WMO Fellowship with ECMWF

WMO Fellowship Scheme at ECMWF

ECMWF and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have developed a scheme under which ECMWF regularly hosts forecasters or researchers from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) of least developed and developing countries for up to one year. The scheme is part of the WMO Fellowship Programme, which was set up after the WMO identified a need for specialised training placements to develop capacity in least developed and developing countries. The aim is to expand the international network of cooperation opportunities between experts in weather forecasting. The scheme is part of long-standing efforts by the WMO and ECMWF to raise the level of scientific knowledge in weather forecasting across the globe.

Fellowship holders will primarily work with ECMWF experts on a project, however there will also be opportunities to participate in ECMWF training courses and be involved with other ECMWF activities. The aim is for the knowledge and understanding gained during the Fellowship to be used to help build the capabilities of the Fellow’s respective National Meteorological and Hydrological Service (NMHS) so that those services can make a bigger contribution to the social and economic development of the country.

ECMWF has, in recent years, hosted a forecaster who evaluated rainfall forecasts in Ecuador, a meteorologist who worked on Evaluating ECMWF weather forecasts for the Maldives region and a meteorologist and researcher who worked on Developing a Climate Data Store application for Africa. The current ECMWF WMO Fellow is working to better understand the forecasting of convective weather in Indonesia.

See WMO Fellowship Programme (external link) for further information:

The ECMWF WMO Fellowship scheme requirements

The aim of the ECMWF WMO Fellowship Programme is to support the education and training of qualified and suitable candidates, particularly from least developed and developing countries and Small Island Developing States.

In order to be apply for the Fellowship:

• you need to have completed secondary education and have a minimum of a first-level degree or similar diploma in Meteorology, Hydrology, Atmospheric Science or a related discipline
• you are able to engage and work collaboratively with professionals from diverse backgrounds
• you must be able to work effectively in English
• you must currently be employed at a National Meteorological or Hydrological Service (NMHS) of one of the following countries:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong SARc, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic, Republic, of), Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Prinicipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra, Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, State of Palestine, Sudan, Suriname, Syrian, Arab, Republic, Taiwan Province of China, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Your ECMWF-WMO project proposal requirements

You will need to submit a project proposal as part of this application. Your project idea should aim to make an essential contribution to developing forecasting capabilities in the prospective fellow's own country and also be beneficial to ECMWF.

The proposal should include:

• Description of your project
• Why your project is important
• What your project aims to achieve
• Your expected project timeline (up to 12 months)

About ECMWF

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is a world leader in Numerical Weather Predictions providing high-quality data for weather forecasts and environmental monitoring. As an intergovernmental organisation we collaborate internationally to serve our members and the wider community with global weather predictions, data and training activities that are critical to contribute to safe and thriving societies.

The success of our activities depends on the funding and partnerships of our 35 Member and Co-operating States who provide the support and direction of our work. Our talented staff together with the international scientific community, and our powerful supercomputing capabilities, are the core of a 24/7 research and operational centre with a focus on medium and long-range predictions. We also hold one of the largest meteorological data archives in the world.

Our mission: Deliver global numerical weather predictions focusing on the medium-range and monitoring of the Earth system to and with our Member States

Our vision: World-leading monitoring and predictions of the Earth System enabled by cutting-edge physical, computational and data science, resulting from a close collaboration between ECMWF and the members of the European Meteorological Infrastructure, will contribute to a safe and thriving society

In addition, ECMWF has established a strong partnership with the European Union and has been entrusted with the implementation and operation of the Destination Earth initiative and the Climate Change and Atmosphere Monitoring Services of the Copernicus Programme, as well as being a contributor to the Copernicus Emergency Management Service. Other areas of work include High Performance Computing and the development of digital tools that enable ECMWF to extend provision of data and products covering weather, climate, air quality, fire and flood prediction and monitoring.

ECMWF is a multi-site organisation, with its headquarters in Reading, UK, a data centre in Bologna, Italy, and a large presence in Bonn, Germany as a central location for our EU-related activities. ECMWF is internationally recognised as the voice of expertise in numerical weather predictions for forecasts and climate science.

See  for more info about what we do. 

About World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)

WMO is the United Nations system's authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the land and oceans, the weather and climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources.

WMO’s mandate relates to the areas of meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences. WMO has a powerful role in contributing to the safety and welfare of humanity by fostering collaboration between its Members' National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and advancing the application of meteorology and hydrology in many societal and economic areas.

Other information

The arrangements for this Fellowship will be as outlined in Article 5 of the Memorandum of Understanding between WMO and ECMWF regarding the Fellowships Education Programme for Targeted Experts from Least Developed and Developing Countries:

Allowances and Benefits: The WMO will provide a monthly subsistence allowance based on the relevant WMO Stipend rate for either UK or Germany, a supplementary medical insurance through the UN Insurance Scheme for Fellows; international round-trip flight costs not covered by the beneficiary country and a small termination allowance in support of other travel expenses. ECMWF will provide financial support towards local duty station accommodation costs.

Starting date:  On or after 01 October 2026

Location: Reading, UK or Bonn, Germany (Candidates are expected to relocate to the duty station)

Remote work: As a multi-site organisation, ECMWF has adopted a hybrid organisation model which allows flexibility to staff to mix office working and teleworking.

If you require any special adjustments in order to participate fully in our recruitment process, please let us know. To contact the ECMWF Recruitment Team, please email jobs@ecmwf.int.

Who can apply

Applicants are invited to complete the online application form by clicking on the  apply button below. Please note applications can no longer be made after 23:59 hours (UK time) on the closing date.

At ECMWF, we consider an inclusive environment as key for our success. We are dedicated to ensuring a workplace that embraces diversity and provides equal opportunities for all, without distinction as to race, gender, age, marital status, social status, disability, sexual orientation, religion, personality, ethnicity and culture. We value the benefits derived from a diverse workforce and are committed to having staff that reflect the diversity of the countries that are part of our community, in an environment that nurtures equality and inclusion.