OAS
Division of Scholarships and Training
Professional Development Program
División de Becas y Capacitación de la OEA
Programa de Actualización Profesional
OAS/DHD-CIR.007/2006
Dear Sirs,
Every year, the OAS Program of Scholarships and Training offers professional development scholarships to individuals from OAS member States. These scholarships, which usually ONLY cover the cost of the airline ticket, rely on offers from governments of Member and Observer States, regional organizations, public and private universities and training institutions. These offers consist in the provision of space and other benefits in the training courses and programs they organize and conduct.
The OAS distributes course announcements throughout Member States and invites applications from eligible candidates for the number of scholarships available. An ad-hoc selection committee that includes, among others, a representative of the institution offering the course, selects the scholarship recipients. It is the responsibility of the training institution to provide the OAS with the general requirements for each course and, if applicable, those of a specific nature that candidates should also meet possess. The training institution shall also be responsible for the identification of the eligible candidates.
Financing is often the decisive factor in making high-impact, professional development training accessible to qualified candidates. OAS Professional Development Scholarships are financed as follows:
Where on-site attendance is required, the OAS provides round trip tickets (economic class) and logistic support for international travel to and from the country of residence to the training site. In the case of distance learning programs or on-line tutorials, the OAS may cover a percentage of the tuition and materials cost.
The institution offering space in the course covers the costs of registration, tuition, books and/or materials, local transportation, room and board, and health and accidental insurance coverage.
The employer or sponsoring institution of the participant provides paid leave of absence for the duration of the course and, where required, covers additional costs associated with in-transit expenses (i.e. room, board and local transportation during overnight stays).
The Department of Human Development of the Organization of American States (OAS) is pleased to invite your institution to participate in its 2006 Professional Development Scholarships Program by offering spaces in your training courses. These unique training and educational opportunities help to meet the development needs of OAS Member States by providing a vital investment in human capital. Participants return to their home countries and pass what they have learned on to others, thus magnifying the benefits of the program. In this way, the Professional Development Scholarship Program helps the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) meet the goals embodied in the CIDI Strategic Plan for Partnership and Development.
The new 2006-2010 Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development is currently being formulated by the relevant governing bodies of the Organization. Therefore the priority areas of the 2001-2005 Strategic Plan mentioned below are only included for illustration purposes and should not be construed as being those that will be finally approved by the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI):
Education
Social Development and creation of productive employment
Economic diversification and integration, trade liberalization and market access
Scientific development and exchange and transfer of technology
Strengthening of democratic institutions
Sustainable development of Tourism
Sustainable development and the environment
Culture
Additionally, the Program of Scholarship and Training assists in addressing specific training needs highlighted by OAS Member States in projects requesting funding from the Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter American Council for Integral Development (FEMCIDI). The attached document outlines some of the frequently reoccurring needs evident in the proposals received in 2003 and 2004.
We hope you will consider this opportunity to contribute to international cooperation and capacity development in the region. Given the requirement to budget the necessary funds for the international travel and other costs for these scholarships and in view of the time required to review and select from among offers received from different agencies and institutions, we kindly request that co-financing offers of the courses that you may identify be submitted to this Department by Monday April 17th, 2006. For your convenience, we have posted the online “Form for Presentation of Professional Development Scholarships” within the ‘Portal of the Americas’ website at the following address: www.educoas.org
If you have need for further information, please contact Lucrecia Zea-Yonker (LzeaYonker@oas.org)
We thank you in advance for your offer of training as part of our Professional Development Scholarships and look forward to a successful partnership with you.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: THESE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS
CORRESPONDING TO THE 2006 REGULAR BUDGET
Yours sincerely,
Marie Levens
Director
Department of Human Development
Organization of American States