NRF First-time Doctoral & Master’s and Doctoral Extension Support
Apply NRF First-time Doctoral & Master’s and Doctoral Extension Support for 2025 Accademic Year
NRF First-time Doctoral & Master’s and Doctoral Extension Support The DSI and NRF are pleased to announce a call for new applications for DSI-NRF Postgraduate Student Funding for the academic year 2025. All continuing students who are eligible for a second or third year of funding must submit a Progress Report and not a new application.
- Closing Date:
- First-time Doctoral – 5 June 2024
- NRF First-time Doctoral & Master’s and Doctoral Extension Support – 15 Septemeber 2024
minimum academic requirement
The NRF minimum academic requirement for postgraduate funding is 65%. The entry age requirement is 28, 30 and 32 years or younger for honours, master’s and doctoral studies respectively, in the year of application, regardless of the first year of registration. Successful applicants will be funded either at Full Cost of Study (FCS) or Partial Cost of Study (PCS). The FCS funding will be awarded to South African citizens and Permanent Residents only, who are either financially needy (i.e., those whose combined household family income is less than or equals to R350 000 per annum), living with a disability or exceptional academic achievers.
However, the PCS funding will be awarded to 5% of international students including South African citizens and Permanent Residents who could not be funded under FCS but meet other minimum requirements for the NRF scholarship funding criteria. The scholarships are intended to support honours, master’s and doctoral candidates to pursue studies in all areas of Science, Engineering, Technology, Social Sciences, and Humanities.
How to Apply?
All the postgraduate students will be expected to apply on the NRF Connect System by accessing the link: https://nrfconnect.nrf.ac.za/. No manual applications will be accepted.
Kindly access this page for all enquiries here:
To be eligible for the DSI-NRF Postgraduate Student Funding, applicants must meet the following criteria:
Academic Requirement: A minimum academic average of 65%.
Age Requirement: Applicants must be 28 years or younger for honours, 30 years or younger for master’s, and 32 years or younger for doctoral studies at the time of application.
Citizenship: The Full Cost of Study (FCS) funding is available only to South African citizens and Permanent Residents who are financially needy (household income ≤ R350,000 per annum), living with a disability, or exceptional academic achievers. Partial Cost of Study (PCS) funding is available to 5% of international students and South African citizens and Permanent Residents who do not qualify for FCS but meet other minimum NRF scholarship criteria.
All applications for the DSI-NRF Postgraduate Student Funding must be submitted through the NRF Connect System at NRF Connect System. Manual applications will not be accepted. The closing dates for applications are as follows:
First-time Doctoral: 5 June 2024
NRF First-time Doctoral & Master’s and Doctoral Extension Support: 15 September 2024
Continuing students who are eligible for a second or third year of funding must submit a Progress Report instead of a new application. For guidance on the application process and requirements, students can visit the NRF’s official website or contact their institution’s financial aid office.
