Available Bursaries

The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) (Doctoral ONLY)

Scholarship details

Citizens and permanent residents from developing countries in and outside Africa. South Africans are not eligible to apply.​

Eligibility criteria​

• Applicants may not be living, studying or working in South Africa at the time of application.
• Applicants who were previously employed or studying towards a degree or undertaking research in South Africa, and have returned to their country of origin but have been in their country of origin for less than two (2) years are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants must be thirty five (35) years of age or younger on the 31st of December of the year of application for the Doctoral scholarship.
• Already hold a degree at the level at which they intend studying (e.g. Individuals with a Doctoral qualification  cannot apply for a Doctoral scholarship)
• Individuals that will be in full-time salaried, contractual or permanent employment while pursuing Masters or Doctoral studies may not apply.
• Individuals that are on Sabbatical leave from their employment (including those without paid sabbatical leave) may not apply.
• Students pursuing a Doctoral degree who commenced their degree before 2023
  

Value

• ​Doctoral: R 120 000 p.a​

SASAC (Southern African Systems Analysis Centre)

​Scholarship details

For research using systems analysis methodology, with specific capacity development interventions provided through the Southern African Systems Analysis Centre (SASAC), hereafter referred to as SASAC Doctoral scholarships. Systems analysis requires thinking in systems and the application of systems modelling tools and approaches to global challenges.

​South African citizens and permanent residents as well as a limited percentage of foreign nationals

National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Postgraduate Funding (Honours only)

Scholarship details

Accounting, Actuarial Science, Agricultural Sciences, Auditing, Biotechnology, Business management, Chemistry, Computer Science, Demography, Economics, Engineering, Financial Management, Geology, Statistics, Information systems,  Mathematical Science, Physical Science, Statistics, Transportation studies, Tourism.  available bursaries

Value

• Honours: R 76 000 p.a

Eligibility criteria

• South African citizenship and students with permanent residency.
• Applicants who already have a qualification on the same level are not eligible.
• Scholarship holders must not hold fulltime salaried employment during tenure of the award.
  
• Students who intend on persuing a Postgraduate Diploma are not eligible.​
  

Important: Please note that in order to be considered for NSFAS, you should have obtained NSFAS or university financially needy funding and upload this proof with your application.​

 

NRF Freestanding Scholarship* (Honours, Masters and Doctoral)

Scholarship details

Study in the social and human sciences (SSH), natural and applied sciences as well as engineering and technology (SET).

Value

• Honours: R 30 000 p.a
• Masters: R 50 000 p.a
• Doctoral: R 70 000 p.a

Eligibility criteria

• South African citizenship and students with permanent residency.
• Applicants who already have a qualification on the same level are not eligible.
  
• Full-time employees at Higher Education Institutions are not eligible to apply.
• Scholarship holders must not hold fulltime salaried employment during tenure of the award

 

DST/NRF Innovation Scholarship* (Honours, Masters and Doctoral)

The Innovation Bursary Scheme which also includes priority research areas* supports students who wish to pursue their Honours and final year B Tech studies in the fields listed below viz.:

• Astronomy;
• Bioinformatics*;
• Biotechnology;
• Cellular and Molecular Biology;
• Chemistry;
• Climate Change*;
• Computer science;
• Drug Discovery and Development*;
• Earth Sciences;
• Earth Observation*;
• Ecology;
• Engineering;
• Functional Genomics*;
• Global Change, Society and Sustainability*;
• Indigenous Knowledge Systems*;
• Mathematical Sciences;
• Material Science;
• Marine Sciences*;
• Medicinal Plant Research*;
• Medical sciences;
• Nanotechnology*;
• Nuclear Science;
• Nuclear Technologies in Medicine and Biosciences*;
• Palaeosciences*;
• Physics;
• Renewable Energy*;
• Social Science and Humanities; and
• Space Science*

Value

• Honours: R 60 000 p.a
• Masters: R 90 000 p.a
• Doctoral: R 120 000 p.a

Eligibility criteria

• South African citizenship and students with permanent residency, as well as a percentage of non-South African citizens.
• Applicants who already have a qualification on the same level are not eligible.
  
• Full-time employees at Higher Education Institutions are not eligible to apply.
• Scholarship holders must not hold fulltime salaried employment during tenure of the award

 

NRF Scarce Skills Scholarship*​ (Honours, Masters and Doctoral)

Scholarship details

• Accounting,
• Actuarial Science, 
• Agricultural Sciences,
• Architecture,
• Auditing,
• Biotechnology,
• Business management,
• Chemistry,
• Computer Science,
• Demography,
• Economics,
• Engineering,
• Forestry,
• Financial Management,
• Geology,
• Health Science
• Information systems,  
• Mathematical Science,
• Physical Science,
• Statistics,
• Sports Science,
• Transportation studies,
• Tourism​

Value

• Honours: R 60 000 p.a
• Masters: R 90 000 p.a
• Doctoral: R 120 000 p.a

Eligibility criteria

• South African citizenship and students with permanent residency.
• Applicants who already have a qualification on the same level are not eligible.
  
• Full-time employees at Higher Education Institutions are not eligible to apply.
• Scholarship holders must not hold fulltime salaried employment during tenure of the award

DAAD-NRF Scholarship (Masters and Doctoral)

Scholarship details

The programme targets candidates who are working towards a master’s or doctoral degree. Preference will be given to full-time registered young South Africans or full-time SU staff members (SA citizens/SA permanent residence status) studying towards a doctoral qualification will also be considered.

Value

• Masters: R 80 000 p.a
• Doctoral: R 110 000 p.a

Eligibility criteria

• South African citizenship and students with permanent residency.
• Applicants who already have a qualification on the same level are not eligible.
• Previous degree should have been obtained no more than 6 years prior to application

 ​​ 

SARAO Scholarships

Call Open for 2023 Masters and Doctoral https://skagrants.nrf.ac.za

2023 Applications CLOSED

SARAO will consider applications from academically excellent students who wish to undertake postgraduate-level research relevant to the scientific and technical goals of the SKA and MeerKAT radio telescopes, and who are:

1. South African citizens, or permanent residents of South Africa; or

2. Citizens of Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia.

 

FOCUS AREAS FOR MASTERS AND DOCTORAL RESEARCH IN 2023

Science

Topics exploiting data projected to be available by 2023-24 from key existing radio astronomy instruments located in South Africa. These include MeerKAT, HERA, C-BASS, early versions of HIRAX, and HartRAO facilities (including astrometry and geodesy applications). Amongst these, MeerKAT is the highest priority area. Multi-wavelength projects with direct links to the above will be considered.

 

Engineering

Engineering topics should be directly related to the needs of building and operating radio telescopes that are supported or hosted by SARAO. Proposed projects must provide the student with skills that are critical to radio astronomy and geodesy, and proposals should explicitly list these skills. Priority will be given to topics that fall within the areas listed here:

 

• Radio astronomy antennas and receiver systems (including digitisation) associated with supported and hosted instruments.
• Real-time digital signal processing instrumentation for radio astronomy, specifically using FPGA and GPU platforms.
  
• Hardware and data analysis systems for detecting, monitoring and identifying Radio Frequency Interference (RFI), including the use of telescope data (e.g. using MeerKAT visibilities to locate RFI sources).
  
• Hardware, software and data analytic systems associated with the control and monitoring of radio telescopes.
• Instrumentation and data analysis systems to support geodesy undertaken by SARAO. 
  

Call Open for 2023 Honours https://skagrants.nrf.ac.za​

Eligibility criteria

• South African citizens ONLY.
• Students who wish to study towards a Bachelor of Science – Honours degree at a South African university; and who majored in Physics and Mathematics at undergraduate level,
• A minimum 60% for major subjects at undergraduate level.
• Students who intend to pursue postgraduate research in radio astronomy, or in an engineering discipline relevant to radio astronomy.
  

 

CSIR/SU Scholarship

Call Open for 2023 Applications

2023 Applications CLOSED

The CSIR and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) are pleased to announce the DST Inter-Programme Bursary Support (IBS) call for applications.

Eligibility criteria

The IBS postgraduate bursary support is intended for full time studies for Honours, Masters or PhD degrees at any South African public university. The focus areas for the bursary support are restricted to the following research areas.

• Aerospace
• Composites
• Modelling and Digital Sciences
• Microsystems Technology
• Titanium (Manufacturing Elements)
• Photonics
• Biotechnology:
  • Biopharming
  • Bioprocessing
  • Biocatalysis
• Information and Communications Technology