World Bank Scholarships Program

The Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program (RSMFP) provides support to developing country nationals who are PhD candidates in developing countries.  RSMFP offers 6–10 months of funding up to $25,000 to conduct PhD research in a World Bank member country other than the Fellow's home country or country of residence. RSMFP was established in 1982 with $2.8 million in funding from the World Bank and the governments of Bangladesh, China, India, Kuwait, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, and former Yugoslavia. This program is currently being restructured, and no call for applications is planned at this time. 

The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) is open to citizens of certain developing countries with relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries’ development efforts who are applying to a master degree program in a development-related topic.   

Subject to available funding, JJWBGSP offers scholarships for 48 Participating Programs at universities in U.S., Europe, Africa, Oceania and Japan in key areas of development, including economic policy management, tax policy, and infrastructure management. Please note that if you are not admitted to one of these 48 programs, you are not eligible to apply for a JJWBGSP Scholarship in 2021.

The 2021 Application Period will open in late March 2021 and close around mid-May 2021. More detailed information will be posted on this website in the coming weeks.

After earning their degree, developing country scholars commit to return to their home country to use their new skills and contribute to their countries’ social and economic development.

A JJWBGSP scholarship provides tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and travel allowance. View a detailed list of benefits.

Who is Eligible to Apply?
How to Apply
Selection Process
Scholarship Benefits

Who is Eligible to Apply?

Details on Eligibility Criteria for each call for applications are provided in that call’s Application Guidelines, and these detailed eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made.

Broadly speaking, Developing Country nationals must:

• Be a national of a World Bank member developing country on this list; 
• Not hold dual citizenship of any developed country;
• Be in good health;
• Hold a Bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree earned at least 3 years prior to the Application Deadline date;
• Have 3 years or more of recent development-related work experience after earning a Bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree;
• Be employed in development-related work in a paid full- time position at the time of submitting the scholarship application. Have at least 3 years of paid development-related employment since earning a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent university degree) and acquired within the past 6 years from the date of the Application Deadline. Please see FAQs on how to count qualified part time employment toward this 3-year requirement. Please see Annex 2 of the Application Guidelines for a suggested list of development-related topics. The only exception to this criterion is for developing country nationals from a country that is on the list of Fragile and Conflict States featured in Annex 3 of the Application Guidelines. In these exceptional cases, we do take into consideration the limited employment opportunities in those countries listed in Annex 3.
• On or before the Scholarship Application Deadline date, be admitted unconditionally (except for funding) for the upcoming academic year to at least one of the JJ/WBGSP participating master’s programs located outside of the applicant’s country of citizenship and country of residence listed at the time the call for scholarship applications opens. The letter of admission must be uploaded before submitting your application. For details, see “How to Apply”.
• Not be an Executive Director, his/her alternate, and/or staff of any type of appointment of the World Bank Group or a close relative of the aforementioned by blood or adoption with the term "close relative" defined as: Mother, Father, Sister, Half-sister, Brother, Half-brother, Son, Daughter, Aunt, Uncle, Niece, or Nephew.

Please note: All eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made. Eligibility criteria WILL NOT change during an open call for applications. However, this information is subject to change between the close of one application process and the opening of the next.

How to Apply

Applicants can apply for scholarships to one of the Participating Programs. :

SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND A PARTICIPATING PROGRAM: 

ATTENTION:  The call for applications for a JJWBGSP Scholarship will open in late March 2021 and the deadline for applying will be around mid-May 2021. Guidance for the 2021 call for applications, including the call’s: (i) instructions and requirements to submit an application, the eligibility criteria applicants must meet; and the selection process are provided  in the Application Guidelines, FAQs, and the complete list of JJ/WBGSP Participating Programs. Master Degrees currently offered.  

Inquiries on how to submit an admission application to a Participating program should be submitted to the respective university. All applicants to the JJ/WBG will need to have an unconditional offer of admission from a participating program to be eligible to apply.

Once you are familiar with the application requirements and processes, click HERE to apply, and refer to the “Accessing your online application” and “Navigating your online application” to learn how access and navigate the online application.

Selection Process

The JJ/WBGSP uses the following process to review eligible scholarship applications from developing country nationals, with the aim of identifying the candidates with the highest potential, after completion of their graduate studies, to impact the development of their countries.

Two qualified assessors independently review each eligible application and score the application on a scale of 1 to 10, taking into account four main factors and the degree of cohesion among them:

1. Quality of Professional Experience (30% weight)
2. Quality of Professional Recommendations (30% weight)
3. Quality of Commitment to your Home Country (30% weight)
4. Quality of Education Background (10% weight)

The JJ/WBGSP Secretariat uses the average score of the two assessors and the following criteria to select the finalists:

• Maintaining a reasonably wide geographical distribution of awards
• Maintaining a reasonable distribution of awards across gender
• Unusual circumstances/hardships, when assessing the employment experience and other aspects of an application;
• Giving scholarships to those applicants who, other things being equal, have limited access to financial resources for graduate studies abroad.

The JJWBGSP Secretariat presents the finalists for the Participating Program scholarship to the JJ/WBG Steering Committee (composed of members of the World Bank Board of Directors and WB management) for approval. Winners are notified soon after the JJWBG Steering Committee approval. 

Scholarship Benefits

The JJ/WBGSP scholarship provides the recipient with the following benefits:

• Economy class air travel between your home country and the host university at the start of your study program and immediately following the end of the scholarship period. In addition to the two-way air travel, scholars will receive a US $500 travel allowance for each trip;
• Tuition for your graduate program and the cost of basic medical insurance obtained through the university.
• While on campus during the scholarship period, a monthly subsistence allowance to cover all living expenses (accommodations, food, etc., including books). The amount of the allowance varies depending on the host country.

Please note all JJ/WBGSP scholarships cover the duration of the graduate program or two years, whichever is less.

The JJ/WBGSP scholarship does not cover:

• VISA application(s) costs
• Expenses to bring and/or support a scholar's family members;
• Extra-curricular courses or training;
• Courses that do not meet the minimum credits required to earn the graduate degree;
• Language training not provided by the graduate program;
• Additional travel during the course of the study program;
• Expenses related to research, supplementary educational materials, field trips, participation in workshops/seminars, or internships; or
• Educational equipment such as computers.
• Resident permit fee

Note: The JJ/WBGSP scholarship may only supplement, and does not duplicate, any other source of financial support/fellowship you might have. If you are notified to be a semi-finalist or if you are awarded a scholarship, you must inform and document to the JJ/WBGSP at that time if you have other sources of scholarship funds. 

The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) provides scholarships for no more than a two-year duration to a limited number of Japanese mid-career professionals who are dedicated to the alleviation of poverty and enhanced shared prosperity in developing countries, and who have been admitted to or are currently enrolled in a master’s or PhD graduate degree program outside of Japan and in development-related fields.

After earning their degree, Japanese national scholars are expected to advance their professional career with a keen focus on the alleviation of poverty and enhanced shared prosperity in developing countries.

Who is Eligible to Apply?
How to Apply
Selection Process
Scholarship Benefits

Who is Eligible to Apply?

• Details on Eligibility Criteria for each call for applications are provided in that call’s Application Guidelines, and these detailed eligibility criteria are strictly adhered to. No exceptions are made.  In general, criteria include:
• Be a Japanese national
• On or after the date the call for scholarship applications opens, not be an Executive Director, his/her alternate, and/or staff of any type of appointment (including temporary and consultant) of the World Bank Group (The World Bank, International Development Association, International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and International Center for Settlements of Investment Disputes); or not be a close relative of the aforementioned by blood or adoption with the term "close relative" defined as: Mother, Father, Sister, Half-sister, Brother, Half-brother, Son, Daughter, Aunt, Uncle, Niece, or Nephew.
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent university degree) earned at least three years before the date of the Application Deadline.
• On or after the date the JJWBGSP scholarship application process opens, not be employed by the Government of Japan or its related agencies, including JICA, local governments and the Central Bank.
• Have at least 3 years of paid development-related employment acquired since earning a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent university degree) and acquired within the past six years from the date of the Application Deadline. 
• At the time of the application submission, be either admitted unconditionally (except for financing) or currently enrolled full-time in a graduate program outside of Japan in an area of study related to development or be currently employed full-time in development-related work pertaining directly to developing countries.

How to Apply

The call for scholarship applications from Japanese nationals will open from late March 2021 until mid-May 2021. Guidance for this call for application, including details on how to apply, eligibility criteria, selection process and benefits are provided in the Application Guidelines and FAQs. Please read these documents before starting your application.

Once you are familiar with the application requirement and process, click HERE  to apply, and refer to “Accessing your online application” and “Navigating your online application” to navigate step-by-step the online application.

Selection Process

The JJ/WBGSP uses the following process to review eligible scholarship applications from Japan nationals, with the aim of identifying the candidates with the highest potential, after completion of their graduate studies, to impact international development.

Two qualified assessors independently review each eligible application and score the application on a scale of 1 to 10, taking into account four main factors and the degree of cohesion among them:

1. Quality of Professional Experience and Recommendations (40% weight)
2. Quality of Completed Application Form (40% weight)
3. Quality of Education Background and Academic Recommendation (20% weight)

The JJ/WBGSP Secretariat uses the average score of the two assessors and the following criteria to select the finalists:

• Maintaining a reasonable distribution of awards across gender;
• Giving scholarships to those applicants who, other things being equal, have limited access to financial resources for graduate studies abroad.

The JJWBGSP Secretariat presents the finalists to the JJ/WBG Steering Committee (composed of members of the World Bank Board of Directors and WB management) for approval. Winners are informed by mid-July, after the JJWBG Steering Committee approval. 

Scholarship Benefits

The scholarship is fully funded by the Government of Japan, and provides for each scholarship recipient the following benefits during the scholarship period:

• If the scholar is not already attending the graduate program, the scholarship will fund one economy class air travel from his/her home country to the host university at the start of graduate degree program and a USD500 travel allowance.
• If at the end of the scholarship period the scholar has completed all requirements to earn the graduate degree, the scholarship will fund one economy class air travel from the host university to Japan or a developing country where the scholar has secured employment and a USD500 travel allowance.
• For the duration of the scholarship period, tuition for his/her graduate program and the cost of basic medical insurance that can be obtained through the university.
• While on campus during the scholarship period, a monthly subsistence allowance to cover all living expenses (accommodations, food, etc., including books). The amount of the allowance varies depending on the host country.

Please note all JJ/WBGSP scholarships cover the duration of the graduate program or two years, whichever is less.

The JJ/WBGSP scholarship does not cover:

• VISA application(s) costs
• Expenses to bring and/or support a scholar's family members;
• Extra-curricular courses or training;
• Courses that do not meet the minimum credits required to earn the graduate degree;
• Language training not provided by the graduate program;
• Additional travel during the course of the study program;
• Expenses related to research, supplementary educational materials, field trips, participation in workshops/seminars, or internships; or
• Educational equipment such as computers.
• Resident permit fee.

Note: The JJ/WBGSP scholarship may only supplement, and does not duplicate, any other source of financial support/fellowship you might have. If you are notified to be a semi-finalist or if you are awarded a scholarship, you must inform and document to the JJ/WBGSP at that time if you have other sources of scholarship funds.