Introduction

Picture yourself standing next to a row of solar panels in a dusty village, or walking the shoreline where turbines hum in the wind. Renewable energy research is more than equations and simulations — it’s about designing systems that plug into people’s lives, reduce costs, and protect communities from the worst effects of climate change. For many talented students across Africa and Asia, the major obstacle isn’t ambition or ideas, it’s funding and access to research infrastructure. Fully funded PhD scholarships focused on renewable energy are changing that equation.

This guide is for you — the prospective doctoral researcher who wants to shape a green economy in your country, region, and continent. I’ll walk you through the main scholarship programs that target renewable energy and green-economy research in 2025, explain how they differ, and give practical advice on how to win them. I’ll pay special attention to programs that make sense for applicants from Africa and Asia, where local context matters.

Why renewable-energy PhD scholarships matter now

There are three big reasons why renewable-energy PhD funding is crucial in 2025:

1. The energy transition is urgent and local. Most developed-world decarbonization pathways assume huge infrastructure investments; in the Global South, innovation needs to be cheaper, more decentralized, and tailored to local constraints. A PhD lets you test, validate, and adapt solutions on the ground.

2. Research is expensive and collaborative. Field trials, sensors, testbeds, and community engagement add costs beyond tuition. Fully funded PhD scholarships cover the time and equipment needed to turn an idea into impact.

3. Human capital builds markets. Scholarships train the engineers, policy analysts, and entrepreneurs who will run national green-economy programs, attract private finance, and create jobs. A funded PhD is an investment in capacity, not just a degree.

In short: for Africa and Asia, scholarships are not academic luxuries — they are strategic infrastructure for development.

What “fully funded” typically covers

Before we list programs, let’s be clear about what “fully funded” usually means for PhD scholarships in renewable energy:

• Tuition fees — full or partial coverage of the university’s tuition.

• Living stipend — monthly allowance for living costs (varies by country).

• Research costs — money for fieldwork, equipment, data, or travel.

• Health insurance & administrative allowances — for study abroad situations.

• Mobility grants or internship support — some programs include research visits or industrial internships.

Always confirm the exact inclusions of a scholarship: “fully funded” can mean different packages in Europe, Australia, or intra-African consortia. What matters most is that students don’t have to self-fund expensive fieldwork or leave the project due to cost.

High-value scholarship opportunities to watch in 2025

Below are prominent scholarship frameworks and programs that frequently support doctoral research in renewable energy and the green economy. I emphasize programs that either target Africa and Asia directly or are open to international candidates and commonly award students from these regions.

MASTET — PhD in Renewable Energy (Intra-Africa collaboration)

MASTET is an intra-African program that coordinates doctoral training in renewable energy across several African universities. The program’s PhD tracks are designed to address large-scale renewable systems, off-grid electrification, and sustainable energy policy. Importantly for African candidates, MASTET is rooted in regional capacity-building and includes mobility between partner universities. The MASTET program page details curricular structure, objectives, and partner institutions, and is an essential starting point if you’re applying from participating African universities.

Intra-Africa Homegrown Clean Energy PhD mobility schemes

Several EU-funded intra-African initiatives provide mobility scholarships and fully funded PhD placements that allow students to study across institutions within Africa and in partner universities abroad. These schemes emphasize applied research for local energy challenges: minigrids, biomass, solar PV optimization, and skills for local installers. These programs frequently open application windows in cycles tied to EU project timelines and are particularly appealing because they keep research focused on African needs while offering international collaboration.

DAAD — Sustainable Renewable Energy Technologies (SuRE) & related DAAD funding

Germany’s DAAD funds a range of scholarships for renewable energy and sustainability at selected universities. The Sustainable Renewable Energy Technologies (SuRE) program exemplifies a structured doctoral pathway, combining coursework and research, often with mobility and additional research funds. DAAD’s EPOS or similar schemes are among the most reliable sources of funding for international doctoral candidates who wish to study in Germany and partner institutions; these awards typically include monthly stipends, health insurance, research allowances, and mobility grants. For full program details and application windows, check the SuRE program entry page.

Other international and university scholarships (examples)

• Erasmus+ / Erasmus Mundus — Joint Masters and doctoral networks sometimes fund renewable-energy research tracks and provide generous mobility scholarships for students from Africa and Asia.

• Commonwealth Scholarships — provide PhD funding to students from low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries with research priorities aligning to national development goals — often including energy and environment themes.

• University-specific scholarships — many universities with renewable energy centers (e.g., Australian, UK, European schools) offer fully funded doctoral positions tied to faculty grants; these are often advertised as “PhD job openings.”

Snapshot comparison: how these programs differ