Call for applications: NRF-NUFFIC Doctoral Scholarship for 2021

Internal closing dates

• Single-site doctoral: 25 May 2020
• Split-site doctoral: 17 July 2020

The National Research Foundation (NRF) has opened this call for applications.

Background

South Africa aspires to produce more doctoral graduates as a means of increasing its global competitiveness, high-level research skills and knowledge production. One way to achieve this is by creating international partnerships and networks between scientists and research institutions, with a focus on training doctoral students. The National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa has a mandate to promote and support research through funding, human capital development and the provision of the necessary research infrastructure. In order to realise this mandate, the NRF has made a substantial commitment and investment towards supporting the next generation of researchers to intensify and strengthen African and global networks.

Objectives of the programme

• Strengthen cooperation and internationalisation between Dutch HEIs and Partner Institutions in South Africa through joint supervision of doctoral candidates.
• Foster sustainable institutional collaboration between South African and Dutch HEIs, contributing to the bilateral research agendas.
• Promote and advance science, research and innovation. 
• Support the development of a critical mass of globally competitive knowledge-workers in South Africa in prioritised areas.
• Contribute towards increasing the number and quality of South African postgraduate students in all areas of Science, Engineering, Technology, the Social Sciences and Humanities.
• Effect transformation in the percentage representation of postgraduate students from designated groups, namely black, female and persons with disabilities.

Areas of support

The funding is intended to support doctoral candidates to pursue research studies in all areas of Science, Engineering and Technology,  and the Social Sciences and Humanities, including Priority Research Areas, at participating universities. The percentage of supported students will be 80% from the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines and 20% from the Social Sciences and Humanities, in line with South Africa’s National Development Plan. Preference will also be given to applications to obtain a doctoral degree in a vulnerable discipline such as Statistics, Mathematics and Nursing, emerging research areas or where there exists a paucity of research infrastructure and/or suitably qualified supervisors in South Africa.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Be South African citizens or permanent residents with a South African ID number, although South African citizens will be prioritised.
• Be thirty-two (32) years of age or younger on 31 December of the year of application for the doctoral funding.
• Be intending to pursue full-time doctoral studies in the 2021 academic year. 
• Be resident in South Africa at the time of approval of the funding.
• Meet the academic requirement for doctoral studies which is a minimum of 65% at the master’s level.

Click here for the General Application Guide 2021 and click here for the funding framework document.

Financial means test

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) currently defines financially needy students as individuals who come from households with a combined net family income of no more than R350 000 (three hundred and fifty thousand rand) per annum.

Applicants will be subjected to a financial means test to determine their financial need. Applicants for NRF postgraduate funding who were previously supported by National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) or the Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP) will not be subjected to a financial means test, however, they must attach proof in the form of an official university stamped financial statement or signed agreement with NSFAS or ISFAP.

Value of the award

1. Doctoral Scholarship in the Netherlands (single site mode): 

2. Doctoral Scholarship in the Netherlands and South Africa (split site mode):

Application process

All applications are submitted on the NRF Online system at https://nrfsubmission.nrf.ac.za/.

Late and incomplete applications will be rejected.

For any enquiries, please send an e-mail to Mr Tau Moholoopa (moholt@unisa.ac.za).