The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) is based in Trieste, Italy, and its whole purpose is advancing science in developing countries. If you are a Pakistani researcher looking for a funded PhD or postdoc placement at a strong science institution in another developing country, this is one of the first places to look. TWAS describes its programme as the world's largest South-South PhD and postdoctoral research fellowship programme. You can read the full scholarship details on our listing, but this guide explains how the portfolio actually works and where applicants tend to slip up.
One thing to understand first: TWAS is a portfolio, not a single scholarship. It runs fellowships, research grants, project grants and achievement awards, each with its own rules. Eligibility criteria, age limits and eligible fields vary by sub-programme, so the first job is to pick the right track.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Trieste |
| Funding | Listed as fully funded; exact coverage depends on the track |
| Levels | Master's, PhD, postdoctoral |
| Deadline | 10 August 2026 for specific components such as the Swaminathan Achievement Grant; other calls vary |
| Call opening | Varies by programme, confirm on the official site |
| Base country | Italy (fellowships are hosted at partner institutions) |
| Official site | twas.org/opportunities |
How the fellowship numbers break down
TWAS currently offers about 160 PhD fellowships with eight partners in six countries, and about 100 postdoctoral fellowships with nine partners in five countries. The idea is capacity building: researchers from science- and technology-lagging countries get advanced training abroad and take those skills home.
That is a meaningful number of seats, but it is spread across several partner schemes. Each partner has its own host institutions and its own call. So when you see "TWAS fellowship", read it as a family of programmes. Your application goes to one specific scheme.
Fields listed in the source include agriculture, biology, chemistry, earth sciences, engineering, information computer technology, mathematics, medical sciences and physics, plus food-focused areas like food systems research, nutrition and healthy diet, and climate resilient food systems. If your research is in social sciences or business, this is probably the wrong door.
The achievement grants are a different animal
Alongside fellowships, TWAS manages awards such as the TWAS-M.S. Swaminathan Achievement Grant in Food Science. This one carries a USD 25,000 monetary award and participation in an annual award ceremony. It is aimed at established individual scientists, not students looking for a PhD seat.
This matters because much of the publicly visible detail (the 10 August 2026 deadline, the age rule, the long document list) belongs to grants like this one. A PhD applicant who reads those details and assumes they apply to fellowships will prepare the wrong file.
What the money and support cover
Coverage depends on which part of the portfolio you enter. Across the programmes, the source describes:
- Full coverage of fellowship training at top science institutions through partner organisations
- Financial support for Master of Science students and early-career researchers
- Research funding for specialised equipment and consumable supplies
- A USD 25,000 monetary award for specific achievement grants such as the Swaminathan grant
- Participation in annual award ceremonies for award winners
Stipend amounts, travel and insurance for individual fellowship tracks are not spelled out in the source. Check the specific call on the official portal before you assume anything about monthly living costs.
Eligibility rules that trip people up
The core requirements across the portfolio are:
- You must be a national of a developing country
- You must have lived and worked in a developing country for at least the past five years
- You must hold the minimum degree the programme requires (for example a PhD for postdoctoral and senior grants)
- For fellowships, you need a preliminary acceptance letter from your chosen host institution, issued in the same year you apply
- For specific achievement grants, you must be under the age of 50
- For some tracks, you must not already have received another prestigious international grant of equal or greater monetary value
Pakistani applicants should confirm on the TWAS opportunities portal that Pakistan is on the eligible country list for the exact call they choose, since each track sets its own criteria.
The five-year residence rule deserves attention. If you have spent recent years studying or working in Europe, North America or another high-income country, you may not meet it. TWAS asks for information on time spent abroad in the past five years, so this is checked, not assumed.
There is also a one-programme limit. Applicants may apply for only one programme per calendar year across the TWAS and OWSD portfolio, and cannot visit another institution under any other TWAS programme in that same year. Pick carefully. Applying to two tracks at once is not an option.
The host acceptance letter is the real bottleneck
For fellowships, the preliminary acceptance letter from a host institution is the document most likely to sink you. It must be issued in the same year as your application, and you need it in hand when you submit. Getting one means contacting a supervisor at a partner institution, explaining your research fit, and waiting for their office to issue paperwork. That takes time.
Start this before the call opens. If you wait until the portal goes live, you may run out of time while the host department processes your request. A short, specific email to a potential supervisor, with your CV and a one-page research idea, works better than a generic request.
Documents for the achievement grant track
The detailed checklist in the source is the one used for achievement grants such as the Swaminathan grant. If you are applying for that kind of award, prepare:
- Contact details and general information about yourself
- A suggested citation of no more than 20 words highlighting your scientific achievement
- A supporting statement of about 200 words summarising your achievements
- A 5 to 6 page narrative write-up of your major scientific achievements
- A brief forward-looking project outlining planned future activities
- Information on your PhD degree, year and awarding institution
- Information on time spent abroad in the past five years
- A brief CV
- A list of no more than 20 of your most significant publications
- Your complete publication list uploaded as a PDF
- Information on awards, honours and recognition
- Your Google Scholar h-index and citation count, with a link to your ORCID record
- Confirmation that you have not received other prestigious international grants
- A supporting statement from an endorser with full contact details
- A privacy authorisation signed by the endorser
Fellowship applicants will have a different, track-specific list, with the host acceptance letter at its centre. Read the call text for your scheme. For general preparation of degrees and transcripts, our scholarship documents checklist is a useful starting point.
Applying through the TWAS online platform
- Identify the specific programme, fellowship or grant you want on the TWAS opportunities portal.
- Secure your preliminary acceptance letter from the host institution as early as possible (fellowships).
- Log in to the TWAS online application platform once the call for your programme is open. Applications cannot be submitted before that.
- Fill every required field, using the correct date formats and file types.
- Use the check function in the form menu to find missing mandatory fields, then save.
- Submit electronically before the deadline.
The portal is strict about format. Every upload must be a PDF. Word files are not accepted, and it is easy to discover this only at the last minute. The check button highlights missing or unaccepted data in red, so run it often rather than once at the end.
Timing your application
Call opening dates vary by programme. The only firm date in the source is 10 August 2026, which applies to specific components like the Swaminathan Achievement Grant. Do not treat that as the deadline for every fellowship. Confirm the exact dates for your track on the official portal, and work backwards from there, leaving several weeks for the host letter.
Advice from the advisor's side of the desk
This portfolio suits Pakistani researchers in the natural sciences, engineering, medicine and food systems who want research experience in another developing country, and who have a realistic host lined up. It suits less well someone who mainly wants a degree in Europe or North America, or whose field is outside the listed sciences.
The mistakes that most often weaken an application here:
- Reading the achievement grant rules and assuming they apply to PhD fellowships
- Leaving the host acceptance letter until the call opens
- Uploading Word documents instead of PDFs
- Ignoring the five-year residence requirement after time spent abroad
- Trying to apply to more than one TWAS or OWSD programme in the same year
For grant applicants, the forward-looking project should say clearly how you will handle outreach, science communication and collaboration with other developing countries. A vague plan reads weakly next to a strong publication record. And if you move abroad on a fellowship, plan your visa paperwork early; our guide to common student visa rejection reasons covers the usual problems.
If you are comparing options in the same country, see all Italy scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main aim of TWAS fellowships?
They help early-career researchers from developing countries gain education and research experience at top science institutions, through what TWAS calls the world's largest South-South fellowship programme.
Can I apply to more than one TWAS programme in the same year?
No. You may apply for only one programme per calendar year across the TWAS and OWSD portfolio, and you cannot visit another institution under any other TWAS programme in that same year.
Do I need a host acceptance letter before applying?
Yes, for fellowships. You must upload a preliminary acceptance letter from your chosen host institution, issued in the same year as your application.
Is there an age limit?
For specific achievement grants, applicants must be under 50. Age limits for PhD and postdoctoral tracks differ and are set per programme, so check the call for your track.
What file format does the portal accept?
PDF only. Word documents are rejected by the online system.
Is the 10 August 2026 deadline for all TWAS programmes?
No. That date applies to specific components such as the Swaminathan Achievement Grant. Other calls open and close on their own schedules, so confirm on the official portal.
Check the current calls on the TWAS opportunities portal, and keep the TWAS fellowship page bookmarked for the key details.