Partially funded

CoE-HUMAN Postgraduate Bursaries (Wits)

University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Scholarship overview

The DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development (CoE-HUMAN) at the University of the Witwatersrand awards postgraduate bursaries funded through the National Research Foundation (NRF) to Masters and Doctoral students whose research proposals fit the Centre's thematic focus. The current call is for the 2027 intake.

Three core, overlapping themes are funded: life-course development (human development from conception to death), intergenerational development (development across generations, including family and parental influence) and socioecological and transformational development (interactions between societies, households and their natural environment).

Funding follows the DSI-NRF Postgraduate Funding Policy and the 2013 Ministerial Guidelines for Improving Equity in the Distribution of DSI-NRF Bursaries and Fellowships. Awards are primarily for South African citizens and permanent residents, with a small number of places for foreign and SADC citizens; South Africans registered at foreign universities do not qualify. Students with disabilities, African (non-SADC) students and international students registered at a South African university are specifically encouraged to apply.

Award Information

  • Registered or registering for a Masters or Doctoral degree at Wits, with a research proposal aligned to at least one of the three CoE-HUMAN themes (overlap across themes is allowed).
  • Minimum academic requirement set by the NRF: 65%.
  • Age limit in the year of application: 30 for Masters, 32 for Doctoral, regardless of year of first registration.
  • Primarily for South African citizens and permanent residents; a small number of foreign and SADC citizens may be considered.
  • South Africans registered at a university outside South Africa are not eligible.
  • Students with disabilities, African (non-SADC) continent students and other international students studying at a South African university are encouraged to apply.
  • Full Cost of Study (FCS) funding goes to South African citizens and permanent residents who are financially needy (combined household income of R350 000 a year or less), living with a disability, or exceptional academic achievers; Partial Cost of Study (PCS) funding is reserved for up to 5% of international students, including South African citizens and permanent residents not funded under FCS who still meet the NRF's other minimum requirements.
  • Recipients on PCS or FCS funding may take supplementary funding from another source (private sector, government, a supervisor's NRF running expenses, or a merit award), provided the combined total does not exceed the institutional maximum for that level of study.
  • Masters: R190 306 a year for 2 years.
  • Doctoral: R195 725 a year for 3 years.
  • The exact amount depends on whether the student is funded at Full Cost of Study (FCS) or Partial Cost of Study (PCS).
  • Total funding from the NRF and any other source cannot exceed the institutional maximum for the student's level of study.

Submission deadline for the 2027 intake: 22 April 2026. Incomplete applications are not considered.

  1. Confirm the proposal fits one of the three CoE-HUMAN themes.
  2. Apply on the NRF Connect online system at nrfconnect.nrf.ac.za, following the NRF's Application and Funding Guide and Framework documents at every step; manual applications are not accepted.
  3. Download and complete the CoE-HUMAN 2027 application form from the Grants & Bursaries page.
  4. Gather the required supporting documents (see Documents).
  5. Email the completed form and documents to Ms Rebecca Mudau at [email protected] by 22 April 2026.
  6. Direct any enquiries to the same email address.

Official links

Documents you will need

  • Proof of registration.
  • Certified copy of South African ID (citizens and permanent residents) or passport (foreign and SADC citizens).
  • Project proposal, with its relevance to the Human Development theme explained.
  • Certified copies of qualifications and academic transcript.
  • Supervisor recommendation and letter of support.
  • Completed 2027 CoE-HUMAN application form.

How selection works

Applications are assessed against the NRF's minimum 65% academic requirement and age limits, and against financial need (household income threshold of R350 000 a year), disability status or exceptional academic achievement for Full Cost of Study funding; a limited quota of Partial Cost of Study places covers international applicants and others not eligible for FCS. Only applications that include all required documents and align with a CoE-HUMAN theme are considered.

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