MSc Scholarship Opportunities at University of Dar es Salaam 2025/2026

Master’s Research (MSc) Scholarship Announcement Opportunities at University of Dar es Salaam 2025/2026

SAFEWATER Project – University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM)

Project Title: Socio-Technical Assessment for Healthier Drinking Water in Tanzania (SAFEWATER)
Funding Partner: Water and Development Partnership Programme, Government of the Netherlands

Fluoride contamination in groundwater continues to pose a serious public health threat in northern Tanzania—particularly within Oldonyosambu and Oldonyowas Wards of Arusha District. Many residents rely on groundwater sources with fluoride concentrations exceeding the WHO’s recommended limit of 1.5 mg/L, resulting in widespread cases of dental and skeletal fluorosis.

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) presents a sustainable, low-cost alternative for supplying safe drinking water in these communities. While some households have independently adopted RWH systems, there remains a critical need to optimize their design, storage, and distribution for wider community adoption and equitable access.

To address this challenge, applications are invited for a Master’s-level Research Scholarship in Water Resources Engineering, Geospatial Engineering, or a related discipline. The scholarship supports innovative research integrating engineering design, spatial analysis, and community-based water management for sustainable development in northern Tanzania.

Research Themes

1. Designing Optimal Rainwater Harvesting Systems for Fluoride-Affected Communities in Arusha, Tanzania

The selected candidate will:

Assess existing rainwater harvesting systems in Oldonyosambu and Oldonyowas wards.
Apply geospatial and hydrological modeling to identify optimal catchment, storage, and distribution configurations.
Develop technically feasible, cost-effective, and scalable RWH system designs at the sub-village level.
Recommend policy and implementation frameworks to enhance community-level adoption.

2. Integrated Fluorosis Management in Arusha (Oldonyosambu and Oldonyowas)

The selected candidate will:

Evaluate spatiotemporal water availability in the target wards.
Investigate health and nutritional correlates of fluorosis and assess the effectiveness of dietary interventions.
Design and pilot a community-centered socio-technical model for integrated fluorosis management.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

Be Tanzanian citizens.
Hold a Bachelor’s degree in Water Resources Engineering, Civil Engineering, Geospatial Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a closely related field.
Demonstrate strong skills in analytical methods, GIS, and modeling (experience in QGIS, ArcGIS, R, Python, or SWAT is an advantage).
Have a minimum GPA of 3.5/5.0 in undergraduate studies.
Possess excellent analytical, communication, and writing skills.
Admission (or eligibility for admission) to a relevant MSc program at UDSM—such as MSc in Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or Integrated Water Resources Management—will be an added advantage.

Scholarship Coverage

The scholarship will cover:

Tuition fees for the entire study period.
Research-related expenses, including fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and modeling.
A monthly stipend for living costs (up to 18 months).
Support for conference participation and publication of research outputs.

Duration and Commencement

Duration: 18 months
Expected Start Date: November 2026

Host Institutions and Collaborators

The research will be jointly hosted by:

University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) – Department of Water Resources Engineering
Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)

In collaboration with:

Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA)
Arusha District Council
Local community partners

Application Procedure

Interested applicants should submit the following documents as a single PDF file:

A Motivation Letter (maximum 2 pages) describing your interest, relevant background, and suitability for the project.
A Curriculum Vitae (CV) with contact details of referees (email and phone).
Two academic reference letters.
Proof of admission to a UDSM MSc programme (if available).

Submission Details

Application Deadline: 27 October 2025
Submit to: fides@udsm.ac.tz
CC: magezijulian@yahoo.co.uk
Email Subject Line:
- “Application for MSc Research – Designing Optimal Rainwater Harvesting Systems for Fluoride-Affected Communities in Arusha, Tanzania (SAFEWATER)”
  OR
- “Application for MSc Research – Integrated Fluorosis Management (SAFEWATER)”