The Fully Funded TWAS-NRF Doctoral Fellowship in South Africa is open to all nationals.  The programme will provide a standard monthly allowance which should be used to cover living costs, such as accommodation, food and health insurance.

South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) and Department of Science and Technology (DST) are working in partnership with (TWAS) – The World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries-   to advance science in developing countries through the NRF-TWAS Doctoral Fellowships. TWAS-NRF Doctoral Fellowships are tenable at research institutions in South Africa for a maximum period of three years. They are awarded to scientists from developing countries (other than South Africa) to enable them to pursue PhD research in the natural sciences.

TWAS – The World Academy of Sciences for Advancing Science in Developing Countries – supports sustainable prosperity through research, education, policy, and diplomacy. TWAS is a global science academy based in Trieste, Italy.TWAS was founded in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists from the developing world under the leadership of Abdus Salam, the Pakistani physicist and Nobel laureate. They believed that by building strength in science and engineering, developing nations could build the knowledge and skill to address such challenges as hunger, disease, and poverty. From the start, the Academy had essential support from Italian scientists and political leaders.

The benefits of the Fully Funded TWAS-NRF Doctoral Fellowship in South Africa are:

1. Partial Cost of Study (PCS) funding and this will only cover tuition fees (R30 000 per annum)

2. Accommodation costs for a maximum of R101 196 per annum per student.

3. NRF will cover the cheapest return economy flight and the visa and/or study permit costs for TWAS-NRF doctoral-awarded candidates.

The eligibility criteria for the Fully Funded TWAS-NRF Doctoral Fellowship in South Africa are stated below:

1. Required Language: English.

2. Eligible Countries: All world countries (non-EU). Click here to view the list of eligible countries.

3. Must not be living, studying, or working in South Africa in 2022;

4. 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;

5. Must have obtained an MSc degree in a field of natural sciences;

6. Must have obtained a minimum of 65% at the master’s level to apply for doctoral funding;

7. Must register at a South African public university in 2023 on a full-time basis and may be based at any South African public research institution, including Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Science Councils, and National Research Facilities;

8. Must be a maximum of 32 years of age by 31 December of the year of application;

9. Must have proof of evaluation of all foreign qualifications (obtained from non-South African universities) evaluated by the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) or proof that the applicant has submitted his/her qualifications to SAQA for evaluation. Failure to submit proof will result in the application being rejected. Further information on the process can be accessed by logging on to www.saqa.org.za;

10. Must meet visa and immigration laws of the applicant’s home country and South Africa. The applicant must arrange his/her Visa and/or study permit under the program for study in South Africa. Neither NRF nor TWAS will be responsible for assisting with visa arrangements. However, the NRF will cover the cheapest return economy flight and the visa and/or study permit costs for NRF-TWAS doctoral applicants;

11. Upon completion of their studies, they Must return to their country of origin. Students who fail to return to their home country will be liable to pay back the amount to the NRF equal to the number of years of study support they have received;

12. Are only eligible to pursue research under Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) disciplines as only these disciplines will be supported under the NRF-TWAS doctoral funding:

13. Not take up other assignments during the period of her/his fellowship;

14. Provide an official proof of study application and/or acceptance letter from a host South African institution, department, or laboratory;

15. Motivate the prospective doctoral supervisor. It is the responsibility of the applicant to contact the respective institution to apply for acceptance and to secure a supervisor for the doctoral study

16. Provide an English language proficiency certificate (if available at the time of the application). If not available, this will be required before any NRF funds will be released to the student and must 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. Information on the IELTS tests can be obtained from the British Council in the applicant’s home country or accessed at www.ielts.org. 

17. 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;

18. Provide an official academic record on the university letterhead;

19. Be financially responsible for any accompanying family members.

How to Apply?

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 program. For details of recognized HEIs and other Public Research Institutions, click here.

i) Applicants must provide an official letter from their host South African institution, department, or laboratory and motivation from the applicant’s host. It is the applicant's responsibility to contact the respective institution to apply for acceptance. In addition, it is also the responsibility of the applicant to secure a supervisor for the study;

ii) The research project must be registered and approved by the host institution (a letter of support from the prospective supervisor must be attached to the application.

iii) Universities will set their internal cut-off dates for applications, and applicants must abide by those dates.

Application for evaluation of foreign qualifications from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)

Applicants must have all foreign qualifications (obtained from non-South African universities) evaluated by the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA). Proof that at least the applicant has submitted his/her qualification for evaluation at SAQA must be submitted with the application, failing which the application will be rejected.

Stage 2:

Submitting your application

Applicants must apply for the NRF – TWAS Doctoral Fellowship for 2023 by accessing the link: https://nrfsubmission.nrf.ac.za/ on the NRF Online application system

On accessing the link, please follow the detailed guidelines in the step-by-step “Application and Funding Guide for the 2022 academic year”. You can see or download the guide at the bottom of this page.

No applications will be accepted after the deadline. Therefore, submitting your electronic application as early as possible is recommended.

i) The call for applications, where you will find the program details, eligibility criteria, required documents, and certificates, and the online application form will only be available once the call opens. Applicants must know that NRF and TWAS will not accept applications submitted by any means except via the online application portal.

ii) Incomplete applications will not be considered, as will applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria.

iii) Contact the university postgraduate or research office for institutional processes and deadlines queries.