Scholarships, grants and fellowships for Malagasy applicants 2027

Applicants from Madagascar can apply for study, research, professional and training opportunities across Africa, Europe, North America and Asia. The strongest matches depend on your level, field, work experience, language ability and readiness to meet deadlines set in different time zones.

Key facts

• ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding accepts applicants from Madagascar for study in Belgium and covers tuition or registration costs in some programmes, living support, travel and insurance.
• UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme is open to Malagasy applicants for a research stay in Japan, offers up to USD 10,000 and does not require IELTS.
• UNESCO AfriMAB GRÓ-LRT Land Restoration Fellowship is a six-month, fully funded fellowship in Iceland for African professionals in environment and natural sciences who have at least one year of experience.
• CyberSafe Foundation Fellowship for African Women in Cybersecurity is a fully funded, remote cybersecurity fellowship for African women who speak English, reside in Africa and have at least three years of experience.
• UNU-MERIT Migration Management Diploma Training Programme covers flights, accommodation, visa fees, meals, living expenses, health insurance and field trips for eligible professionals from Madagascar.
• Wageningen University & Research Masters Scholarship provides tuition, travel, living costs, visa costs and health insurance for an English-taught master’s programme in the Netherlands.
• Deadlines run from 10 September 2026 to 1 December 2026, and some closing times are stated in UK, European, North American or global time zones.

Which scholarships are open to Malagasy applicants?

Malagasy applicants are explicitly eligible for several programmes. ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding lists Madagascar among its eligible countries and supports undergraduate, master’s and professional study in Belgium. Its fields include business and management, law, health and medicine, economics, computer science and IT, arts and design, and environment and climate.

The application must be completed in the language used for the selected course. You must also show good written and spoken knowledge of that language. The programme states that basic French can help with daily life in Belgium, but the course language remains the key requirement.

UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme also names Madagascar among its eligible countries. It is intended for master’s and PhD researchers in fields including education, environment and climate, computer science and IT, public policy and governance, social sciences, arts and design and entrepreneurship. The proposed host institution in Japan determines the language requirement. You must show sufficient reading and writing ability in the language of instruction or supervision.

This matters for you because IELTS is not required for UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme. That does not remove the language test entirely. You still need to demonstrate that you can work in the host institution’s language.

For master’s applicants, Wageningen University & Research Masters Scholarship is a strong option because it is open to all African countries and funds an English-language programme in the Netherlands. You must meet the English language requirements before 1 December 2026 and submit a complete application for one of the university’s MSc programmes before that deadline.

Which fully funded opportunities suit Malagasy professionals?

Professional applicants should separate academic fellowships from short training programmes. The eligibility tests are different, especially for experience, language and professional role.

UNESCO AfriMAB GRÓ-LRT Land Restoration Fellowship matters if you work in environment and climate or natural sciences and have at least one year of experience. It is open to professionals from all African countries, requires English communication in speaking, reading and writing, and lasts six months in Iceland. Tuition and academic expenses, travel, health insurance and a stipend for living expenses are covered.

The fellowship has a maximum age of 40 and is not remote. The event begins on 26 February 2027. A strong application should therefore connect your professional work to land restoration or the work of African biosphere reserves, while proving your English ability and experience with clear documents.

Women working in cybersecurity can consider CyberSafe Foundation Fellowship for African Women in Cybersecurity, which matters because it combines training and certification without tuition charges and can be completed remotely. It is open to African women who currently reside in an African country, speak English and have at least three years of experience.

Applications close on 10 September 2026 at 12:00 WAT. The programme runs from 26 October 2026 to 30 July 2027. Do not submit at the last minute. Convert the stated West Africa Time deadline to your local time and allow time for file checks, recommendation requests and upload failures.

For professionals in migration policy or related public-sector work, UNU-MERIT Migration Management Diploma Training Programme is relevant because Madagascar is included in its eligible-country list and the programme covers the practical costs of a three-month training period in the Netherlands. The training runs from 5 April 2027 to 24 June 2027. It covers flights, accommodation, visa fees, meals, daily living costs, health insurance and field trips.

Which research fellowships suit Malagasy PhD and postdoctoral applicants?

PhD and postdoctoral applicants need to match the level precisely. A professional fellowship cannot be treated as a substitute for a doctoral or postdoctoral programme.

UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme accepts master’s and PhD applicants and is suitable for a defined research project that requires a stay at a Japanese host institution. Its grant can cover approved international and domestic travel, accommodation, medical insurance, subsistence and research-related expenses. It does not cover tuition, equipment such as computers, publication costs or conferences unless a conference is clearly part of the approved research project.

The grant is a lump-sum contribution of up to USD 10,000. It may not meet every cost in your budget. Your proposal should therefore distinguish covered research expenses from excluded items instead of presenting one undifferentiated total.

Health researchers can examine Mastercard Foundation PhD Scholarship at University of Toronto and Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarship, both of which are open to applicants from all African countries and support PhD-level study in Canada. Each offers full support for tuition, travel, housing, food, books and other expenses for the duration of the professional programme. Each has seven awards.

The two programmes have the same deadline, 1 October 2026 at 23:59 EST, Toronto time. A Malagasy applicant should not rely on the calendar date alone. Check the equivalent local time, submit before the final hour and confirm that the completed application has been received.

For postdoctoral social-science research, The Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies Fellowship matters because it offers an in-residence appointment in the United States with an annual stipend of USD 80,000 and annual research support of USD 6,000. The required research paper may be published or unpublished, but it must be in English. Materials other than recommendation letters are due by 18 September 2026 at 23:59 EDT, while recommendation letters must arrive by 28 September 2026 at 23:59 EDT.

What documents and language evidence should Malagasy applicants prepare?

The required documents vary by programme, so you must check the official page before finalising your file. The facts available for these programmes do not provide one universal document checklist.

Prepare the material that the specific application requests, then check each file for consistency. Your name, dates, qualifications, employment history and research topic should match across forms, certificates, CVs and supporting statements. A mismatch can make an otherwise qualified application look careless.

Language evidence needs particular attention. Wageningen University & Research Masters Scholarship requires an English language certificate. TU Delft Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarships also requires an English language certificate and offers full tuition fees per year for a TU Delft MSc programme, together with a contribution towards living expenses. The scholarship has two awards and is open to all nationalities.

By contrast, APNI African Plant Nutrition Outreach Fellowship Competition accepts application materials in English or French. It matters to Malagasy scientists, extension specialists and educators working on plant nutrition because each award provides USD 5,000 for education, training or communication programmes connected to African agro-ecosystems.

For Chicago Booth Journalists in Residence Program Fellowship, proficient English is required, and the programme is aimed at journalists with at least some years of experience who want deeper knowledge of political economy. It covers economy-class air travel to and from Chicago, visa and SEVIS fees, health insurance and a USD 14,000 stipend for the 12-week programme.

Do not claim a language exemption unless the official instructions grant one. The only stated no-IELTS position in these facts belongs to UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme, and its language condition still applies through the host institution.

How should you manage deadlines and time zones?

Make a private deadline sheet with four columns: programme, stated time zone, local Malagasy time and document status. The earliest closing date is 10 September 2026. Later deadlines include 15 September, 18 September, 20 September, 21 September, 30 September, 1 October, 2 October, 1 November, 4 November, 10 November and 1 December 2026.

The time-zone wording is not uniform. ERA Cambridge AI Fellowship Opportunity for Professionals closes on 13 September 2026 at 23:59 Anywhere on Earth. Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship closes on 15 September 2026 at 16:00 UK time. ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding closes on 18 September 2026 at 12:00 UTC+1, while Tara For Women Competition Opportunity: Tara’s Circle closes on 17 September 2026 at 12:00 CEST.

North American deadlines need the same care. Chicago Booth Journalists in Residence Program Fellowship uses 23:59 Chicago time on 20 September 2026. Mastercard Foundation PhD Scholarship at University of Toronto, Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarship and The Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies Fellowship use Eastern time, while Getty Conservation Institute Fellowship Opportunity uses 17:00 Los Angeles time on 1 October 2026.

The final December deadlines also have exact cut-offs. TU Delft Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarships closes at 23:59 CET on 1 December 2026. MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity and Wageningen University & Research Masters Scholarship list 1 December 2026 without a time in the supplied facts. Check the official page for the final hour rather than assuming that midnight in Madagascar applies.

Submit complete files, not partial forms. A programme may treat an application as incomplete if references or host statements have not arrived. MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity specifically requires the online form, reference letters and supporting statement from the host by 1 December 2026.

Which options cover travel, tuition and living costs?

Funding labels can hide major differences. Some programmes pay tuition and living costs, while others cover only travel or provide a grant for project expenses.

ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding covers international travel, subsistence, insurance and selected registration or visa-related costs depending on the level and type of training. Wageningen University & Research Masters Scholarship covers travel to and from the Netherlands, a living allowance for 24 months, tuition for 24 months, visa costs and health insurance.

Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship covers tuition and provides a monthly stipend, but the student must pay transport, food, accommodation, communication services and medical insurance. This distinction matters when preparing a realistic budget. A tuition award is not automatically a fully funded relocation package.

MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity provides EUR 55,000 per year for two years through the host institution and covers one return flight to the host country. CIFAR Global Scholars Program: PhD Research Scholarship provides CAD 100,000 in unrestricted research support over 24 months, which may be used for research expenses, teaching release, student or postdoctoral support and conference travel.

For short professional events, World Bank GovTech AI Training Programme covers international travel and accommodation for two selected team members attending a five-day bootcamp in South Korea. Sessions are conducted in English with interpretation support. The facts do not state that every applicant receives funding, so check how team selection works before relying on the support.

FAQ: What do Malagasy applicants need to know?

Which scholarships accept applicants from Madagascar?

ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding, UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme and UNU-MERIT Migration Management Diploma Training Programme explicitly include Madagascar in their eligible-country lists. Other programmes are open to all African countries, all nationalities or developing countries, but you must still satisfy the level, field, language and experience conditions.

Which opportunity does not require IELTS?

UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme states that IELTS is not required. You still need sufficient reading and writing proficiency in the language used for instruction or supervision at the proposed host institution in Japan.

What is the best funded option for a Malagasy master’s applicant?

Wageningen University & Research Masters Scholarship is suited to an African applicant seeking a funded master’s degree in the Netherlands because it covers tuition, living costs, travel, visa costs and health insurance. You must meet the English requirement and submit a complete MSc application before 1 December 2026.

Can Malagasy professionals apply for remote fellowships?

Yes. CyberSafe Foundation Fellowship for African Women in Cybersecurity is remote and is designed for African women in cybersecurity with at least three years of experience, English ability and residence in Africa. The NGO Whisperer® Global Fellowship Programme Opportunity is also remote, open to professionals of all nationalities and lasts seven months, but the supplied facts do not state funding.

How can I avoid missing an application deadline?

Record both the date and the stated time zone, then submit before the final day. Check references, host statements and supporting documents separately because some applications require third parties to submit materials by the same deadline or by a later stated deadline.

What should Malagasy applicants do next?

Start by choosing opportunities that match your actual level and field. A PhD applicant should not spend time on an undergraduate or professional programme, while a professional with no stated experience should not assume eligibility for a fellowship requiring one, three or seven years of experience.

Next, create a document folder for each application. Add the CV, qualifications, language evidence, research proposal, work evidence and references only when the official instructions require them. For host-based programmes, contact the proposed host early because a missing host statement can prevent submission.

Finally, verify every requirement and closing time on the official page before you submit. Funding, language rules, eligible fields, travel conditions and required documents can differ even between programmes with similar titles. Keep a saved copy of the final form and confirmation of submission.