IsDB Scholarship Programs 2026–2027: Closed-Cycle Historical Reference

IsDB Scholarship Programs 2026–2027: Closed-Cycle Historical Reference

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Scholarship Programs for the 2026–2027 academic year are closed. The call notice set the application deadline at 31 January 2026. IsDB’s current scholarship page is still headed “Scholarship Programs 2026–2027,” but it says that the application period has closed and does not announce a later application round. Its notice contains an older academic-year reference in the closure text, so the page should be read together with the 2026–2027 call notice and the official program booklets.

This entry is therefore a historical reference, not an open opportunity. Do not try to submit a late application through the portal or treat the date in the metadata as a future deadline. Applicants looking for a later cycle should wait for IsDB to publish a new call and should recheck the official eligibility rules rather than assuming that a future round will use the same tracks, countries, or documents.

At a glance

The programs are related, but they are not one universal scholarship with one universal package. Eligibility, nomination, place of study, benefits, and obligations depend on the specific track. That distinction matters because the old version of this page described the whole group as a single fully funded award for everyone from Bachelor’s through postdoctoral study. IsDB’s own booklets are more precise.

The 2026–2027 call was distributed through country and institutional channels, so the tracks named in a notice could differ by country. The official call copy reviewed for the cycle names the MSP and the IsDB-ISFD program, while the current IsDB page also maintains booklets for the SPMC and M.Sc. routes. The eligibility notes below describe those official program rules; they do not claim that every route was open to every country in the closed cycle.

The four program routes

Scholarship Program for Muslim Communities in Non-Member Countries (SPMC)

The SPMC is an undergraduate program for academically meritorious but financially needy Muslim students from the eligible Muslim communities listed in the official booklet. The booklet’s list includes communities in countries such as Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Croatia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Germany, Ghana, India, Kenya, Liberia, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Rwanda, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, the Philippines, the Republic of Congo, Trinidad and Tobago, Vietnam, and Zambia. The list itself is the authority; residence in a country not named there does not create eligibility.

SPMC candidates must be no older than 24, need financial assistance for their studies to continue, and have completed senior secondary education or its equivalent with good grades in major science subjects. They must show proficiency in the language of instruction, provide certified English or French translations where required, be medically fit, and meet the program’s restrictions on other scholarships. The program focuses on medicine, engineering, agriculture, and related areas such as dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary science, nursing, nutrition, computer science, forestry, and fishery. Study is normally at a recognised government university in the student’s own country.

IsDB-ISFD Scholarship Program for Least Developed Member Countries

The IsDB-ISFD route supports Bachelor’s degrees and technical or vocational diplomas for financially needy, academically successful students from eligible least developed member countries. Its approved Bachelor’s fields include medicine, engineering, agriculture, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary science, nursing, nutrition, computer science, forestry, and fishery. The technical-diploma list is much more specific and includes areas such as mechatronics, industrial automation, automotive maintenance, biomedical equipment maintenance, civil-engineering technician training, digital infrastructure, electricity and electronics, food industry, logistics, media and communication, and transport operations.

The normal place of study is a recognised government university or technical institute in the student’s home country. If a student cannot secure suitable admission at home, IsDB may facilitate placement in a member country with a relevant agreement, including Malaysia, Morocco, or Türkiye, subject to the program’s rules. Applicants must generally be no older than 24 at the closing date, have completed senior secondary education, meet language requirements, choose an approved field, and be endorsed through the local selection process. The booklet also requires a commitment to return home after study if the student studies abroad and to contribute to national development.

This route is not a simple cash grant. The official booklet describes the student support as an interest-free loan, with repayment after graduation and employment to a local IsDB Education Trust. The package can include tuition paid directly to the institution, a monthly stipend, an annual books or clothing allowance, medical treatment, and return economy airfare plus installation support for students studying abroad. Visa costs, family support, computers, additional travel, and several supplementary academic or extracurricular expenses are excluded.

Master of Science Scholarship Program for IsDB Least Developed Member Countries

The M.Sc. program is for citizens of the eligible least developed member countries. It supports a two-year M.Sc. in science, engineering, technology, or medicine/medical sciences. A candidate should hold a B.Sc. or equivalent in science and technology, have above-average academic standing, demonstrate the language ability needed for the chosen institution, and be nominated by a scientific, academic, or research institution in the home country. The official booklet says that provisional or full admission is desirable and strongly encouraged.

The university requirement is central: the successful candidate must secure admission at a university in an IsDB member country listed within the top 1,000 of the Times Higher Education ranking referenced by the booklet. Priority may go to applicants with admission at universities in member countries that have cooperation agreements with IsDB, including Malaysia, Morocco, Türkiye, or Makerere University in Uganda. The age limit is 30 at the closing date. The track also excludes IsDB staff and specified close relatives, and it does not allow the scholarship to duplicate another source of financial support.

The M.Sc. package covers tuition paid directly to the university, a monthly cost-of-living stipend, medical treatment, a thesis-preparation allowance, and return airfare plus installation support for students studying abroad. It does not automatically cover visas, dependants, additional travel, computers, language training outside the study program, or every research, conference, field-trip, or supplementary-material expense. Awardees are expected to study full time, report regularly, return home, and continue development-related work for at least twice the scholarship duration.

Merit Scholarship Program for High Technology (MSP)

The MSP is for PhD study and postdoctoral research in approved science and technology fields for scholars from IsDB member countries. The booklet lists fields including laser and fibre optics, semiconductors, biotechnology, nuclear science, electronics and telecommunications, computer science, renewable energy, hydrology, metallurgy, chemical and materials sciences, medicine and pharmaceuticals, agriculture and food technology, systems engineering, space science, environmental preservation technology, and technology management and innovation for postdoctoral research.

This is an institution-linked route rather than a general individual award. Applicants should be attached to educational, scientific, technological, or research institutions in their home countries, and promising candidates are sponsored and nominated by those institutions. PhD applicants must be no older than 35 and postdoctoral applicants no older than 40. The relevant prior degree is an M.Sc. for PhD study or a PhD for postdoctoral research. Applicants need very good academic achievement, language ability, at least two years of related work or research experience for PhD study or five years for postdoctoral research, and a record of publications or research. A proposed field or research plan must show scientific and development relevance to the home country and be endorsed by the nominating institution.

The MSP package includes tuition, a monthly stipend on a single-status basis, medical insurance through the university health scheme, thesis or scientific-paper preparation support, a conference allowance for PhD scholars, and return air travel plus installation support for overseas study. The booklet excludes visa costs, family support, additional travel, computers, and several supplementary research or training costs. Awardees sign a surety bond, study full time, provide reports, and commit to returning and continuing work in science, technology, or development for at least twice the period of study.

What the 31 January 2026 deadline means

The deadline belonged to the 2026–2027 call and has passed. It was not a rolling or ongoing deadline, and the page should not be indexed as an active listing. The official IsDB scholarship page now presents the cycle as closed. It does not publish a replacement deadline or confirm that applications remain possible because a cohort is not full. That is why this page keeps the real closed-cycle date in deadline and uses historicalReference = true.

The original listing’s combination of deadline = 'ongoing', “applications open,” and a past January date was misleading. A passed date is useful for an archive, but it is not evidence that readers can still apply. Conversely, changing a past deadline to “ongoing” would make the page look live without support from IsDB. The safe reading is simple: the 2026–2027 round is over, and a later round must be confirmed by a new official call.

How the application process worked

For the closed cycle, the practical sequence was:

1. Start at the official IsDB scholarship page and identify the correct program booklet. The program name, degree level, country category, and nomination route all matter.
2. Check the detailed eligibility rules, especially age, nationality or community list, field of study, academic background, language, financial need, and restrictions on other funding.
3. Arrange the required institutional relationship. Depending on the track, this meant university admission, nomination by a scientific or academic institution, endorsement by the IsDB Governor’s office, or contact with a national NGO acting as a Counterpart Organization.
4. Prepare clear documents: identity evidence, academic certificates and transcripts, language evidence, admission evidence where relevant, a CV or research record, and the study or research proposal required by the track. The exact portal checklist controls.
5. Submit through the IsDB scholarship portal identified by the official materials. The booklets name https://isdbscholarships.smartsimple.com; use only the official link reached from IsDB’s scholarship page or the official booklet.
6. Save the submission confirmation and do not resign from work, leave current study, or incur relocation costs merely because an application was submitted or a university offered admission. IsDB states that an application or admission does not itself mean that a scholarship has been awarded.

For a future cycle, repeat this process only after IsDB publishes the new call. Do not reuse the 2026–2027 date, assume that every track will reopen, or rely on a third-party page that omits the current booklet. A future call may change the eligible-country list, nomination rules, approved disciplines, benefits, or deadline.

Documents and preparation notes

The strongest preparation is track-specific. An SPMC applicant should focus on senior-secondary results, proof of financial need, language evidence, and admission or placement at an eligible government university. An M.Sc. applicant should confirm the ranking and member-country requirements before investing time in a study plan. An MSP applicant needs an institutional sponsor, a development-relevant research proposal, evidence of publications or research experience, and a realistic supervision and facilities plan. An IsDB-ISFD applicant must verify both the approved field and the local endorsement route, because the program relies on country-level counterpart organisations.

Keep translations certified where required, use consistent names across every document, and check that dates and degree titles match the passport and transcript. Ask referees or institutional nominators for specific evidence rather than generic praise. For research applicants, explain the problem, method, host institution, expected output, and how the work will serve the home country. For undergraduate or technical applicants, explain the field choice and the practical community contribution after graduation.

Finally, treat the financial terms as contractual conditions, not marketing shorthand. The official booklets describe substantial support, but they also list exclusions and, for SPMC and IsDB-ISFD, repayment obligations through an Education Trust. Read the exact booklet for the relevant track before making any financial or academic commitment.

Official links

• IsDB Scholarship Programs
• IsDB Scholarship Program Booklets
• IsDB Scholarship application portal named in the official booklets