Türkiye Scholarships Research Program
The Research Scholarship Program is a program designed to encourage international researchers and academicians to cooperate with Turkish academicians in the most prestigious universities of Türkiye. PhD holders or PhD candidates at the dissertation stage may also apply to this program. The Research Scholarship Program only covers monthly stipend. Monthly Stipend: 25.000 TL. Applications for the Research Scholarship Program are open throughout the year. Assessment and admissions are made in four different periods.
- Provider
- Türkiye Scholarships
- Host country
- Turkey
- Deadline
- Applications are open throughout the year. Assessment and admissions are made in four different periods.
Eligibility & requirements at a glance
Türkiye Scholarships Research Program is open to African students applying to study in Turkey at the Postdoc level, with monthly stipend: 25,000 tl funding. Below is a quick summary of who can apply, what's covered, and the key dates — full details are further down the page.
- Who can apply
- Postdoc · applicants for Turkey
- Funding
- Monthly stipend: 25,000 TL
- Study level
- Postdoc
- Deadline
- Applications are open throughout the year. Assessment and admissions are made in four different periods.
Key eligibility criteria
- PhD holders or PhD candidates at the dissertation stage.
What the monthly stipend: 25,000 tl award covers
- Monthly stipend
- Accommodation
- Return airfare
About the Türkiye Scholarships Research Program (2026)
What the Monthly stipend: 25,000 TL Türkiye Scholarships Research Program covers
The award components below were extracted from the sponsor's published description. Always cross-check the exact figures, ceiling amounts and conditions on the official site before you budget around them.
- Monthly stipend
- Accommodation
- Return airfare
Türkiye Scholarships Research Program eligibility for Turkey applicants
Always cross-check eligibility against the sponsor's official site before applying — sponsor rules can change between intakes.
- PhD holders or PhD candidates at the dissertation stage.
Documents required for the Türkiye Scholarships Research Program application
A planning baseline drawn from how 90%+ of African scholarship sponsors structure their checklist. The sponsor's portal is the source of truth for any single application.
- Valid international passport (bio page scan)
- Most recent academic transcripts (sealed or e-verified copies)
- Curriculum vitae / résumé (1–2 pages, reverse-chronological)
- Personal statement or motivation letter (500–1,000 words, tailored to the sponsor)
- Two to three reference letters (academic for students, professional for working applicants)
- Proof of English proficiency (IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo) — Medium-of-Instruction letter may substitute for Anglophone-Africa graduates
- Passport-sized photograph meeting ICAO biometric standards
- Country-of-origin proof (national ID or birth certificate) — required by many Africa-focused funders
How to apply for the Türkiye Scholarships Research Program 2026
A practical, sponsor-agnostic sequence used by >95% of international scholarship applicants. Adapt to the sponsor's specific portal — the order rarely changes.
- 1Confirm eligibility on the official site
Open https://turkiyeburslari.gov.tr/shorttermprograms and verify the sponsor's stated criteria match your profile — currently: "PhD holders or PhD candidates at the dissertation stage.". Sponsor rules change between intakes, so always confirm against the live call.
- 2Secure a study place or admission offer
Apply to the host university or programme first where required, and obtain a conditional admission letter. A growing number of sponsors only fund applicants who already hold an offer.
- 3Sit required tests and gather documents
Register for IELTS / TOEFL / Duolingo (or SAT / GRE where required), request official transcripts, brief two or three referees, and prepare passport and identity documents at high resolution.
- 4Draft your essays and statements
Write a 500–1,000-word personal statement and any additional essays the sponsor specifies. Anchor each essay in concrete examples and tie your goals back to the sponsor's mission.
- 5Complete the online application
Create an account on https://turkiyeburslari.gov.tr/shorttermprograms, fill in every field, and upload the required documents in the formats specified (PDF, max file size, single-file vs multi-file). Save progress frequently — most portals time out after 30–60 minutes.
- 6Submit by Applications are open throughout the year. Assessment and admissions are made in four different periods. (aim 7 days early)
Sponsor portals routinely slow or fail in the final 24 hours. Submit early, download the confirmation receipt, and screenshot the submission timestamp. Late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances.
- 7Prepare for shortlist interviews
If shortlisted, Türkiye Scholarships will contact you within 4–12 weeks. Re-read your essays, rehearse 3–5 likely questions out loud, and confirm your time zone for any video interview.
Türkiye Scholarships Research Program deadline & application timeline
The sponsor has not published a fixed deadline yet. Use the milestones below as a generic 12-month plan; substitute dates once the intake window opens.
- 12 months out
Register for tests (IELTS/TOEFL/SAT/GRE), shortlist 3–5 universities, identify referees.
- 6 months out
Sit your tests, draft a personal statement, request transcripts and confirm reference letters.
- 3 months out
Finalise essays, upload supporting documents, complete the online application portal.
- 1 month out
Final review, double-check uploaded files, submit a week before the deadline to avoid portal issues.
- Application deadline
Submit by 23:59 in the sponsor's stated time zone — usually local to the sponsor, not your country.
Ready to apply?
Cross-check the latest eligibility rules and deadline on the sponsor's official portal before you start your application.
Visit official siteFrequently asked questions
Who can apply for the Türkiye Scholarships Research Program?+
Applicants must be eligible African nationals applying at the Postdoc level, meet the academic and English-language requirements set by Türkiye Scholarships, and be able to relocate to Turkey for the duration of the programme.
Is the Türkiye Scholarships Research Program fully funded?+
Funding model: Monthly stipend: 25,000 TL. Where listed as fully funded, the award typically covers tuition, monthly stipend, health insurance and round-trip airfare. Always confirm the latest funding breakdown on the sponsor's official page.
When is the application deadline?+
The application deadline is Applications are open throughout the year. Assessment and admissions are made in four different periods.. Submit at least one week early — sponsor portals frequently slow or fail in the final 24 hours, and late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances.
What documents do I need to apply?+
At minimum: passport bio page, academic transcripts, CV, personal statement, two to three references, and an English-language test score (IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo). Research-led Masters and PhD applications also require a research proposal and a writing sample.
How can I improve my chance of winning?+
Apply early, tailor every essay to the specific sponsor (do not recycle a generic statement), secure at least one reference who knows your work in detail, and apply to two or three additional scholarships in parallel — never rely on a single application.
Guides for this scholarship
- Destination Guide
Türkiye Scholarships 2026: The Complete Guide for African Students
Türkiye Bursları (YTB) for African applicants — eligibility, the Turkish prep year, monthly stipend, top host universities, the YTB application timeline and how it compares to MEXT, GKS and CSC.
- Research Funding
Return-Home Grants: Funding Your Move Back to an African Institution
Carnegie African Diaspora, Volkswagen Sub-Saharan Africa, Humboldt return, NRF Black Academics, FLAIR follow-on — the grants that fund African postdocs and faculty moving back to research roles on the continent.
- Live Shortlist
Top Postdoc Fellowships Open to African Researchers (2026)
MSCA, Humboldt, Newton International, Wellcome, Branco Weiss, Schmidt Science — every postdoctoral fellowship open to African early-career researchers, sorted by deadline.
Next steps & guides
Pick the guide that matches where you are right now.
- For high school students
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Open guide - Application checklists
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