MS International Federation is awarding a number of McDonald Fellowships to young researchers from emerging countries. Fellowships enable the recipient to travel to an established research institution to work with leading researchers in MS with a view to returning to their own country to establish a programme of MS research.

The aim of MS International Federation is to lead the global MS movement to improve the quality of life of people affected by MS and to support the better understanding of the treatment of MS by facilitating international cooperation between MS societies, the international research community, and other stakeholders.

The fellowship consists of a two-year grant, around UK £30,000 per year, to cover travel and living costs, and an additional contribution of UK £2,000 per year to the host institution.

Nationality: International students are eligible to apply.

Eligible Countries: These McDonald fellowships are open to the citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Dem. Rep, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, The, Guinea, Guinea-Bisau, Haiti, Kenya, Korea, Dem Rep., Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Armenia, Bhutan, Bolivia, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Congo, Rep., Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Arab Rep., El Salvador, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Indonesia, India, Kiribati, Kosovo , Kyrgyz Republic,Lao PDR, Lesotho, Mauritania, Micronesia, Fed. Sts., Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Samoa, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Bank and Gaza, Yemen, Rep., Zambia, Angola, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Gabon, Grenada, Hungary, Iran, Islamic Rep., Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, FYR, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Namibia, Palau, Panama, Peru, Romania, Serbia, Seychelles, South Africa, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Thailand, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu and Venezuela, RB.

Entrance Requirements: All candidates must:

Candidates must also be in one of the following situations:

Before nomination, candidates need to have identified a suitable project and discussed their involvement with the project supervisor of the intended host institution outside their own country. Candidates are expected to return to their own countries at the end of the study period where they will contribute to advancing care and research in MS.

The fellowship may also be used as a supplement for work related to MS by a candidate who has been accepted for training in a recognized institute (within the six months prior to nomination) but who don’t have enough money to cover the total cost.

• be under 35 at the time of application
• be educated to postgraduate level in an area relevant to multiple sclerosis (MS)
• be citizens of an emerging country (all countries with a low, lower middle or upper middle income as defined by the World Bank)
• focus their research in an area of neuroscience relevant to MS
• working or studying in an emerging country (all countries with a low, lower middle or upper middle income as defined by the World Bank) at the time of nomination
• working or studying in another country on a project which started within the six months prior to nomination
• studying in another country on a project supported by an MS International Federation grant.

The mode of applying is online. Application Form

English Language Requirements: Applicants from outside the home country will often need to meet specific English language/other language requirements in order to be able to study there.