Health and Medicine Scholarships and Fellowships for Africans

Health and medicine opportunities are available for African undergraduates, master’s students, doctoral researchers, professionals and postdocs. They include study and research in Belgium, Canada, the United Kingdom, Russia, South Africa and Switzerland, with fixed and rolling deadlines.

Key facts

• Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship is a postdoctoral fellowship for all nationalities, hosted in the United Kingdom, with salary and project costs funded for up to 60 months.
• ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding accepts applicants from specified African countries and includes tuition, a stipend, travel and insurance for study in Belgium.
• MU-JHU Research Collaboration Postdoctoral Fellowship is for applicants from Uganda and provides research funding, a salary stipend, and local and international mentors.
• Mastercard Foundation PhD Scholarship at University of Toronto and Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarship are PhD options for applicants from all African countries, with tuition, travel and accommodation support in Canada.
• MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity is open to applicants from developing countries and provides EUR 55,000 per year for two years, plus one return flight.
• The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity supports applicants from Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi with tuition, living costs, travel, insurance and selected visa-related costs.
• World Health Organization Internship Programme Opportunity accepts all nationalities for internships and provides medical and accident insurance, with a living allowance for eligible interns who need financial support.

Which health and medicine opportunities match your study level?

Begin with your academic level. The list covers undergraduate study, master’s programmes, professional training, PhD study, postdoctoral research and internships, but each opportunity has separate rules.

Undergraduates can consider ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding, Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship and World Health Organization Internship Programme Opportunity. ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding includes undergraduate, master’s and professional levels. Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship includes undergraduate, master’s, PhD and postdoc levels. World Health Organization Internship Programme Opportunity accepts undergraduate, master’s and PhD applicants for internship vacancies. Check the official page for the requirements of the specific course or vacancy.

Master’s applicants can review ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding, Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship, MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity and The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity. ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding requires at least two years of experience. The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity requires at least three years. MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity accepts master’s, PhD and professional applicants, but its available details do not state a minimum experience requirement.

Doctoral applicants can consider Mastercard Foundation PhD Scholarship at University of Toronto, Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarship, Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship, MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity and The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity. The two Canadian Mastercard Foundation options are specifically for health and medicine at PhD level. World Health Organization Internship Programme Opportunity also lists PhD applicants, but it is an internship rather than degree funding.

Postdocs should examine Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship, MU-JHU Research Collaboration Postdoctoral Fellowship and Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship. Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship matters because it offers a long research and career-development period, with a stated duration of up to 60 months. MU-JHU Research Collaboration Postdoctoral Fellowship matters to Ugandan researchers because it combines a salary stipend, research funding and mentor support.

Professionals can assess ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding, Chevening Scholarships Research Fellowship Opportunity and MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity. Chevening Scholarships Research Fellowship Opportunity requires at least five years of experience and offers a five-month research fellowship. ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding requires at least two years.

Which African applicants are eligible?

Eligibility is not the same across the list. Some programmes accept all African countries, while others name specific countries or use a developing-country category.

Mastercard Foundation PhD Scholarship at University of Toronto and Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarship accept applicants from all African countries. Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship, Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship and World Health Organization Internship Programme Opportunity accept all nationalities. These options matter if your country is not included in a restricted list.

ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding is open to applicants from South Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Uganda, DR Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zimbabwe. Confirm your nationality against the official eligibility wording.

MU-JHU Research Collaboration Postdoctoral Fellowship is restricted to Uganda. Chevening Scholarships Research Fellowship Opportunity accepts applicants from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Tunisia, as well as Malaysia and Türkiye. The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity is restricted to Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity uses “developing countries” as its eligibility category. Check the official page of MS International Federation rather than assuming that your nationality qualifies.

What funding do these opportunities provide?

The funding packages differ. Some cover several study costs, while others pay a stipend or salary and leave major expenses to you.

Mastercard Foundation PhD Scholarship at University of Toronto and Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarship offer tuition, travel and accommodation support. Their funding description also covers housing, food, books and other expenses for the duration of the professional programme. Both list seven awards.

ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding includes tuition, a stipend, international travel and insurance. Its listed support also includes certain visa costs for undergraduate and specialised master’s applicants, registration fees for those categories, and indirect mission costs for continuing training. These benefits depend on the applicant category.

The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity provides full tuition and academic fees paid directly to the university, a living allowance, UK visa and health surcharge costs, TB test and biometric costs, arrival, laptop and departure allowances, insurance, and economy-class flights. It supports study in the United Kingdom or South Africa.

MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity provides EUR 55,000 per year for 24 months. The money is paid to the host institution, which uses it to pay the fellow, and one return flight is covered. Tuition, accommodation and insurance are not listed in the available funding details, so check the host arrangement.

Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship covers tuition and provides a monthly stipend. The student must pay transportation, food, accommodation, communication services and medical insurance. This matters when comparing the real cost of study.

World Health Organization Internship Programme Opportunity provides medical and accident insurance for every intern. A living allowance is available to eligible selected interns who need financial support.

What deadlines and time zones apply?

The earliest closing date is 15 September 2026. Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship closes at 4:00pm UK time and opened on 23 June 2026. ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding closes on 18 September 2026 at 12:00 UTC+1 and opened on 3 August 2026.

MU-JHU Research Collaboration Postdoctoral Fellowship closes on 30 September 2026 at midnight. Because “midnight” can cause confusion, check the official submission system and do not rely on a casual local-time conversion.

Mastercard Foundation PhD Scholarship at University of Toronto and Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarship close on 1 October 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST, which is Toronto time. Chevening Scholarships Research Fellowship Opportunity closes on 6 October 2026, Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship on 1 November 2026, and MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity on 1 December 2026.

The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity opens on 1 December 2026 and closes on 12 February 2027. Its notice says applications cannot be processed after the closing date. World Health Organization Internship Programme Opportunity is rolling, but each internship vacancy has separate requirements and deadlines.

For MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity, the online application form, reference letters and supporting statement from the host must all be submitted by 1 December 2026. A form without the other listed documents is incomplete.

Which language rules should you check?

No opportunity in the available information confirms that IELTS is not required. Check the official page for accepted tests or alternative evidence instead of assuming that a particular certificate will be accepted.

For ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding, complete the application in the language used to teach the training and show good written and spoken knowledge of that language. The programme also says that minimum French knowledge helps with daily life in Belgium.

Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship offers programmes in Russian or English, depending on the institution. Check the language of the specific programme before choosing a course or preparing documents.

For World Health Organization Internship Programme Opportunity, you must be fluent in at least one working language of the office where the internship is assigned. Each vacancy may provide different requirements.

No language rule is supplied here for Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship, MU-JHU Research Collaboration Postdoctoral Fellowship, Mastercard Foundation PhD Scholarship at University of Toronto, Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarship, Chevening Scholarships Research Fellowship Opportunity, MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity or The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity. Check the relevant official page rather than guessing.

What documents should you prepare?

The stated requirements show why supporting documents need early preparation. For MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity, prepare the online form, reference letters and a supporting statement from the host. All are listed as part of the application.

For ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding, prepare evidence of written and spoken ability in the training language and confirm at least two years of experience. For Chevening Scholarships Research Fellowship Opportunity, prepare evidence of at least five years of experience. For The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity, prepare evidence of at least three years of experience.

Postdoctoral applicants should distinguish salary support from project support. Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship states that it funds salary and project costs at 80% of the full economic cost for up to five years, while MU-JHU Research Collaboration Postdoctoral Fellowship lists research funding, a salary stipend and mentor support. Check the official pages for the exact research proposal, academic records and references required.

For Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship, make a budget that includes transport, food, accommodation, communication services and medical insurance because those costs are excluded. For The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity, confirm the university and study destination because tuition and academic fees are paid directly to the institution.

Avoid one generic application. Match your level, nationality, field, experience, host country and language evidence to the opportunity. A mismatch can make an otherwise strong application ineligible.

FAQ: health and medicine scholarships for African applicants

Which health and medicine opportunities are fully funded?

Mastercard Foundation PhD Scholarship at University of Toronto, Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarship and The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity are listed among the fully funded options. The Canadian programmes cover tuition, travel and accommodation, while The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity covers tuition, academic fees, living costs, travel, insurance and specified visa-related expenses.

Which scholarships accept applicants from all African countries?

Mastercard Foundation PhD Scholarship at University of Toronto and Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarship accept applicants from all African countries. Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship, Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship and World Health Organization Internship Programme Opportunity accept all nationalities. Country-specific programmes require a separate eligibility check.

Which fellowships are available for postdocs?

Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship is a postdoctoral career development fellowship for all nationalities, hosted in the United Kingdom. MU-JHU Research Collaboration Postdoctoral Fellowship is for Ugandan postdoctoral applicants and includes salary, research funding and mentors. Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship also lists postdoc among its eligible levels.

Which health scholarships have no IELTS requirement?

No option confirms that IELTS is not required. The stated language rules include course-language evidence for ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding, Russian or English programme language for Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship, and working-language fluency for World Health Organization Internship Programme Opportunity. Check each official page.

Can I apply after the deadline?

Do not rely on late submission. The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity says applications cannot be processed after its closing date, while Leading Russian Universities Open Doors Scholarship says applicants cannot add to or edit account information or portfolios after 1 November 2026. World Health Organization Internship Programme Opportunity is rolling, but each vacancy has its own deadline.

What should you do next?

Filter the opportunities by your academic level, nationality and field. Then check the official page for funding, language rules, required documents, host arrangements and the exact closing time.

Create a document checklist for your selected option. Include references and a host statement for MS International Federation McDonald Fellowship Opportunity, language evidence for ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding, and experience evidence for Chevening Scholarships Research Fellowship Opportunity or The Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarship Opportunity. Contact referees and hosts before the application window becomes urgent.

Record every deadline in its stated time zone and submit before the final day. For rolling World Health Organization Internship Programme Opportunity, check vacancies regularly. Before submission, confirm that every required section and attachment is marked complete.