NRF Doctoral Scholarships for Full-time Studies in 2020
Closing Date: CLOSED
The DST and NRF are pleased to announce a call for applications for Doctoral Scholarships for Full-time Studies in 2020.
In the process of reducing the high volume of applications received yearly, duplication of applications into different programmes and increasing the turnaround time of informing successful applicants, the NRF has consolidated all the Doctoral scholarship programmes such as DAAD, Extension Support for Doctoral studies, Innovation, NRF Freestanding, Scarce Skill Development Fund (SSDF), The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Doctoral, in one framework document.
The Doctoral scholarships are open to South African citizens and permanent residents as well as a limited percentage of foreign nationals who will register at South African public universities in 2020 on a full-time basis only.
Scholarships are intended to support Doctoral candidates to pursue studies in all areas of Science, Engineering, Technology, Social Sciences, and Humanities, including Priority Research Areas.
Applicants must apply on the NRF Online Submission System at https://nrfsubmission.nrf.ac.za and follow the application process set out in the attached Framework documents and Application and Funding Guides.
- First time applicant Masters and Doctoral Scholarships Application and Funding Guide 2020
- Masters and Doctoral Scholarships for FT Studies Framework 2020
Please Note: Prospective Applicants need to read the attached documents carefully as well as pay particular attention to the following scorecard. The scorecard is how the NRF will rate your application. Please ensure that you do the required to increase your chances of receiving funding for your 2020 academic year.
Table 3: Scorecard for the assessment of applications for Doctoral Scholarships (excluding Extension Support)
| Criteria | Description | Weight % |
| Academic merit* | Percentage mark for the masters degree, if completed; OR
If the masters degree is in progress, average percentage mark for the honours degree; OR Average percentage mark for major subjects in the final year of a four-year undergraduate degree. |
30 |
| Completion time for previous degree | Time taken for completion of the masters degree, if completed; OR
If the masters degree is in progress, time taken to complete the honours degree or four-year undergraduate degree. |
15 |
| Track record or Research Outputs | Evidence of research outputs in accredited peer- reviewed publications and presentations at conferences/symposiums. | 15 |
| Priority Research Area | Research aligned with one of the NRF listed research priority areas. | 10 |
| Originality of the Doctoral study | Problem statement, Identified knowledge gaps, Aim and Objectives of the study. | 20 |
| Potential Impact of the research | Potential to contribute to national research strategies and the strategic goals of the knowledge economy. | 10 |
| Total | 100 | |
*Students who received a “Pass” and have not entered a percentage pass mark will be given a default score of 1.