NRF Masters Scholarships for Full-time Studies in 2020
Closing Date: 30 August 2019
The DST and NRF are pleased to announce a call for applications for Masters 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 Masters scholarship programmes such as DAAD, Extension Support for Masters, Innovation, NRF Freestanding and Scarce Skill Development Fund (SSDF), in one framework document.
The Masters 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 Honours/BTech, Masters and 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.
- Masters and Doctoral Scholarships for FT Studies Framework 2020
- First time applicant Masters and Doctoral Scholarships Application and Funding Guide 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 2: Scorecard for the assessment of applications for Masters Scholarships (excluding Extension Support)
| Review Criteria | Description | Weight % |
| Academic merit* | Average percentage mark for the honours degree, if completed; OR
Average percentage mark for major subjects in the final-year undergraduate courses for students currently registered for a honours degree; OR Average percentage mark for major subjects in the third-year undergraduate courses for students in the final year of a four-year undergraduate degree. |
35 |
| Completion time for previous degree | Time taken to complete the honours degree, if completed; OR
Time taken to complete the undergraduate degree, if the honours degree is in progress; OR Time taken to complete third-year undergraduate courses for students in the final year of a four-year undergraduate degree. |
15 |
| Priority Research Area | Research aligned with one of the NRF listed research priority areas. | 20 |
| Project Outline | Issues that need to be addressed through research and the identified knowledge gaps. | 30 |
| Total | 100 | |
*Students who received a “Pass” and have entered a percentage pass mark will be given a default