The Schlumberger Foundation's Faculty for the Future Fellowship is one of the most important and least well-known fellowship programs for women in STEM from developing and emerging economies. Established in 2004, the program has supported more than 900 women from over 90 countries in pursuing PhD or postdoctoral research at leading universities in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The program's explicit design purpose — to build a pipeline of senior women scientists and engineers at universities in developing countries by funding their advanced training — distinguishes it from fellowships that focus only on individual career advancement. Faculty for the Future fellows are expected to return to their home countries after completing their degrees and contribute to strengthening STEM education and research in institutions where women senior faculty remain severely underrepresented.
Program Structure and Eligibility
The Faculty for the Future Fellowship is open to women (and non-binary individuals) from developing and emerging economies who are enrolled in or applying to PhD or postdoctoral programs in the natural sciences, engineering, technology, or mathematics at universities in developed countries (North America, Europe, Japan, Australia).
Key eligibility requirements:
- Citizen of a developing or emerging economy (defined by World Bank income categories — the Schlumberger Foundation website maintains the current list of eligible countries)
- Enrolled in or accepted to a full-time PhD or postdoctoral program in natural science, engineering, technology, or mathematics at a university in a developed country
- Commitment to return to the home country after completing the degree to pursue an academic or research career
- Evidence of prior academic excellence and demonstrated leadership potential
- A clear statement of how the advanced degree will support teaching and research in the home country's university system
Women from Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East are the primary recipients — these regions have both the largest gender gaps in senior STEM positions and the most pressing need for women role models in academic science and engineering. Sub-Saharan African countries have historically been among the strongest recipients; India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Brazil, and Mexico have also produced significant numbers of fellows.
Fellowship Award Details
Faculty for the Future is a grant-based fellowship rather than a fixed-amount scholarship. Award amounts vary by the cost of the program of study and the fellow's documented financial need. Typical grants range from $20,000 to $50,000 per year for PhD fellows, covering a combination of tuition, living expenses, research costs, and travel. Postdoctoral grants are typically structured similarly but may be larger depending on the institution and research context.
The fellowship may be renewed annually for the full duration of the PhD (up to four or five years depending on discipline and institution), subject to satisfactory academic progress and continued alignment with the program's goals. Annual renewals require a progress report documenting research progress, academic standing, and ongoing commitment to the return-and-contribute model.
Beyond financial support, Faculty for the Future fellows receive access to the program's global network — connections to other fellows from their country and region, to the Schlumberger Foundation's institutional relationships, and to peer mentoring and leadership development programming that the foundation organizes through its annual symposia.
The Return Commitment and Career Model
The fellowship's return commitment — the expectation that fellows will return to their home countries after completing their degrees and pursue academic or research careers there — is the program's most distinctive and most debated feature. The Schlumberger Foundation's theory of change is that the bottleneck for women's representation in senior STEM positions in developing countries is not the absence of capable women but the absence of a pathway for talented women to reach the senior academic levels where they can serve as role models, mentors, and institutional champions for the next generation. Supporting women through to PhD and postdoctoral training addresses the bottleneck directly.
Fellows who intend to remain in their host countries after completing their degrees are technically ineligible for the program — the foundation funds the development of capacity in developing countries, not the migration of talent to developed ones. In practice, the return rate among Faculty for the Future fellows is high, both because fellows genuinely intend to return when they apply and because the foundation's alumni network makes the return pathway professionally viable in ways that it often is not for developing-country researchers without institutional support.
The alumni network — organized by country and region, with active mentoring connections between senior and junior fellows — is one of the program's most valuable ongoing assets. Senior fellows who have returned to home-country institutions and achieved professorship status often provide referrals and collaboration opportunities for more recent fellows navigating the same path.
Application Process and Strategy
Applications are submitted annually online through the Schlumberger Foundation website, with deadlines typically in October or November for the following academic year. The application requires: a statement of purpose articulating research goals and the connection between the proposed study and the home country's needs; a research plan; a proposed budget; evidence of admission to or enrollment in a qualifying program; letters of recommendation from home-country academic supervisors and from the host-country supervisor; and documentation of citizenship and financial need.
The statement of purpose is the application's most differentiating element. Competitive statements articulate a specific vision for post-fellowship contribution to the home country's STEM ecosystem — not a generic intention to "give back" but a concrete account of what the applicant plans to do at a specific institution, with specific students, addressing a specific research or educational need. Fellows who have already been in contact with home-country universities about their return and have preliminary faculty positions or research partnerships in mind write substantially stronger statements than those who have not begun thinking about the return phase.
The UNDP's work on gender equality in developing countries provides useful context for articulating the systemic significance of women's advancement in STEM — material that can inform the personal statement's framing of why this fellowship matters beyond the individual applicant.
Regional Distribution and Priorities
Africa receives a significant share of Faculty for the Future fellowships, reflecting both the representation gap and the foundation's deliberate focus on regions where the need is most acute. Sub-Saharan Africa consistently produces among the highest numbers of fellows per year, with Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda among the most active applicant countries.
South and Southeast Asia are the second major geographic focus: India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and several ASEAN countries regularly produce fellows. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is included, with fellows from Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and Lebanon among the most active.
Latin America participation has grown — Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and several Central American countries have produced fellows. The fellowship's presence in Latin America is somewhat newer and the alumni network less developed than in Africa and South Asia, creating opportunities for early fellows from the region to shape what the return pathway looks like for their peers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What countries are eligible for the Faculty for the Future Fellowship?
Countries classified as developing or emerging economies by World Bank income categories. The Schlumberger Foundation maintains a current list on their website. Generally: most of Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and North Africa. Developed countries (US, UK, EU member states, Japan, Australia, Canada) are not eligible.
Do I need to be enrolled at a university before applying?
You must have received an offer of admission to a qualifying program by the time the fellowship award is made (not necessarily at the application stage). Strong applications typically include a conditional admission letter or documented application to specific programs. Some applicants apply to the fellowship in parallel with applying to graduate programs.
How much does the Schlumberger Foundation Fellowship pay?
Variable — grants are awarded based on documented need and the cost of the specific program. Typical PhD grants range from $20,000–$50,000 per year. Actual award amounts depend on tuition costs, living expenses in the host city, and the fellow's other financial resources. Grants are renewable annually for the degree duration.
Is the return commitment legally binding?
The return commitment is a condition of the fellowship and is taken seriously by the foundation in evaluating applications. It is not a legally binding contract in most jurisdictions, but fellows who do not return after completing their degrees are ineligible for future funding and are removed from the program's alumni network. The foundation actively tracks fellows' post-degree locations and careers.
Can I apply if I have already started my PhD program?
Yes — the fellowship is available to students already enrolled in qualifying programs, not only to those applying. Students in their first or second year of PhD programs are among the most competitive applicants because they can demonstrate genuine research progress while still needing multi-year funding support.