MIORPA (Mathematical Institute’s Online Research Projects with Africa) is a virtual mentorship platform that supports pre-PhD students who are based in sub-Saharan Africa. MIORPA builds on the success of Mfano Africa, which was started by Geoffrey Mboya in 2020.
During the eight-week programme (July - September), you will undertake an online research project meeting regularly with a mentor 1:1 remotely, attend training skills and information sessions, and have the opportunity to develop your research skills. Interested applicants should apply to work on a specific research project and, if successful, will be paired with a mentor based on shared research interests.
Available research projects for 2025 can be found here: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/outreach/miorpa Please note: We may add more projects to the list of available research projects, up until one week before the deadline.
Students will be expected to meet online with their mentor regularly, to work on the research project suggested by the mentor, and to produce a report and presentation at the end of the programme. The MIORPA programme also includes skills training sessions for students considering further study, for example in preparation for a PhD programme. Please note that the MIORPA programme does not itself lead directly to graduate study at Oxford.
Applicants should
- be ordinarily based in a sub-Saharan African country
- have completed a mathematical sciences BA or BSc degree;
- not yet be enrolled in a PhD programme;
- demonstrate academic excellence and give evidence of striving to improve;
- be motivated for further study.
A £300 (GBP) stipend will be available to students to support any associated costs for internet data, printing and stationery, etc. In order to receive the stipend, students will need to have set up a bank account.
Please complete the form below by 12:00pm BST on 30 May 2025 to apply for the MIORPA programme. Please ensure that you attach the relevant documentation as required.
If you have any further questions, please contact @email