ITTO Fellowship Programme 2023. (Partial Funding up to $10,000)

Scholarship Description:

ITTO provides fellowships through the Freezailah Fellowship Fund to enhance human resource development and bolster professional expertise in member countries focusing on tropical forestry and related fields. The primary objective is to advance the sustainable management of tropical forests, improve the effective utilization and processing of tropical timber, and enhance economic insights into the international trade of tropical timber.

Current Status

Since its inception in 1989 until December 2021, the ITTO Fellowship Programme has been instrumental in facilitating the professional growth of over 1400 young and mid-career individuals from 49 countries, representing various sectors like government, universities, research institutions, civil society, and the private sector. The focus is on tropical forestry and related disciplines, with the aim of promoting sustainable forest management, efficient use of tropical timber, and improving economic insights in the international timber trade.

The fellowship distribution across regions has been approximately 32% in Africa, 30.6% in Asia-Pacific, 24.9% in Latin America/Caribbean, 9.6% in developing consumer countries, and 3.1% in developed consumer countries carrying out activities in producer member countries. Reforestation and Forest Management have received 71.7% of the fellowships, Forest Industry 19.8%, and Economics, Statistics, and Markets 8.5%. The total value of awarded fellowships amounts to around US$9.8 million, with contributions from countries like Japan, the USA, the Netherlands, Australia, as well as others like Sweden and the UK. The program mainly supports short-term activities like conference participation, training courses, and study tours. Additionally, it aids in the preparation of manuals, monographs, and offers small grants for post-graduate studies. Moreover, the ITTO Fellowship Programme actively encourages the capacity development of women foresters and has supported over 424 women, representing more than 30% of the total number of fellowships awarded.

Impact Assessment of the Fellowship Programme

An impact assessment of the Fellowship Programme was conducted in the summer of 2016, focusing on fellows who completed their activities between 2010 and 2014. Out of 155 respondents from 28 countries, the assessment revealed significant contributions to human capacity development in ITTO producer member countries. About 82% of the respondents reported making substantial or moderate contributions to promoting reforestation and forest conservation in their home countries. Additionally, approximately 88% of the respondents stated that they were able to enhance the productivity and performance of their home institutions through the development of new programs and innovative approaches. Furthermore, 42% of the respondents noted that the knowledge and skills acquired through the Fellowship Program had assisted them in influencing national forestry and environmental policies in their respective countries. Moreover, 61% of the respondents were actively engaged in international forestry issues, with a particular focus on climate change and REDD. A noteworthy finding was that 85% of the respondents held either Ph.D. (42%) or Master’s degrees (58%) in forestry and related disciplines, with more than one-third of them receiving these degrees with the support of the Fellowship Programme. Over 60% of the respondents achieved relevant job positions or promotions immediately after completing their fellowships, with 73% attributing these career advancements to the skills and knowledge gained from the program. For more comprehensive details, summaries of the survey results can be found in the special editions of the TFU Volume 21 Number 1 (2011) and Volume 25 Number 4 (2016).

Degree Level:

ITTO Fellowship Programme 2023. (Partial Funding up to $10,000) is available to undertake Fellowship level programs at Japan Universities.

Available Subjects:

Following subject are available to study under this scholarship program.

• Forestry

Scholarship Benefits:

The maximum amount for a fellowship grant is US$10,000.

Eligible Nationalities:

This fellowship is open to international students of  ITTO member countries.

Eligibility Criteria:

 Only nationals of ITTO member countries are eligible to apply, and fellowships are awarded mainly to nationals of developing member countries. Click here for further information including eligibility, appraisal and selection criteria.

Application Procedure:

The ITTO Fellowship Programme 2023 is now open for applications!

The deadline for receipt of applications is at 5pm (JST) on Friday 1 September 2023.  Fellowship activities should start later than 1 January 2024 and the results of the Selection Panel will be posted on ITTO website around 25 November 2023.
Please refer to the attached Information Note. 

Please click here for the detailed schedule/timeline for the Fellowship Selection Process.

Please click here for the Eligiblity, Appraisals and Selection Criteria.