Deadline: November 8, 2024.

All Mastercard Foundation Scholars at the University of Edinburgh will participate in a Climate Leadership Programme.

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program aims to make a meaningful impact in addressing the climate crisis. Their Program is dedicated to nurturing a community of talented, entrepreneurial, and compassionate leaders from across Sub-Saharan Africa.

They empower young people with the necessary knowledge, skills, and networks to drive sustainable transitions by offering a range of exceptional sustainability-focused postgraduate opportunities through the Program at the University of Edinburgh.

This is a one-year postgraduate on-campus scholarship for the following programmes ONLY:

1. Africa and International Development 
2. Food Security
3. Sustainable Energy Systems
4. Entrepreneurship and Innovation
5. Data, Inequality and Society 
6. Operational Research
7. Environmental Sustainability
8. Climate Change Finance and Investment
9. Planetary Health
10. Environment and Development

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

You must meet the eligibility criteria to apply:

• Applicants must qualify academically for admission to the University of Edinburgh for a relevant degree programme listed. You will generally need to have achieved the equivalent of a UK Second Class (Upper) Bachelor’s (Hons) degree or higher. 
• Applicants will have faced significant barriers to education (social, financial, personal, practical or health-related).
• Applicants must have graduated from an undergraduate study and must have a degree certificate and official final transcript to upload alongside their application by 8 November 2024.
• Applicants must be residents and citizens or hold refugee status in a sub-Saharan African country.
• Applicants must have faced barriers to education and in their early career.
• Applicants must demonstrate a track record of leadership and service within their community.
• Applicants must demonstrate experience, or at least ambition, in making a meaningful impact in addressing the climate crisis
• Applicants must be 35 or under the year the programme commences. Therefore, for the 2025/26 academic year, we accept applications from those born on or after 1 January 1990. Anyone born in 1989 and prior is not eligible. 
• Applicants should not have previously completed a postgraduate degree and should not be enrolled (or apply to enrol) at a separate university whilst on the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program scholarship.
• They particularly welcome applications from female scholars, scholars from refugee and displaced backgrounds, and scholars with disabilities (see FAQs below for further information) 

BENEFITS

• Covers full approved tuition, accommodation, travel, living cost stipend and study materials.
• A climate leadership programme to inspire and support scholars in making change in their communities and countries.
• Additional support is offered to scholars with disabilities based on an assessment of needs.

APPLICATION

1. If you are applying exclusively for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program scholarship, you should only apply to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. Once you have received a scholarship offer in March 2025, you can then proceed to apply to your chosen study programme at the University of Edinburgh through the University’s admissions process. If you are considering other scholarships, only then should you apply to the University as well.
2. You must qualify academically for admission to the University of Edinburgh. We require that applicants apply for this scholarship before applying to the University.  

Find more information on the OFFICIAL LINK