ITTO offers fellowships through the Freezailah Fellowship Fund to promote human resource development and to strengthen professional expertise in member countries in tropical forestry and related disciplines. The goal is to promote the sustainable management of tropical forests, the efficient use and processing of tropical timber, and better economic information about the international trade in tropical timber.

Program objective
To develop human resources and enhance professional expertise in member countries in tropical forestry, tropical timber industries and related disciplines, with a view to promoting sustainable management of tropical forests, efficient utilization and processing of tropical timber, and better economic information on the international trade in tropical timber.

Eligible activities

1. Participation in international/regional conferences, short-term training courses, training internships at industries, research and educational institutions, study tours, and lecture/demonstration tours;
2. Technical document preparation, publication and dissemination, such as manuals and monographs;
3. Small grants for post-graduate studies. ITTO gives preference to short-term activities.

Award
The maximum amount for a fellowship is US$10,000. ITTO Fellowships provides tuition/training/conference fees, transportation fees, daily subsistence allowance, book allowance and other allowances. For post-gradate studies, only a partial tuition fee or a small research grant can be provided. Approved Fellowships are non-transferable to other programmes or institutions.

Eligibility

1. Only nationals of ITTO Member countries are eligible to apply.
2. Awards are to be made to individuals not to institutions.
3. Previous ITTO Fellowship awardees are not eligible to apply for another ITTO Fellowship within two years of receiving the first award and submitting to the Secretariat a final report on the activity for which the award was made.

Appraisal
Applications are appraised by a Fellowship Selection Panel twice a year. The Panel comprises six individuals, three from producer member countries and three from consumer member countries, and is chaired by the Vice Chairman of the ITTC.

Priority areas
Based on the goals and cross-cutting strategies identified in the ITTO Action Plan 2008-2011, eligible activities will aim at developing human resources and professional expertise in one or more of the following areas (in no priority order):

1. Increasing production and further processing of tropical timber and other forest products from sustainably managed and legally harvested sources;
2. Increasing efficiency in harvesting, processing and utilization of tropical timber from sustainably managed and legally harvested sources;
3. Improving data and knowledge, projections and competitiveness on trade in timber and timber products in international markets;
4. Increasing supplies of tropical timber from sustainably managed and legally harvested sources;
5. Better securing tropical forest resources;
6. Sustainably managing tropical forest resource;
7. In any of the above areas (a-f), the following are relevant:
   1. Research and development, and technology transfer;
   2. Communication and outreach;
   3. Strengthening databases and information system;
   4. Capacity building; and
   5. International cooperation.

Selection criteria
Fellowship applications will be assessed against the following selection criteria (in no priority order):

1. Consistency of the proposed activity with the Programme’s objective and priority areas;
2. Qualifications of the applicant to undertake the proposed Fellowship activity;
3. The potential of the skills and knowledge acquired or advanced under the Fellowship activity to lead to wider applications and benefits nationally and internationally;
4. Reasonableness of costs in relation to the proposed Fellowship activity.

Additional consideration will be given to:

1. Geographic and gender balance;
2. Balance among the ITTO priority areas;
3. Competency in the language in which the training will be given, where applicable (eg courses, conferences, study tours).

The ITTO Fellowships are awarded mainly to nationals of developing countries. However, ITTO may award Fellowships to nationals of consumer developed countries when: (a) the activities for which the awards are made are carried out in Producer Member countries and the activities tend to benefit Producer Member countries; and/or (b) there is evidence of technology transfer for activities to be carried out in developed countries.

Application
Application forms and information notes are available in English, French, and Spanish. Please download the documents from the ITTO Website: http://www.itto.int or request them by e-mail at fellowship@itto.int or by post. Please submit a completed application attaching all required documents by e-mail to fellow-application@itto.int or by post to the following address.

Deadline: 23 August 2013

• Fellowship activities should start later than 1 February 2014.
• The final selection will be posted on http://www.itto.int in the middle of December 2013.

Contact
ITTO Fellowship Programme
International Tropical Timber Organization
Pacifico-Yokohama 5F, 1-1-1, Minato-Mirai, Nishi-ku
Yokohama 220-0012, JAPAN
Tel: (81-45) 223-1110 Fax: (81-45) 223-1111
E-mail: fellowship@itto.int (for enquiries)
fellow-application@itto.int (for submitting applications)
Homepage: http://www.itto.int

• Hakuho Japanese Language Research Fellowship, Japan
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• International Fellowship Program in Forestry and Natural Resources, USA
• Postgraduate Scholarship in Tropical Palaeo-climate, University of Sydney, Australia
• Japan Educational Seminar in Indonesia
• UNESCO / Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowships 2011, Japan
• International Fellowships Programme, Japanese Association of University Women, Japan
• Disaster Management and Resiliency in the Asia Pacific Journalism Fellowship, USA - Japan
• Master Scholarships in Sustainable Forest and Nature Management, Erasmus Mundus, Europe
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Fellowship

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the above information is current and correct. However, applicants should contact the appropriate administering body before making an application, as details do change frequently.