engage in paid employment during the award, and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) cannot provide support for staying in the UK after the fellowship.
These fellowships are offered under six development themes:
- Science and technology for development
- Strengthening health systems and capacity
- Promoting global prosperity
- Strengthening global peace, security, and governance
- Strengthening resilience and response to crises
- Access, inclusion, and opportunity
Who is eligible?
To be considered for these Fellowships, prospective applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria.
- Mid-career professionals (with five years relevant work experience) working in organizations in low and middle-income Commonwealth countries.
- Additionally, they must possess a minimum of five years full-time or equivalent part-time work experience in a profession related to the fellowship program’s subject.
- Voluntary work experience will not be counted toward this requirement
- The applicants must be currently employed at an organization they intend to return to after completing the fellowship
- At least two references must be provided with one being from their current employer.
- Participants should not have participated in a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship in the last five years and must not seek to pursue an academic research or study program, however, they may apply for programs of academic management unrelated to their research subject.
How to apply
- Fellowship applications are open and will close at 16:00 BST on Wednesday 16 August 2023.
- To apply for the Professional Fellowships program you must complete the online form.
- In the application form, prospective Fellows need to provide their academic qualifications, list publications, and prizes, and detail their employment history, explaining how each job is relevant to their desired UK program.
- They must also submit a statement on the relevance of their previous work experience to the proposed fellowship.
- Additionally, they need to list up to three referees who can comment on their capacity to benefit from the fellowship and deliver development impact.
- A development impact statement is required, covering various aspects such as how the fellowship relates to development themes, how new skills will be applied after the fellowship, expected changes in development terms, and how the impact of their work can be measured.
- Furthermore, applicants will be asked to confirm their award objectives and how the fellowship will help meet them in the short term, the next two years, and in the longer term.
- They should also include a personal statement summarizing how their background motivates them to make an impact in their home country, mentioning contributions and experiences overcoming barriers.
- Lastly, they need to summarize their engagement in voluntary activities and leadership experiences and provide a scan of their passport or national identity card.
Commonwealth Professional Fellowship is a great innovation that has brought enlightenment, growth and progress to it’s beneficiariy.