The DSI and NRF are pleased to announce a call of new applications for NRF Postgraduate Student Funding for the 2021 Academic year. All continuing students who are eligible for a second or third year of funding must submit a Progress Report and not a new application.

The NRF minimum academic requirement for postgraduate funding is 65%. Applicants for honours, masters and doctoral funding must be 28, 30 and 32 years of age or younger respectively in the year of application. Successful applicants will be funded either at Full Cost Study (FCS) or Partial Cost of Study (PCS). The FCS funding will be awarded to South African citizens and permanent residents only, who are either financially needy (i.e., those whose combined household family income is less or equal to R350 000 per annum), living with a disability or exceptional academic achievers. However, the PCS funding will be awarded to 5% of international students including South African citizens and permanent residents who could not be funded under FCS but meet other minimum requirements for the NRF scholarship funding criteria.

Scholarships are intended to support honours, masters and doctoral candidates to pursue studies in all areas of Science, Engineering, Technology, Social Sciences, and Humanities.

The NRF has phased out the block grant nomination process as well as the grant-holder linked modalities of funding postgraduate students in 2020. As from 2021 funding year, all the postgraduate students will be expected to apply on the NRF Online Submission System by accessing the link: https://nrfsubmission.nrf.ac.za/, no manual applications will be accepted. Universities will set their own internal cut-off dates for applications and the applicants must abide by those dates.

Please refer to the application and funding documents when completing the online application form at every step of the process.

The Cal documents are available on this page: https://www.nrf.ac.za/bursaries/framework-documents/bursaries-framework-documents.

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, below are the contact persons and details:

For General First-time Masters and Doctoral including DAAD related enquiries, please contact:
Ms Kgaugelo Molepo
Professional Officer – HICD
Telephone: 012 481 4148.
Email Address: kgaugelo.molepo@nrf.ac.za

For Masters and Doctoral Extension Support related enquiries, please contact:
Ms Busisiwe Sibiya
Professional Officer – HICD
Telephone: 012 481 4166
Email Address: busisiwe.sibiya@nrf.ac.za

For General Honours related enquiries, please contact:
Mr Lehlogonolo Phaahla
Professional Officer – HICD
Telephone: 012 481 4315.
Email Address: lehlogonolo.phaahla@nrf.ac.za

For SASAC related enquiries, please contact:
Mr Nelson Komane
Professional Officer – HICD
Telephone: 012 481 4219.
Email Address: nelson@nrf.ac.za

For First-time SARChI Honours, Masters and Doctoral related enquiries, please contact:
Ms Andisiwe Jukuda
Professional Officer – RCCE
Telephone: 012 481 4113.
Email Address: andisiwe.jukuda@nrf.ac.za

For First-time CoEs Honours, Masters and Doctoral related enquiries, please contact:
Ms Malekgotla Finger
Professional Officer – RCCE
Telephone: 012 481 4003.
Email Address: malekgotla.finger@nrf.ac.za

For NRF-SARAO Postgraduate scholarships related enquiries, please contact:
Annah Mashemola
Professional Officer – HCD – SARAO
Telephone: 011 442 2434.
Email Address: amashemola@ska.ac.za