The Faculty for the Future program awards annual grants to women from developing and emerging economies pursuing PhD or postdoctoral research in STEM at leading universities outside their home country. Grants cover tuition, living, travel, insurance and (discretionary) childcare, up to USD 50,000/year for PhD and USD 40,000/year for postdoctoral research.
Why it is notable: One of the few major global grants aimed specifically at women from low/middle-income countries in STEM — open to candidates already enrolled abroad, to sandwich arrangements, and to study in excellent universities in other developing countries, not only the developed world.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
University tuition and bench fees — up to USD 50,000/year (PhD) / up to USD 40,000/year (postdoc), actual-expenses basis
Accommodation costs
Living allowance (food, plus a small allowance for books and supplies)
Medical insurance
Transport costs (including initial travel to the host country)
Visa charges
Conference expenses
Pre-school day-care / after-school care contribution toward costs
Exceptional child-care grant (discretionary): up to USD 3,000 per year per child under 6; up to USD 1,500 per year per child aged 6–15; total not exceeding USD 10,000 per grantee per year
Grant covers the grantee only — spouse and children may accompany her but family costs are not covered (the Foundation does not handle or assume responsibility for family visas)
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Masters/MPhilfor PhDPhD degreefor Postdoc
This fellowship is offered for PhD and postdoctoral research programs. Master-level studies are not funded.
Who can apply
Women citizens of low- or middle-income countries where women are underrepresented in STEM disciplines. Must be enrolled in, admitted to, or have applied to a host university/research institute abroad. Living in a developed country for study is fine as long as citizenship is of an eligible country. Not eligible: dual citizens (one citizenship of a developed country — a grant is discontinued if developed-country citizenship is obtained after award); Schlumberger employees; Master's-level students.
Experience
Proven track record of teaching experience in the home country (official eligibility criterion)
Language Certificate
Course-dependent — applicants need an excellent knowledge of the language required to pursue their studies, plus English skills sufficient for an interview conducted in English (no specific certificate published)
Other Certificates
Academic records/transcripts and degree diplomas; letter of admittance or proof of application to the host university; official English translations are NOT mandatory
Age Limit
No Age Limit
Check your eligibility
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
PASS = woman citizen of a low/middle-income (developing/emerging) country on the Foundation's eligible list. FAIL = dual citizenship with a developed country;…
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Qualification
preparing for, or already pursuing, a PhD or postdoctoral research in a STEM discipline at a university abroad; enrolled, admitted, or having applied — candidates who have not applied to any host university are not accepted
02
Personal essay and research proposal statement
quality of these (plus academic performance, references, home-country relevance of research, commitment to teaching and to inspiring young women in science, and quality of the host university) drives selection through five review rounds ending in a telephone interview
03
References
online reference letters due 14 November 2026; renewal requires a reference from the host university supervisor
04
Language
excellent knowledge of the language of study plus English sufficient for an interview in English
05
Return commitment
demonstrable links to home-country universities/institutions and evidence of intent to return (escalating evidence expected by year of study: active links → collaboration → job offer or applications)
06
Fee
No fee — completely free
Document checklist
01Personal essay (see requirements detail; exact word limit not published on official pages viewed — UNVERIFIED)
02Research proposal statement (scientific interest of research is a core scoring criterion)
03Academic records/transcripts and degree diplomas
04Letter of admittance or proof of application to the host university abroad
05Reference letters submitted online by referees (a reference from the host university supervisor is mandatory for renewals)
Application fee
No fee — completely free (registration and the full official application process involve no payment step)
Visa, kept concise: Study visa type for this destination: depends on the host country chosen — the grant supports study in any country, so the visa is the host country's student/research visa.
Application Procedure
10 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Check the eligibility criteria —
if any criterion is not met, the application will not be retained.
→
02
Register a new-applicant account at fftf.slb.com (Firefox
or Chrome recommended); validate the account from the verification email.
→
03
Complete the online application form section by
section (personal details, study program, financial info — the financial section unlocks after the study program section is complete; use English alphabet only in text boxes).
↓
06
Referees submit their reference letters online by
14 November 2026.
←
05
Submit the online application before the closing date —
it cannot be modified after submission; referees then receive notification emails.
←
04
Attach the required documents in the "Upload
doc" tab.
↓
07
Personal essay (see requirements detail
exact word limit not published on official pages viewed — UNVERIFIED)
→
08
Research proposal statement (scientific interest of research
is a core scoring criterion)
→
09
Academic records/transcripts and degree diplomas
↓
10
Letter of admittance or proof of application
to the host university abroad
Application milestones
7 Nov 2026
Application deadline
14 Nov 2026
Application deadline
2027
Intake year
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowships 2027 platform.
Is this a women-only program? A: Yes — its long-term goal is accelerating gender equality in STEM by generating conditions for more women to pursue scientific careers.What is the initial duration of the grant? A: One academic year; renewal is not automatic and depends on academic progress, reference quality and Foundation discretion.Will the grant support my family too? A: No — grants are based on the student's actual expenses only; spouse and children may accompany her but family costs are not covered.Is there financial support for grantees' children? A: A discretionary exceptional child-care grant may be awarded: up to USD 3,000/yr per child under 6, up to USD 1,500/yr per child aged 6–15, capped Is there an age limit? A: No — women of any age may apply; remaining teaching years after the degree are considered in selection.Can I apply if I am already enrolled in a university abroad? A: Yes — candidates already pursuing a PhD or postdoc abroad who need financial assistance to continue may apply.Can I do a sandwich program or study in another developing country? A: Yes in both cases — but for sandwich programs the final PhD degree must be awarded by the foreign host university, and the host mAre Master's degrees covered? A: No — PhD and postdoctoral applicants only.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
Multiple countries