Taiwan Merit Scholarships (TMS) Program

In accordance with the needs of national development, the Ministry of Education, the Council for Economic Planning and Development, and the National Science Council joined forces beginning in 2005 to plan and implement the Taiwan Merit Scholarships (TMS) program. The purpose of this program is to encourage outstandingly talented Taiwanese in academia and industry to go abroad to undertake studies or research in the world’s best academic institutions, so that they can acquire knowledge and experience for putting to use in enhancing Taiwan's competitiveness. Two hundred Taiwan citizens will be selected each year to receive scholarships for graduate study or short periods of research.

The areas covered by TMS scholarships include the selected fields of natural sciences, humanities and social sciences, applied science and technology such as bio-medical technology, display technology, digital content technology, information technology, telecommunications, semiconductors, energy technology, natural disaster-related study, environmental study, oceanography, nanotechnology, advanced material science, and knowledge-intensive service industries.

The TMS are available under three categories: (1) For master’s and Ph.D. degree pursuers, the TMS program will provide one-year scholarships for master’s students and a maximum of two years for those in Ph.D. programs. (2) For those who undertake post-doctoral research, the TMS will provide scholarships for a period ranging from six months to one year. (3) For employees of enterprises or non-governmental organizations, scholarships are available for a period ranging from four and half months to one year. In principle, the TMS will provide annual stipends in a range of 30,000 to 40,000 USD for 2006 TMS recipients.

The agencies directing the implementation of the program, which are the Ministry of Education, the Council for Economic Planning and Development, and the National Science Council, will conduct periodic evaluation of the academic and research performance of the scholarship recipients. Scholarships may be renewed on an annual basis as recommended by a review panel where recipients are confirmed as having fulfilled the scholarship requirements and maintained outstanding evaluation records.

In addition to helping recipients participate in world-class courses and research projects at academic institutions overseas and achieve success in their respective fields, TMS will also give recipients the opportunity to develop their international outlook and expand their mental horizons, so as to cultivate future leaders for Taiwan. After returning to Taiwan, the recipients will be able to put their new learning to valuable use while also playing an active part in furthering academic exchanges between Taiwan and other countries.