The National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), in partnership with the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), have partnered to pursue the goal of advancement of science in developing countries through the establishment of the NRF-TWAS Postdoctoral Fellowship funding instrument.
TWAS is based in Italy and operates as a programme of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the advancement of science in developing countries. The parties entered into a contractual agreement to support postdoctoral fellows from Africa and developing countries who will be funded per annum for a maximum of three (3) years to pursue full-time research training in South Africa. There will be an intake of 10 postdoctoral fellows each year for three (3) years, starting in 2016.
Areas of support
The NRF-TWAS Postdoctoral Fellowship funding instrument will support fellows to undertake full - time research at any South African public research institution including Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Science Councils and National Research Facilities.
Applicants who wish to pursue research under Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) disciplines will be supported through the fellowship.
Eligibility
In selecting applicants for consideration for NRF-TWAS Postdoctoral Fellowship, the following criteria will apply:
- Fellowships are open to citizens and permanent residents in a developing country other than South Africa.
- The following individuals are not eligible to apply:
- South African citizens;
- Foreign citizens who hold permanent residence permits of South Africa;
- Foreign citizens who are already resident in South Africa and hold temporary residence permits (this includes study permits);
- Citizens and permanent residents of any developed country
- Applicants must have obtained their Doctoral qualification within five (5) years of submitting an application to the NRF;
- Applicants should be a regular employee in a developing country (other than South Africa or any developed country) and hold a research assignment;
- Visa and immigration laws of the applicant’s home country and South Africa must be met by the applicant.
The closing date for submitting applications to the NRF is 2 October 2015, although individual South African universities may have deadlines for internal submissions prior to this date. Please check the internal submission deadline with your proposed host institution.
For more information on the fellowships, please download and read the call for funding document.
The following documents will also be useful for the application process:
- NRF Postdoctoral Fellowship Grants Manual 2016
- Guidelines for Completing an NRF-TWAS Application (produced by the University of the Witwatersrand)
The Centre for Urbanism and Built Environment Studies (CUBES) at the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg, South Africa) has expressed interest in supporting and hosting one or more fellowships. If you would be interested in working with CUBES, please contact Prof Marie Huchzermeyer.
