The INSPIRE Project
http://inspiresouthafrica.eu/

In this second call of the INSPIRE project we offer 125 scholarships for students, researchers or staff to participate in an exchange or a full degree. It is open to all South African nationals either currently registered as a student, researcher or staff at a Higher Education Institution or with an already completed degree.
For EU nationals this call is open to all registered students, researchers or full-time members of staff interested in applying for an exchange.

These comprehensive scholarships will cover the following:

• Monthly stipend between € 1000-2500;
• All tuition fees;
• Health insurance;
• Residence permit;
• Travels to and from your study destination.

We urge all applicants to show in their applications one or more instances where you have exhibited the innovation and entrepreneurship that is thematic to the INSPIRE Project and you will receive an additional 10 % in the evaluation of your application.

General Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship under the INSPIRE Project all applicants must fulfill the following general criteria:

• be a national of South Africa or an EU member state;
• have sufficient knowledge of the language of instruction;
• South African applicants can neither have lived nor developed their main activity (study, work, etc.) over more than 12 months, in the last 5 years, in an EU member state - not applicable to staff;
• can not have benefited in the past from an Erasmus Mundus scholarship for the same type of mobility - not applicable to staff;
• for an exchange mobility, the applicant has to be an enrolled student, researcher or full-time staff member;
• for a full degree, the applicant has to have obtained a relevant degree from a Higher Education Institution.

Please note that in addition to these criteria there may be additional requirements defined internally with each respective partner institution of the INSPIRE project. It is therefore strongly recommended that the applicants belonging to a partner or associate institution prepare their application with both the general elibility criteria and, in their existence, any internal requirements together with the contact person of their home institution.
Contact details for the respective institutions of the INSPIRE project can be found in the 'Contacts' section above.

Available Scholarships

South African nationals:

• 23 scholarships of 1 or 2 semesters for exchange studies at Master level
• 8 full Master degree scholarships of two academic years
• 13 scholarships of 6 or 10 months for exchanges at PhD level
• 8 full PhD degree scholarships of 34 months
• 11 scholarships of 6 or 10 months for research at Post Doctoral level
• 11 scholarships of 1 month for Academic/Administrative staff

EU nationals:

• 8 scholarships of 2 semesters for exchange studies at Master level
• 16 scholarships of 10 months for exchanges at PhD level
• 7 scholarships of 6 or 10 months research at Post Doctoral level
• 20 scholarships of 1 month for Academic/Administrative staff

General description

International Science Promoting Innovation and entREpreneurship (INSPIRE) is an Erasmus Mundus Action 2 project that has identified a very concrete and structurally important node for development of the South African knowledge triangle. In the intricate system of interaction between research, education and innovation INSPIRE will focus on the creation of and development of support structures that can transfer results from research into the private sector for refinement before product development to be used in industry.

The process of transferring science to be explored and commercialized is still underdeveloped and there is a need to develop good governance at universities in order to initiate and uphold partnerships between the public and private sectors. The INSPIRE-project will tackle this is issue by training South African students and staff within the EU-universities’ innovation/entrepreneur centers. INSPIRE will also, thanks to participating associate organizations, build a network for INSPIRE-alumni in which they can continue to grow personally and professionally.

The outcome of INSPIRE will leave South African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with highly trained administrative staff that can run an innovation/tech-transfer office; with academic researchers and students that have studied in highly advanced universities in Europe and been educated in the process of transferring science into viable businesses; and with an EU-South African network of universities that will continue to develop new modes of collaboration within the field of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The theme of INSPIRE is selected in order to promote Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In doing so INSPIRE has chosen to give priority to a number of academic themes that align themselves with the priorities set for innovation in the development strategy of the South African Department of Science and Technology for the period 2011-2016.