The NRF provides Free-standing scholarships and fellowships which will be awarded directly to students undertaking full-time study (and part-time study only in the case of disabled students), on a competitive basis. Students must apply for these awards themselves, and remain responsible for the submission of all required documentation.
2.1 Categories of free-standing student support:
A limited number of scholarships will be awarded for honours, Master's, doctoral and postdoctoral studies to top achievers in their research fields, for academic performance as well as their research potential.
2.2 Nationality
- All scholarships: South African citizens
- NRF Free-standing Postdoctoral fellowships for research in South Africa: Any nationality
- NRF Free-standing Postdoctoral fellowships for research abroad: South African citizens
- Innovation Postdoctoral fellowships for research in South Africa: South African citizens
2.3 Supplementation
NRF bursary, scholarship and fellowship-holders are allowed to hold non-binding supplementary awards from any non-government source with unlimited value.
2.4 Periods of student support
- Honours degree / BTech Final Year: 1 year
- Honours degree/BTech Final Year part-time (students with disabilities only): 2 years
- Master's degree full-time: 2 years
- Master's degree part-time(students with disabilities only): 3 years
- Doctorate full-time: 3 years
- Doctorate part-time (students with disabilities only): 5 years
- Postdoctoral research: 2 years
2.5 Upgrading of Scholarships
- Where registration for a Master's degree is upgraded to doctoral study, the maximum period of NRF support for Master's and doctoral study will be four years in total.
- Recipients of NRF Master's scholarships whose registration status has been upgraded to doctoral status may apply for their Master's scholarship to be upgraded to doctoral level.
- A letter of application from the scholarship-holder, together with official proof of approved upgrading, should be submitted to the NRF via the financial aid/bursary office of the scholarship-holder's Institution.
- The upgrade top-up value will depend on the value of the Master's scholarship previously received by the scholarship-holder.
Closing Date
Information on the closing date is in the Scholarship and Bursaries Manual 2008 (available on the NRF website, www.nrf.ac.za ,click on STUDENTS).
Contacts and Enquiries
Please direct all enquiries to the Research Directorate Office, Mr Wasserman, Room 10-46, Theo van Wijk Building, UNISA,
Wassejw@unisa.ac.za if you intend registering for study in South Africa. For other enquiries contact the NRF Support Desk (Mondays to Fridays, 08:00 to 16:30) on: Tel: (012) 481-4202; Fax: (012) 481-4054 / (012) 349-1179 or E-mail:
supportdesk@nrf.ac.za
Mr Envor Moeng, Coordinator: Grant Management & Systems Administration, NRF Tel: (012) 481 4081; e-mail:
envor@nrf.ac.za
Ms Joyce Mokono, Liaison Officer : Grant Management & Systems Administration, NRF Tel: (012) 481 4223; e-mail:
joyce@nrf.ac.za
Ms Martha Magolego, Liaison Officer : Grant Management & Systems Administration, NRF Tel: (012) 481 4079; e-mail:
Martha@nrf.ac.za
Ms Rose Robertson, Liaison Officer : Grant Management & Systems Administration, NRF Tel: (012) 481 4102; e-mail:
rose@nrf.ac.za
