Application procedure for the GPN Thomas Sankara PhD Scholarship

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The selection process for the GPN Thomas Sankara PhD Scholarship follows a structured procedure to ensure a fair and thorough review of all applications. Below you will find an overview of the most important steps:

Application procedure for the GPN Thomas Sankara PhD Scholarship

  1. 1.Application & preselection

    - Call for Application (CfA): The application process for the scholarship begins with the official call for applications (CfA).
    - Application deadline: Interested candidates must submit their complete applications by the specified deadline (31.10.2025). Only complete applications submitted by the deadline will be considered. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Please refer to the CfA for the exact application requirements.
    - document review: The GPN Graduate School reviews all submitted applications and prepares an overview for the partner universities (PUs).
    - Pre-selection by the partner universities (PUs): The PUs review the applications and decide which candidates will proceed to the next phase. Selected applications are subjected to a plagiarism check before they are forwarded. A meeting of the International Academic Committee (IAC) may take place for the final decision on the pre-selection.

  2. 2.Selection criteria & interview

    - Criteria for selection: Evaluation will be based on academic excellence, the quality and feasibility of the research proposal and its alignment with the GPN research agenda.

    - Review by potential supervisors: The selected applications are submitted to the potential first and second supervisors for academic evaluation. Each application is carefully reviewed and the evaluations are submitted to the Graduate School.

    - Selection interview: Shortlisted candidates may be invited to a Zoom interview where their academic background, the coherence of their research proposal and their motivation for participating in the GPN Graduate School will be assessed and reviewed.

  3. 3.Final selection & acceptance

    - Selection meeting: The IAC (International Academic Committee of the GPN) will conduct the final selection meeting, after which the selected candidates will be officially informed by the Graduate School Coordinator. Selected candidates are expected to be notified in February 2026.
    - Important note: We ask applicants to refrain from inquiring about their selection status, as we do not provide individual information during the selection process.
    - Acceptance procedure: Selected candidates will be required to confirm their acceptance by signing and returning the required documents within the stipulated time frame.

  4. 4.Start of the scholarship

    The scholarship program is expected to officially start between March and April 2026.
    If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the GPN Graduate School.