CCRIF SPC has invested US$112,000 in scholarships for the 2026/2027 academic year, supporting nine Caribbean students pursuing climate resilience and related studies at The University of the West Indies (The UWI). The awards reinforce a longstanding partnership between The UWI and CCRIF aimed at strengthening the Caribbean's capacity in climate resilience, disaster risk management and sustainable development.
The nine UWI awardees will pursue undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in climate adaptation and disaster preparedness, including climate science, meteorology, natural resource management, geoinformatics, geology and engineering. Their studies at The UWI's Cave Hill, Mona and St. Augustine campuses will contribute to strengthening the region's resilience capacity and sustainable development goals.
Since 2010, CCRIF has provided more than 200 scholarships valued at over US$2.2 million to Caribbean students studying at universities across the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and the United States. Of these, 178 scholarships, valued at approximately US$1.3 million, have been awarded to students at The UWI, underscoring the University's and CCRIF’s partnership in developing the next generation of Caribbean professionals equipped to address climate and disaster-related challenges.
This year's awards include five postgraduate scholarships, each valued at up to US$11,000, supporting Master's-level studies at The UWI's Cave Hill and St. Augustine campuses. They come from Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago. Four undergraduate students entering their second year of study will receive scholarships valued at US$8,000 each over two years, supporting programmes in Geomatics Engineering, Disaster Risk Resilience and Environmental and Natural Resource Management, Geology, and Civil Engineering at the Mona and St. Augustine campuses.
Commenting on the scholarships, Ms Sandrea Maynard, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Affairs at The UWI said, "For more than a decade, CCRIF's investment in our students has helped build a critical cadre of Caribbean professionals equipped to tackle the complex challenges of climate change and disaster risk. Through this enduring partnership, we are not only supporting individual achievement but strengthening the region's resilience capacity for generations to come."
"Every scholarship we award is an investment in the region's ability to understand, prepare for and recover from natural hazards and climate change. These young people will become the scientists, engineers and natural resource managers whose expertise our member countries will depend on in the years ahead," said Mr. Isaac Anthony, Chief Executive Officer of CCRIF SPC. "We are proud to continue our long-standing partnerships with The UWI and CIMH, and we look forward to seeing this new cohort contribute to a more resilient Caribbean."
The scholarships are awarded through CCRIF's Technical Assistance Programme and form part of the organisation's broader commitment to building regional capacity in disaster risk management, disaster risk financing, climate change adaptation and sustainable development.
Through partnerships such as this, The UWI continues to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to address some of the region's most pressing development challenges and help build a more resilient future.
