Doctoral fellowship in natural sciences, South Africa: Applications are invited for the NRF–TWAS doctoral fellowship programme from scientists to enable them to pursue PhD research in the natural sciences. There are two types of fellowships available i.e. the NRF-TWAS Doctoral Fellowships to scientists from developing countries (other than South Africa) and the NRF-TWAS African Renaissance Doctoral Fellowships to scientists from Africa (other than South Africa) at research institutions in South Africa for a maximum period of three years.
Study Subject(s): Fellowships are awarded in the field of:
- Agricultural Sciences,
- Structural,
- Cell and Molecular Biology,
- Biological Systems and Organisms,
- Medical and Health Sciences incl. Neurosciences,
- Chemical Sciences,
- Engineering Sciences,
- Astronomy,
- Space and Earth Sciences,
- Mathematical Sciences and Physics.
Course Level: Fellowships are available to scientists for doctoral research programme at research institutions in South Africa.
Scholarship Provider: National Research Foundation (NRF) and Department of Science and Technology (DST), South Africa and TWAS
Eligibility: Applicants for these fellowships must meet the following criteria:
- be nationals of a developing country (other than South Africa) for TWAS-NRF Doctoral Fellowships or be nationals or permanent residents from Africa (except South Africa) for TWAS-NRF African Renaissance Doctoral Fellowships;
- must not hold any visa for temporary or permanent residency in South Africa or any developed country;
- must be a maximum of 35 years of age by 31 December of the year of application;
-must have obtained an MSc degree in a field of natural sciences; - provide evidence that s/he will return to her/his home country on completion of the fellowship;
- not take up other assignments during the period of her/his fellowship;
- provide an official letter from a host South African institution, department or laboratory and motivation from the applicant’s host;
- proof of knowledge of English is preferable, if language of instruction was not English (Preference will be given to applicants that meet the following requirements of the English Language Proficiency Academic test: IELTS 6.5 (no band less than 6.0); or TOEFL (paper) 575 (TWE 4.5); or TOEFL iBIT (min. 20); or Cambridge minimum 58.);
- present a detailed research project that must be registered and approved by the host institution and provide a letter of support from the prospective host supervisor;
- be financially responsible for any accompanying family members.
- How to Apply: Application procedures for both doctoral programmes:
Stage 1: Application for acceptance at South African Institutions: Applicants must contact institutions in South Africa or potential supervisors to obtain a placement into the doctoral research training programme.
An official letter of acceptance must be obtained from the potential host institution and/or supervisor. The letter must cover detail on the research project to be undertaken by the applicant; and available infrastructure and facilities for an enabling environment for host’s research
-Application for evaluation of foreign qualifications from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA): Applicants are advised to start this process early to allow time for processing. On the SAQA website, navigate to Service-Evaluation of Foreign
Qualifications-General Information. Applicants must strictly adhere to all the instructions and provide all applicable documents to avoid delays and rejection of applications. Applicants are advised to courier all application documents to SAQA directly.
Stage 2: Submit your online application by NRF Online application system. Please attach the required documents in one PDF file in the following order:
Passport;
2.Official acceptance letter from host institution;
3.Certified copies of undergraduate and postgraduate certificates;
4.English Language Proficiency Academic test if available; and
5.SAQA evaluation certificate, if available.
Last date : 2 October, 2015