Scholarships of excellence for PhD students 2016

As part of its technical assistance and training programme for 2016 the International Olive Council plans to award scholarships of excellence to PhD students.

The scholarships are intended to foster advanced training and research in olive growing and olive oil and table olive technology, to respond to the growing demand for specialists in the sector, to encourage the transfer of technology and to facilitate the pooling of information, experience and results. They are also meant to foster mobility between Members.

The scholarships will be granted to candidates put forward by the member countries who are working, researching or have a study background in the olive sector.

Candidates must have been accepted for a PhD at a university with specific olive studies, a specific olive department or specific courses on the olive sector. Likewise, the PhD thesis must entail research on original topics specifically related to the olive sector and the thesis tutor/director must be an expert on olive subjects.

Candidates must also have a degree, preferably in one of the following fields: chemistry, chemical engineering, food science and technology, biology, agronomy or in the olive field. They must also have obtained a Master with honours (cum maxima laude), preferably in the olive field. They must be under the age of 40.

The IOC will pay the enrolment fees, a monthly (board and lodging) allowance adjusted to the cost of living in the country concerned and travel expenses at the start and end of each academic year (if applicable).

The scholarships will have a maximum duration of four (4) years.

The IOC invites its Members to nominate at least three (3) candidates who fulfil all these requirements by 15 May 2015. Please be aware that the number of scholarships is very limited owing to budgetary constraints; one candidate at the most will be selected per Member.

Only official candidates nominated by the IOC representatives will be considered for inclusion in the selection process.