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 (closed) 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 (closed) accepts applicants from specified African countries and includes tuition, a stipend, travel and insurance for study in Belgium.
• MU-JHU Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Uganda (closed) 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 (closed) and Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarships 2027 (closed) are PhD options for applicants from all African countries, with tuition, travel and accommodation support in Canada.
• McDonald Fellowship for MS Researchers from Developing Countries is open to applicants from developing countries and provides EUR 55,000 per year for two years, plus one return flight.
• Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa supports applicants from Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi with tuition, living costs, travel, insurance and selected visa-related costs.
• WHO Internship Programme in Geneva for Students 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 (closed), Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students and WHO Internship Programme in Geneva for Students. ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding (closed) includes undergraduate, master’s and professional levels. Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students includes undergraduate, master’s, PhD and postdoc levels. WHO Internship Programme in Geneva for Students 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 (closed), Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students, McDonald Fellowship for MS Researchers from Developing Countries and Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa. ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding (closed) requires at least two years of experience. Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa requires at least three years. McDonald Fellowship for MS Researchers from Developing Countries 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 (closed), Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarships 2027 (closed), Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students, McDonald Fellowship for MS Researchers from Developing Countries and Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa. The two Canadian Mastercard Foundation options are specifically for health and medicine at PhD level. WHO Internship Programme in Geneva for Students also lists PhD applicants, but it is an internship rather than degree funding.

Postdocs should examine Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship (closed), MU-JHU Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Uganda (closed) and Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students. Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship (closed) matters because it offers a long research and career-development period, with a stated duration of up to 60 months. MU-JHU Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Uganda (closed) 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 (closed), Chevening OCIS Fellowship 2027 at Oxford for Professionals (closed) and McDonald Fellowship for MS Researchers from Developing Countries. Chevening OCIS Fellowship 2027 at Oxford for Professionals (closed) requires at least five years of experience and offers a five-month research fellowship. ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding (closed) 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 (closed) and Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarships 2027 (closed) accept applicants from all African countries. Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship (closed), Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students and WHO Internship Programme in Geneva for Students accept all nationalities. These options matter if your country is not included in a restricted list.

ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding (closed) 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 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Uganda (closed) is restricted to Uganda. Chevening OCIS Fellowship 2027 at Oxford for Professionals (closed) accepts applicants from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Tunisia, as well as Malaysia and Türkiye. Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa is restricted to Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

McDonald Fellowship for MS Researchers from Developing Countries 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 (closed) and Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarships 2027 (closed) 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 (closed) 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.

Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa 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.

McDonald Fellowship for MS Researchers from Developing Countries 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.

Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students 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.

WHO Internship Programme in Geneva for Students 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 (closed) closes at 4:00pm UK time and opened on 23 June 2026. ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding (closed) closes on 18 September 2026 at 12:00 UTC+1 and opened on 3 August 2026.

MU-JHU Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Uganda (closed) 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 (closed) and Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarships 2027 (closed) close on 1 October 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST, which is Toronto time. Chevening OCIS Fellowship 2027 at Oxford for Professionals (closed) closes on 6 October 2026, Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students on 1 November 2026, and McDonald Fellowship for MS Researchers from Developing Countries on 1 December 2026.

Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa opens on 1 December 2026 and closes on 12 February 2027. Its notice says applications cannot be processed after the closing date. WHO Internship Programme in Geneva for Students is rolling, but each internship vacancy has separate requirements and deadlines.

For McDonald Fellowship for MS Researchers from Developing Countries, 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 (closed), 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.

Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students 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 WHO Internship Programme in Geneva for Students, 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 (closed), MU-JHU Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Uganda (closed), Mastercard Foundation PhD Scholarship at University of Toronto (closed), Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarships 2027 (closed), Chevening OCIS Fellowship 2027 at Oxford for Professionals (closed), McDonald Fellowship for MS Researchers from Developing Countries or Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa. Check the relevant official page rather than guessing.

What documents should you prepare?

The stated requirements show why supporting documents need early preparation. For McDonald Fellowship for MS Researchers from Developing Countries, 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 (closed), prepare evidence of written and spoken ability in the training language and confirm at least two years of experience. For Chevening OCIS Fellowship 2027 at Oxford for Professionals (closed), prepare evidence of at least five years of experience. For Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa, prepare evidence of at least three years of experience.

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

For Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students, make a budget that includes transport, food, accommodation, communication services and medical insurance because those costs are excluded. For Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa, 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 (closed), Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarships 2027 (closed) and Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa are listed among the fully funded options. The Canadian programmes cover tuition, travel and accommodation, while Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa 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 (closed) and Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarships 2027 (closed) accept applicants from all African countries. Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship (closed), Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students and WHO Internship Programme in Geneva for Students accept all nationalities. Country-specific programmes require a separate eligibility check.

Which fellowships are available for postdocs?

Medical Research Council Early Independence Fellowship (closed) is a postdoctoral career development fellowship for all nationalities, hosted in the United Kingdom. MU-JHU Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Uganda (closed) is for Ugandan postdoctoral applicants and includes salary, research funding and mentors. Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students 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 (closed), Russian or English programme language for Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students, and working-language fluency for WHO Internship Programme in Geneva for Students. Check each official page.

Can I apply after the deadline?

Do not rely on late submission. Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa says applications cannot be processed after its closing date, while Open Doors Russian Scholarship 2027/28 for International Students says applicants cannot add to or edit account information or portfolios after 1 November 2026. WHO Internship Programme in Geneva for Students 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 McDonald Fellowship for MS Researchers from Developing Countries, language evidence for ARES International Training Scholarships – Belgium Study Funding (closed), and experience evidence for Chevening OCIS Fellowship 2027 at Oxford for Professionals (closed) or Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa. 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 WHO Internship Programme in Geneva for Students, check vacancies regularly. Before submission, confirm that every required section and attachment is marked complete.