African Land Fellowship

Fellowships are offered to Africans mainly from southern and East Africa who have experience in agriculture, food or natural resource exploitation and management; an interest in land reform; and a desire to make a strategic and sustainable contribution to Africa's development. In short, tomorrow's innovators and leaders.

The fellowship will cover tuition fees, accommodation, living costs, flights to and from the UK and provision for networking and a short industrial placement in the UK. The Programme is specifically linked to the MSc International Rural Development and the MSc Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security courses.

Since the fellowship programme was launched in 2005, over a million pounds has now been generously provided by donors in support of the programme. This funding has provided for leadership training; the development of professional networks and supporting work experience, together with study opportunities on the master’s programme in International Rural Development at the Royal Agricultural College. All of the Fellows subsequently return to Africa and many are now making significant leadership contributions through their various occupations to managing change in food supply and security, farming, agribusiness, agricultural education and government.

Applications for African Fellowships are now closed. Round two will open in November 2012, for 2013 entry.

For further information or to apply, please visit our 'Africa & The RAC' section.

International Internship Grants

Grants of up to £1000 are available to assist with travel costs in order for students on the MSc in International Rural Development and the MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security to undertake valuable international internships.

Students will be encouraged and helped to gain relevant work experience with international organisations and aid charities actively engaged in development work overseas. 

The internships will take place following examinations in the summer term - and can be of a duration of 2 to 6 months.

Am I eligible for the grant?

All new students registered on the MSc in International Rural Development or the MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security from 2012 are eligible to apply.

Students’ internship plans must be agreed by the College before the College agrees to the grant. Please note: projects and the funding support will not be discussed or agreed prior to potential students joining these courses at the start of term.     

Students will be responsible for all internship costs exceeding the total of the grant.

When should I apply?

Late autumn, towards the end of the first term.

How do I apply?

Students will be provided with more information about how to apply once they have joined the College.

Principal's Postgraduate Overseas Awards (PPOA)

The Royal Agricultural College (RAC) is delighted to introduce a new addition to our range of awards, designed to further promote our diverse international community and enhance the student experience.

New taught postgraduate overseas students from India, South America, South Africa, Malaysia and Singapore, starting in 2012, will be eligible to receive a PPOA.

Each award will be worth £1,500 and will be deducted from tuition fees at the start of the academic year.

Eligibility

Students who meet the entry requirements, and who are accepted on a taught postgraduate course at the RAC, are eligible for this award.

Once you have applied, and been accepted onto a taught postgraduate course (having achieved the required criteria), you will be automatically awarded a PPOA.

Terms and Conditions

The Award will take the form of a deduction in fees in the first or only year of study at the RAC, with no cash equivalent.

The award is available to new overseas postgraduates from India, South America, South Africa, Malaysia and Singapore only.

Only one Royal Agricultural College Award or Scholarship can be held at one time.* This includes the Outstanding Achiever’s Scholarship, the International Project Awards, and the African Fellowship. (*With the exception of new students registering on the MSc in International Rural Development (IRD) and the MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security (SAFS), who will still be eligible to apply for an International Internship to assist with travel costs towards an overseas placement, up to a maximum value of £1000.)

This Award is only available to students taught on the RAC campus and is not available to Distance Learning students.

The RAC endeavours to ensure that this information is correct. However, the RAC accepts no legal liability for errors or omissions and reserves the right to make changes without further notice.

Marshall Papworth Scholarship Fund

This scholarship is awarded by a UK charity on a competitive basis to postgraduate MSc students from developing countries studying sustainable development / land management. The primary aim is to support students who will return to their home Country after their year of study, and use their knowledge for the benefit of their Countrymen. Scholarships vary from £12 - £17,000, and are designed to fund the majority of tuition fees, living expenses and travel costs; you are normally expected to make some contribution or seek the remainder of your costs from another supporting organisation. Scholarship monies are paid to the College. To obtain an application form, please e-mail scholarships@rac.ac.uk.

If you wish to apply, you should complete the normal Royal Agricultural College postgraduate application form for the MSc IRD and then ask for a MP Scholarship form from scholarships@rac.ac.uk and submit both to the College. Applications for the scholarship will only be accepted from the College which is invited by the Marshall Papworth trust to put forward its best applicant(s) and not direct from students. The deadline for receipt of applications by the College is 25 March 2011. You may apply for both an African Fellowship and a Marshall Papworth Scholarship if you are eligible for both but only one will be awarded. Decisions on the MP scholarship should be available by mid-May.