ACECoR Call for Applications for Scholarships - 2020/21 Academic Year

06 Aug, 2020

UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL SCIENCES

SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

AFRICA CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN COASTAL RESILIENCE

Call for Applications for Scholarships - 2020/21 Academic Year

Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Programmes

Background

The Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR) established under the World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence (ACE) for Development Impact Project and hosted by the Centre for Coastal Management, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, invites suitably qualified national, regional and international applicants into its MPhil and PhD degree programmes. The overarching goal of ACECoR is to support technical capacity development of young African professionals to address issues of coastal degradation, as well as promote the sustainable utilization and management of marine and coastal assets within the subregion. ACECoR will carry out education and research programs in collaboration with academic institutions and industries at the national, regional and international levels to ensure a multi- and interdisciplinary approach to addressing coastal degradation across the sub-region.

The specific objectives of ACECoR are to:

  • Enhance capabilities of young African scholars in the thematic areas of Coastal Geomorphology and Engineering, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, Disaster Risk Management and Migration, Ecosystems and Biodiversity Science and Blue Economy, Governance and Social resilience.
  • Provide demand-driven applied research data and innovation for relevant industries and sectors in above themes.
  • Develop regional data support systems on marine and coastal issues.
  • Create multi-sectoral marine and coastal area networks for integrated approach to resolving coastal degradation in West Africa.
  • Provide career development for faculty through international exchange programme and in-service training.

ACECoR Scholarships

ACECoR provides scholarships and other funding support opportunities for Ghanaian and other African students who need such supports, and who apply for the scholarships during the advertisement, either prior to their admission or during their study. The scholarship may be full or partial depending on the availability of funds. The decision of the Centre to grant full or partial funding to any candidate shall be subject to the qualification criteria and other requirements to be provided in the advertisement and assessment of candidates for admissions as well as the availability of funds. Scholarships are provided for students who enrol in programmes run at ACECoR to undertake studies that fall within any of the five research thematic. Priority is given to applicants whose research focus on addressing challenges of coastal environment and coastal resources degradation.

Scholarship categories and packages

ACECoR awards full and partial scholarships. A full scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, stipend and research grant. A conference and other travel grants may also be included where applicable and when necessary. A partial scholarship covers one or more of (or a percentage of) tuition, accommodation, stipend and research grant, but not all. A partially funded student may also receive conference and other travel grants where applicable and when necessary. The Centre reserves the right to review and define what constitutes a partial scholarship for an awardee.

Programme Descriptions

Master of Philosophy (MPhil) - The ACECoR MPhil programmes are designed as intensive modular courses with a research component. Students admitted to the programmes spend a 12-month period of learning on course modules and another 12 months on research. Student research will be conducted under one or more of the five thematic areas of the ACECoR Project.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - The ACECoR PhD programmes are designed as 36-month intensive full-time research programmes. Students in the programme spend 24 months on field research and data collection and 12 months for organising and writing their thesis, including attending relevant seminars and conferences to gain critical knowledge and/or present preliminary research results. Student research will be conducted under one or more of the five thematic areas of the ACECoR Project.

Programmes on offer for 2020

For the 2020 intake, the following ACECoR programmes are on offer at the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Cape Coast.

  1. MPhil | PhD (Integrated Coastal Zone Management)
  2. MPhil | PhD (Oceanography and Limnology)
  3. MPhil | PhD (Fisheries Science)

Research themes

All ACECoR students are required to conduct their research in one or a combination of the five thematic areas of the Centre. Applicants whose research proposals focus on these areas stand a better chance of being awarded scholarships for their study programme at the University of Cape Coast.

  1. Blue Economy, Governance and Social Resilience
  2. Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
  3. Coastal Geomorphology and Engineering
  4. Disaster Risk Management and Migration
  5. Ecosystems and Biodiversity

Application Information

Applicants must qualify for admission to master’s and doctorate programmes at the University of Cape Coast. All programmes run at ACECoR are hosted in specific academic departments within UCC and have separate application procedures from the scholarship which is provided by the Centre. It is therefore important for prospective applicants to note that application into the programmes is independent from application for scholarship.

Prospective candidates are first required to apply to UCC for admission into the listed MPhil and PhD Degree Programmes run at ACECoR, before applying for scholarship. To apply to UCC for admission into a programme, applicants must purchase the UCC admissions voucher and login to the online Registration Portal with the PIN and SERIAL numbers. Also, read carefully the graduate admissions brochure. For the 2020/21 scholarship application process, applicants are not required to apply to UCC before applying for ACECoR scholarships. However, all successful applicants will have to complete the UCC admission process and be admitted to qualify for the award of scholarship.

To apply to ACECoR for scholarship, fill the online scholarship application form on the ACECoR website and upload the required documents. An application in which there is an omission of any of the required documents will be deemed an incomplete application and will not be considered.

The deadline for submission of applications is 30th September, 2020.

Documents required for your application

  • Certified true copies of academic certificates and transcripts
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Statement of Motivation
  • Two (2) letters of recommendation (at least one from a former lecturer/supervisor)
  • A 2-3 (for MPhil) or 3-5 (for PhD) page research proposal in the preferred area of research

Contacts for further Inquiry

For further inquiries on scholarships at ACECoR, please contact the ACECoR Academic Coordinator, Dr. Isaac Okyere on iokyere@ucc.edu.gh or the ACECoR Assistant Registrar on acecor@ucc.edu.gh .