The Women for Africa Foundation is pleased to announce its 11th edition of the Science by Women program. This program, which is a fundamental pillar of the Foundation, aims to promote African women leadership in scientific research and technology transfer to address key challenges faced by Africa in areas such as health, agriculture, food security, water, mathematics, astronomy, energy and climate change.

It consists of a 6-month post-doctoral fellowship program in collaboration with recognized Spanish Centers of Excellence, thus ensuring excellence in scientific research in various fields. Since its first edition, the program has involved 33 institutions, benefiting more than 170 African women researchers.

Science by Women is based on the capacity of African women researchers to lead the continent transition towards an economy based on knowledge and innovation. It seeks to address the social, structural and economic barriers that limit their participation in science and technology in order to reduce the gender gap in these fields for the long-term progress and equitable growth of African countries.

In this edition, the program offers 17 fellowships in 15 research centers of excellence, thanks to the unwavering commitment of more than 50 program partners , including research institutions, universities and public and private funders, such as the CSIC, the Government of the Canary Islands, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, the CSAI Foundation, Abertis Foundation, Fisabio Foundation and FUHNPAIN, among others.

All applications must be submitted in English via the Science by Women microsite.

Before submitting your application, please review all sections of the application form to learn about the conditions and requirements to apply for a Science by Women
fellowship, this includes: General Requirements, Required Documents, General Conditions and Important Considerations.

You can download the application guidelines here: Guide to submit your application.

Deadline for applications is November 30th, 2025, at 23:59h (Madrid-CET+1 time).

Fellowships that do not receive enough applications to carry out a competitive process within this period will have an extended registration period.

All applications will be subjected to a revision by the Women for Africa Foundation with regard to the general eligibility criteria, and a subsequently highly competitive selection process by the host institutions, through which the following criteria will be evaluated:

• The candidate’s research career, Curriculum Vitae and experience.
• How your experience fits into the research topic of the receiving research team.
• The project’s scientific-technical quality and innovative potential.
• The expected and measurable economic or social impact of the research project.
• The candidate’s plan to communicate and disseminate the project’s results.
• The proper consideration of ethical issues, where appropriate.

Successful applicants will present innovative research projects that respond to the needs of the African continent and that are likely to be transferred to products or patents for commercial exploitation, or services and public policies that have a social impact in terms of well-being and quality of life of people, and the economy, productivity and competitiveness of companies. The centers may suggest changes to the submitted projects according to the budget and resources they have available. Please note that the Women for Africa Foundation does not provide funding for the shipping of samples, for the purchase of laboratory materials, or to cover the costs of publications. Please consult with the receiving center about the feasibility of the proposed project.

IMPORTANT: the Women for Africa Foundation will review the submitted documentation and send to the research centers those applications that meet all the requirements. Host institutions will then carry out their own internal process of evaluation of candidates, which might include personal interviews and examinations.

All applicants can choose up to 2 preferred host institutions. With each choice, the applicant must submit a research proposal, brief and clear of a maximum of 3 pages, tailored to the host institution’s fellowship requirements.

Deadline for applications is November 30th , 2025, at 23:59h (Madrid time).

The period of enjoyment of the fellowship depends on each host institution. Please check each host institution available in the 11 th edition fellowships to know more.

Generally, the fellowship is of 6 continuous months, to be completed within a period of enjoyment of 1 year and a half from January 2026. There are some exceptions, indicated within the detailed information and conditions of the fellowships offered by each host institution.

Successful candidates will have the following benefits:

• Round flights from their city of origin to their host city up to 1800 euro;
• Refund of visa fees and any administrative or transportation costs derived from the visa application process up to 400 euro, always subject to the presentation of the corresponding receipts or invoices;
• Possibility of financial aid to participate in seminars or congresses during the period of the fellowship in Spain, after proper evaluation from the Science by Women program’s team;
• Possibility to participate in all in-person or online events organized by the Foundation or the host institution during the months of the fellowship;
• Joining the N.O.W. is Africa Network, a space for connection, exchange and opportunities among the fellows of the program.

Beneficiaries must devote themselves entirely to research at the assigned research institution and may not be beneficiaries of any other fellowship, grant, stipend or regular income during their research stay.

Beneficiaries may be asked to formalize in writing their relationship with the research institution.

In compliance with Spanish laws, the Women for Africa Foundation or the research institution (as the case may be) will withhold or retain, as required by the Tax and Social Security System, the mandatory amounts of the subsistence allowance.

Any request for reimbursement of any expense covered by the beneficiaries and eligible for refund must be accompanied by the corresponding receipts, in order to comply with the Women for Africa Foundation’s transparency policies.

Women for Africa Foundation can only be responsible for supporting the administrative and logistic processes, as well as the economic aid, of the direct beneficiaries of the Science by Women program. Therefore, neither the Women for Africa Foundation, nor the host center, are obliged to provide such support to any other person or relative of a beneficiary of the program.

All selected candidates of the Science by Women program are responsible for securing their own accommodation for the duration of the 6-month fellowship stay in their host city 2 months prior to their arrival. Some host centers have accommodation arrangements at the disposal of candidates, please check each fellowship for further information.

The Women for Africa Foundation reserves the right to revoke or terminate the Science by Women fellowship at any time, including before the official start date, under the following circumstances:

• Submission of false, misleading, or incomplete information in the CV, motivation letter, references, or any other documentation provided during the selection process
• Failure to join the host research center on the agreed date without justified cause
• Abandonment of the fellowship without prior notice or authorization
• Repeated failure to carry out the scientific, training, or outreach activities outlined in the program
• Unjustified refusal to participate in monitoring or evaluation activities
• Breach of the internal rules, professional ethics, or behavioral standards of the host research center
• Conduct that causes serious conflict with staff or other researchers at the host center
• Any form of harassment, discrimination, verbal or physical aggression, or behavior that undermines the dignity of others
• Misuse of funds allocated for the fellowship or failure to justify expenses when required
• Clearly unsatisfactory performance in the research project without external justification
• Lack of engagement, motivation, or interest in the program activities
• Personal, medical, or family circumstances that prevent continuation of the fellowship
• Institutional or logistical changes at the host center or within the Foundation that make it impossible to carry out the program under appropriate conditions
• Any situation arising before or during the fellowship that significantly obstructs the normal development of the program or the collaboration between parties

The host research centers may request early termination of the fellowship if any of the above conditions are met.

Each Spanish host center will make the final selection of its candidate.

The list of finalists will be published by December 23rd, 2025.

After the notification, selected candidates will have thirty (30) days to formally accept the fellowship and send the required information to the Science by Women program’s team and the host center. If the selected candidate failed to do so in the stipulated timeframe, the Women for Africa Foundation, together with the host center, may proceed to contact the next candidate on the reserve list.

Successful candidates can initiate the necessary procedures to start their research stays at the assigned host centers from January 2026 onwards, but never earlier than such date.

IMPORTANT: The awarding of the fellowship is determined by the host centers of scientific research. If no candidate meets the criteria, the fellowship may remain unfilled for this year’s edition. Additionally, though it is rare, internal affairs at the host center may lead to the cancellation of the fellowship even after it has been granted.

Selected candidates of the Science by Women program fellowship commit themselves to:

• Obtain a formal approval of institutional leave from their organization.
• Secure accommodation for the six-month duration of the fellowship at least two months prior to their arrival in Spain. Proof of accommodation must be provided to both the host center and the Science by Women program team. Failure to meet this requirement will result in a postponement of the fellowship start date up to one month. If accommodation is not secured within this additional month, the fellowship will be automatically revoked and awarded to the next candidate.
• Maintain, at all times, continuous and open channels of communication with both the host center and the Science by Women program team. If there is no response within 15 days of initial contact, the fellowship may be subject to revocation.
• Familiarize themselves with the cultural and living conditions of the host city where they will be residing. This includes understanding the available means of transportation, local eating habits, cultural norms, and typical weather conditions. For any additional concerns or inquiries, fellows can consult the Science by Women program team or the host center team.
• Have the financial means to cover their personal expenses, when necessary, especially during the first weeks in Spain while they manage to open a working bank account.
• Respect and comply with the internal institutional and legal regulations of the Spanish host center.
• Submit a brief report on the research stay and personal experience to the Women for Africa Foundation, 30 days, at the latest, after departure from Spain.
• Complete two evaluation surveys: mid-stay and end-stay, so that Women for Africa Foundation can evaluate the results and, if necessary, introduce modifications and improvements to the fellowship program.
• Authorize the Women for Africa Foundation and the Spanish host center to make full or partial use, on their website or in any of their publications, of the contents of the report submitted at the end of the fellowship and any other audiovisual or written material produced during the period of the fellowship.

Beneficiaries of the Science by Women fellowship program will become part of the N.O.W is Africa Network and will be invited to participate in follow-up, exchange and training activities (mentoring, coaching, peer support, etc.) organized within the framework of the program to ensure the sustainability of its impact.

IMPORTANT: The awarding of fellowships does not create any statutory or employment relationship with the Women for Africa Foundation. All obligations between the Women for Africa Foundation and the successful applicants end on the date of end of the fellowship.

The Intellectual and Industrial Property (IP) generated by the beneficiaries throughout the stay at the host institution will be regulated by the same terms and conditions that apply to the IP generated by the research staff of the host institution. Submitting an application implies that the beneficiaries of the fellowship grant the Women for Africa Foundation and the host institution, in consideration of the benefits set out in paragraph 3, the right to publish and disseminate the results of the chosen research projects in all forms (including, but not limited to in the form of working papers, electronic documents and books) and in all territories. This is without prejudice to publications in scientific journals chosen by the researchers, which in any case must mention the support received by the Women for Africa Foundation and the collaborating research institution.

If there are any doubts, it is very important that you consult the frequently asked questions section to resolve them.

IMPORTANT: The Science by Women program’s team will not respond to queries that are answered in those sections.

For truly urgent questions that are not resolved in the previous sections, you can send an email to:
science.by.women@mujeresporafrica.es

For further information on the Women for Africa Foundation’s privacy and data
management policy, please check out the following link: Política de privacidad.