TWAS-SISSA-Lincei Research Cooperation Visits Programme 2025: Fully Funded 3-Month Fellowship in Italy for Scientists from Least Developed Countries (LDCs)

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Overview

The TWAS-SISSA-Lincei Research Cooperation Visits Programme is a prestigious initiative jointly organized by UNESCO-TWAS (The World Academy of Sciences), the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, and the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Italy.

This programme provides young scientists from Least Developed Countries (LDCs) who hold at least an MSc degree the opportunity to spend three months in leading research laboratories located in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy — specifically in Trieste and Udine.

These visits aim to foster collaborative research, training, and knowledge exchange in scientific fields that contribute directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

🌱 Purpose and Philosophy

This initiative follows a South-North-South Circular Model, designed to:

1. Strengthen research capacity in developing nations by exposing scientists to cutting-edge facilities and methods in the Global North.

2. Catalyze long-term international partnerships that continue even after the fellowship, ensuring sustained collaboration and knowledge transfer.

3. Advance sustainability science, focusing on research that addresses global challenges such as climate change, energy, health, and biodiversity.

This structure aligns with UNESCO-TWAS’s mission to promote scientific excellence and equity between nations, ensuring that talent from LDCs has access to world-class opportunities.

🧭 Programme Details

• Extended Deadline: 17 November 2025

• Duration: 3 months

• Host Country: Italy (Friuli Venezia Giulia Region)

• Eligible Applicants: Nationals of Least Developed Countries

• Minimum Qualification: MSc or higher

• Age Limit: 40 years (as of 31 December 2025)

• Funding:

  • Travel expenses and living costs are covered by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) through TWAS.

🏛️ Host Institutions

Participants can undertake their research at world-class Italian institutions, including:

• SISSA (International School for Advanced Studies)

• ICGEB (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology)

• INFN (National Institute for Nuclear Physics)

• OGS (National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics)

• Universities of Trieste and Udine

• IOM-CNR Materials Foundry

• Area Science Park

• Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste

Each institution offers diverse research areas ranging from physics, mathematics, and neuroscience to sustainable agriculture, blue economy, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and environmental science.

🔬 Fields of Study

Research proposals must align with sustainability science and the UN SDGs.
Some thematic areas include:

• Physics & Cosmology (Astroparticle physics, statistical mechanics, quantum systems)

• Neuroscience & Cognitive Science

• Mathematics & Data Science

• Biotechnology & Computational Biology

• Oceanography, Climate Resilience & Marine Systems

• Geophysics, Seismology & Earth Systems

• Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Chemistry

• Artificial Intelligence & High-Performance Computing

• Cultural Heritage, Humanities, and Social Sciences

🧩 Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• Be nationals of an LDC (as defined by the UN).

• Hold at least an MSc degree.

• Be aged 40 or below.

• Occupy a research position in their home country.

• Present a research proposal relevant to sustainability and the SDGs.

• Obtain a formal invitation from a host institution in Italy.

• Provide two recommendation letters from referees familiar with their work.

📑 Application Procedure

Applications must include:

1. Completed and signed application form.

2. Copy of passport (bio-data page only).

3. Curriculum Vitae (CV).

4. Statement of research interests and future goals, indicating SDG relevance.

5. List of publications (no reprints needed).

6. Degree certificates (MSc or higher).

7. Invitation letter from a host supervisor in Italy.

8. Two letters of recommendation submitted separately to TWAS.

Applications must be submitted via email to exchanges@twas.org by the extended deadline 17 November 2025.

🕊️ Expected Outcomes

• Capacity Building: Fellows return home with enhanced technical and analytical skills, contributing to national scientific development.

• Sustainable Collaboration: Encourages ongoing partnerships between institutions in the Global North and South.

• SDG Alignment: Ensures that research directly contributes to global sustainability goals.

💡 Conceptual Insight: The South–North–South Model

The TWAS-SISSA-Lincei programme represents an equitable model of scientific cooperation known as South–North–South collaboration.

Unlike traditional models where talent flows one way (from South to North), this circular framework emphasizes reciprocity and mutual benefit:

• Scientists from the South gain advanced training and exposure.

• Host institutions in the North gain new perspectives and research diversity.

• Knowledge and innovation are ultimately transferred back to the South, enriching local institutions and communities.

This cycle strengthens global scientific ecosystems and ensures that scientific advancement serves all humanity, not just a select few regions.

📬 Contact Information

Email: exchanges@twas.org
Website: www.twas.org
Location: The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), ICTP Campus,
Strada Costiera 11, 34151 Trieste, Italy