Programme outline

The NRF Nuffic Doctoral Scholarship is a PhD programme funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Dutch Organisation for Internationalisation in Education (Nuffic). The NRF has a mandate to promote and support research through funding, human capacity 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.

Degree level

  • Full-time doctoral studies at a Dutch HEI (single site mode) and
  • Full-time doctoral studies jointly developed and implemented by a Dutch HEI and a Partner University (split site mode) in South Africa and resulting in a joint      degree from the partner institutions.

What the scholarship offers

  • Successful applicants under the split site mode will be funded at either Full Cost of Study (FCS) or Partial Cost of Study (PCS).
  • The FCS will cover tuition, accommodation, living allowance, meal allowance and a once-off allowance for study resource material such as an electronic      device.
  • The PCS will cover tuition and accommodation costs only.

Field of study

All areas of Science, Engineering Technology, the Social Sciences and Humanities, including Priority Research Areas, at participating universities.
Preference will 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.

Deadlines

Under the single site mode, the closing date for submission of applications to the NRF is 01 June 2020.
Under the split site mode, South African universities at which students intend to register for doctoral studies will set their own internal cut-off dates for applications
and applicants must abide by those dates.

Who can apply?

  • South African citizens or permanent residents with a South African ID number
  • 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.

Application process

Applications must be submitted electronically to the NRF on the NRF Online Submission System at https://nrfsubmission.nrf.ac.za.
You must first identify the university where you will be registered for postgraduate degree before submitting an application to the NRF.

Contact

For enquiries, applicants are encouraged to contact the Research or Postgraduate offices at their universities.
Should there still be a need to contact the NRF, kindly use the details provided below.

For technical enquiries relating to the NRF Online Submission System:
Support Desk (Mondays to Fridays from 08h00 to16h30), telephone: 012 481-4202 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For program related queries:
Mr Nelson Komane, Professional Officer: Human and Infrastructure Capacity Development (HICD), telephone: 012 418 4219, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mr Vhutshilo Makananise, Neso South Africa, telephone: 012 346 0982, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Note

Please note that this opportunity is not offered by the Department of Higher Education and Training. If there are any discrepancies in the details provided, the information given by the sponsor supersedes the details provided above. No additional financial support will be provided by the Department of Higher Education and Training.

Print