Orange Knowledge Programme

Frequently asked questions

• What is an OKP Scholarship?

  One possibility for obtaining a scholarship to study at KIT is through the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP). This 5-year programme aims to advance the capacity, knowledge and quality of both individuals and institutions of higher and vocational education.

  To maximize their impact on capacity building, OKP-funded training must be linked to the institutional development of organizations. A wide range of governmental, private and non-governmental organizations are eligible. Examples include educational institutions, planning agencies, ministries, community-based organizations and private enterprises. The scholarships are available to applicants from 37 countries (read further for list as the list of eligible countries has changed recently)

• For which of KIT Master’s programmes and short courses can I apply for an OKP scholarship?

  Masters programmes
  
  Round 1: OKP Application for Masters Programmes deadline February-March
  OKP scholarships are available for the following master programmes:

  • Master in Public Health/ International Course in Health Development – Track in Health Systems Policy and Management
  • Master in Public Health – Track in Sexual and Reproductive Health

  Application period is usually in Winter: February-March. Check the course webppages for exact application deadlines.

  OKP scholarships are not yet available for the Master of International Health (MIH)

  
  Short courses

  OKP fellowships are available for the following short courses at KIT:
  The following application periods probably apply. Check the link to each course for most up to date application deadlines.

  Round 1: OKP Application deadline February-March
  for courses in Summer

  • Analysing Disrupted Health Systems in countries in crisis
  • Monitoring and Evaluation in a dynamic health environment
  • Suivi et évaluation de la santé dans un contexte dynamique
  • Rebuilding Disrupted Health Systems – developing context specific strategies for health care policies, implementation and governance (e-learning)

  Round 2: OKP Application deadline May- June
  For courses in Winter of next year

  • Qualitative Methods in Health Systems Research
  • Human Resources for Health

  Round 3: OKP Application deadline September-October
  For courses in Spring of next year

  • Control Strategies for communicable and non communicable diseases
  • Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Policy, Governance and Financing
  • Rebuilding Disrupted Health Systems – developing context specific strategies for health care policies, implementation and governance (e-learning)
  • Health Policy and Financing
  • Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights including HIV and AIDS
  • Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights: Organising Effective Responses
  • GIS for Global health
  • Sante et droits sexuels et reproductifs (FRENCH)
  • Professional Development Programme for Gender Trainers
• Am I eligible for an OKP scholarship?

  Applicants for the OKP scholarship for a KIT master’s programme or short course must meet the following criteria:

  • Have been admitted to the course of your choice. This means that you meet all the requirements set out by KIT Royal Tropical Institute  / Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA)
  • Be nationals of and working and living in a country on the OKP Country list (please note that this list has changed recently. We strongly encourage candidates from those countries to apply.
  • Accept the OKP rules and regulations
  • Upload in DELTA all mandatory documents (see question below ‘how do I apply for an OKP scholarship’ for list of documents)
  • Not to be employed by a multinational corporation, UN organisation, IMF, a bilateral or multilateral donor organisation or a large national and/or commercial organisation
  • Be employed in an area to which the study will make a relevant contribution

  If you apply for an OKP short courses scholarship, you must:

  • Not have accepted more than one OKP short course scholarship in the past
  • Not have accepted an OKP short course scholarship in the year prior to the scholarship application
  • If you apply for an OKP master’s degree programme scholarship, you must not have accepted an OKP master’s degree programme scholarship in the past
  • Please note that only 1 OKP application in DELTA should be made per application round
  • Have a valid passport which is valid at the moment of application for the OKP scholarship until at least 3 months after the course has started (or preferably longer)

  For all rules and regulations follow this link.

• OKP Deadlines for Masters

  For Masters programmes at KIT in academic year 2023-2024 the OKP registration period still has to be announced. It is likely February – March 2023. It is possible that regulations will change. Keep en eye on these pages.

  It is strongly recommended to start your application for academic admission at KIT as early as possible to give time for processing. Deadline for your KIT application if you want to apply for OKP is 28 February 2023.

  Apply now to your Master programme of choice:
  MPH Track in Health Systems Policy and Management
  MPH Track in Sexual Health and Reproductive Health

• OKP Deadlines Short courses

  For short courses at KIT in academic year 2022-2023 the OKP application periods are listed below.
  Make sure you apply well in advance for academic admission:

  Round 3 2023 – For courses taking place in Spring 2023
  OKP Application period 31 August – 11 October 2022

  • Control Strategies for communicable and non communicable diseases
  • Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Policy, Governance and Financing
  • Health Policy and Financing
  • Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights including HIV and AIDS
  • Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights: Organising Effective Responses
  • GIS for Global Health
  • Santé et les Droits Sexuels et Reproductifs  (French)
    

  Round 1 2023 – For courses taking place in Summer 2023
  OKP Application period to be announced. Probably February – March 2023. Regulations might change.

  • Monitoring and Evaluation in a dynamic health environment
  • Analysing Disrupted Health Systems in countries in crisis
  • Suivi et Evaluation de la Sante dans un contexte dynamique
  • Rebuilding Disrupted Health Systems (e-learning)

  Round 2 2023 – For courses taking place in Winter 2024
  OKP Application period May – June 2023. Exact dates to be announced later. Regulations might change.

  • Qualitative Methods in Health Systems Research (HSR)
  • Human Resources for Health

  Follow the link to each course to see which OKP deadline is applicable.
  
  Keep an eye on our website for any updates on correct dates.

• Changes OKP-eligible countries and country focus

  updated September 2022
  The Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) regulations have changed.

  OKP eligible countries

  The countries eligible for an OKP scholarship have changed. There is a new list of OKP countries which differs slightly from the lists from last year. See link below which countries are eligible for an OKP scholarship.
  If you are from one of the OKP countries we encourage  you to apply for academic admission to KIT Royal Tropical Institute as soon as possible.

  OKP Country List 

  OKP country focus

  Nuffic has established a OKP country focus in cooperation with the Netherlands Embassies in OKP eligible countries. Quite a number of OKP countries do not have health or SRHR as a priority. Read the suggestions below carefully:

  • Read carefully the country priorities that were published by Nuffic. When filling in your employer statement make sure that it links as much as possible to the priorities set by the embassy in your country. This will give you a higher chance of winning the scholarship.
  • You could ask your employer to not only tick the box on ‘SRHR’ of ‘Health’ but also of other relevant boxes that link to the country priorities.
  • Also in your own motivation letter try to link to the country priorities.
  • If your country has no focus on Health at all as described in the country focus document, please go ahead and do submit your OKP application. In your motivation you can try to link to the country priorities… Be creative! After all so many themes have direct or indirect relations to health and health care. During the last OKP registration periods, quite some OKP scholarships to study at KIT were allocated to applicants from countries with no official health focus. So we encourage you to try.
  • Unfortunately Afghanistan is not longer on the list of OKP eligible countries.

• How do I gain academic admission to a master’s programme?

  The academic application has to be received by KIT at the latest 1 month before the OKP application deadline.

  OKP application periods are planned for:
  31 August – 1 October 2022
  February – March 2023 (details to be announced)
  May – June 2023 (details to be announced)

  You are advised to start the course application procedure as early as possible.

  KIT assesses the application and decides whether or not the applicant’s educational background and other experience meet programme requirements:

  • KIT will inform applicants of its decision within 1 month of receiving the application.
  • Successful candidates receive a letter indicating that they have been conditionally admitted providing they have suitable funding.
  • Candidates are eligible for a OKP scholarship only if they have been admitted to the the course and comply with all the scholarship criteria.
  • A link to DELTA where you can apply for OKP will be send to you on the day the application period for OKP opens.
• How do I apply for an OKP scholarship?

  The application process is described below.

  Start the application process early!

  OKP uses a two-step application procedure:

  • Applicants must first request academic admission directly from KIT (via the KIT online application system, follow the link in each specific course page). If you are accepted you will receive a Conditional Letter of Admission from KIT.
  • Applicants who have applied for a course for which OKP scholarships are available and have been accepted, will receive an e-mail from KIT with the correct link to DELTA, the application system for OKP.
  • IMPORTANT: Applicants who have been accepted for an OKP eligible course will receive the correct link to apply in DELTA on the day the registration period opens. Applicants will receive this link on the day the OKP application period opens. If you have not received the link, please check your spam folder. And send a mail to courses@kit.nl to obtain the correct link.)
  • Applicants have to apply separately for the OKP scholarship via: DELTA (the OKP online application system). Make sure you follow all instructions in DELTA and upload all required documents. Your scholarship application can only be processed if it is complete. This is the applicants responsibility!
  • The registration period for OKP opens approx. 6 weeks before the application deadline. Check the application deadline for each course in the course description. So make sure you apply first for academic acceptance well in advance of this deadline! The earlier to better.
  • Keep an eye on our website for updates on deadlines and other matters.

  Important documents for DELTA registration

  • Obligations for OKP scholarship holders
  • OKP format Employer Statement 
  • OKP Government Statement (Only needed for some countries. Read OKP instructions candidates for detailed information)
  • OKP Government Statement requirements
  • Country list for short courses and masters
  • Country list focus document

  More information and documents can be found on Nuffic website

  More general information about the Orange Knowledge Programme on Nuffic website

• OKP and DELTA
  • Applicants have to apply separately for the OKP scholarship via: DELTA (the OKP online application system).
  • Applicants who have applied for a course for which OKP scholarships are available and have been accepted will receive an e-mail from KIT with the correct link to DELTA on the day the OKP application period opens. In case you have not received the link, please check your spam filter. If this does not help then mail the course admin office.
  • The registration period of OKP opens approx. 6 weeks before the application deadline. Make sure you apply well in advance for academic admission first so you can apply immediately for the scholarship once the application period opens. Check the application deadline for each course in the course description.
• When will I be informed of the outcome of OKP selection

  If you have applied for OKP via DELTA, you will be informed of the outcome of the OKP selection by KIT.
  Since the rules and regulations are still subject to change, we do not yet know exactly when results will be announced.

  • For the March OKP deadline the outcome will be communicated in June, around week 23 or 24.
  • For the June OKP deadline the outcome will be communicated by e-mail in September, around week 37.
  • For the October OKP deadline the outcome selection will be communicated end of December, around week 51.

• How is an OKP scholarship awarded?

  OKP scholarships, which are granted for the duration of a short course or master’s programme, cover tuition fees plus the costs of international travel, subsistence, books and health insurance.

  • Nuffic decides how many scholarships will be available and awards a grant to KIT to cover the fellowship holders’ costs.
  • KIT pays each fellowship holder a monthly allowance for the duration of the master’s programme.

  For more information on the OKP programme and country specific information see earlier questions on this page.