BY PETER ZOLEVEKE II
SOLOMON Islands are among the University of South Pacific (USP) member countries that are eligible to apply as candidates for the Pacific Regional Sports Research Scholarship (PRSRS) which currently is now open.
According to USP, the scholarship is a collaboration between the Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) and USP.
“These scholarships are for full-time study only. Awardees are not permitted to be in paid employment during the tenure of their awards.
“Scholarship holders will be expected to contribute a maximum of eight hours per week to ongoing teaching in their respective faculties for one semester and for another semester at an industry placement, terms of which will be discussed upon confirmation of award,” the statement said.
The two partners are keen to fund interdisciplinary projects that fall within the following research themes with a focus on sports, Economics, Social Impact and Physical Education.
“The awards are tenable from early 2021 and maybe held in any member country of the USP. There will be three scholarships awarded for the 2021 academic year,” the USP website stated on their website.
Benefits and Conditions if a candidate is successful in obtaining the PRSRS award in 2021 will comprise of the following: Tuition fees (paid directly), Book allowance of up to FJD750/year, General Service’s fees paid directly, Health Services fees paid directly, Living allowance of FJD21, 600, Dependents Allowance of FJD10, 883 for qualifying awardees and Establishment Allowance of FJD 1, 942 for qualifying awardees.
“Research grant – only after the research plan and budget have been approved by the appropriate Research Committee.
“One return airfare when the person receiving the award has to travel to a USP campus in another country to take up the offer,” it stated.
The application can be obtain on; https://research.usp.ac.fj/pacific-regional-sports-research-scholarship
Deadline for applications is 30th November, 2020
With the country at its building up stage to play host for the 2023 Pacific Games, the national government has already established the Solomon Islands National Institution of Sports (SINIS) under its Talent Pathways course is for athletes, coaches creating opportunities for them through a process for elite and emerging scholarships.
However, it is yet at its formation stages. The construction work on the $13 million SI government funded SINIS has been progressing steadily despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to China Engineering and Construction Company’s SINIS site Manager Rongbao Qi, phase two of the construction has been underway since the completion of the mezzanine floor slab, Phase one.
The current phase includes aligning of steel frames for the roofing to be followed by the actual raising of roofs and interior work on the bottom floors.
The SINIS building is expected to be completed end of next month after construction kicked off on May 25th this year.
