University of Free State (UFS) Doctoral Scholarship South Africa 2021/2022

UFS is a progressive public university situated in Bloemfontein, which started began teaching in 1904. UFS focuses on educating students, conducting research, and sharing knowledge in order to have a good impact on society.

The university’s vision is to be involved in shaping South Africa’s socioeconomic and cultural growth. To produce globally competitive graduates and knowledge, they plan to implement their strategy.

By focusing on these many long-term aims, UFS works to boost student performance and well-being, foster change in the curriculum, contribute to social development and justice, and bolster the university’s contribution to knowledge.

UFS DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME – FIELDS COVERED

The University of Free State’s SARChI Chair in Higher Education and Human Development Research Programme (HEHD) is inviting Doctoral students to apply for scholarship funding, for the 2022 academic year.

The areas of research for the 2022 academic year, may include (but are not limited to):

• Educational Technology in Higher Education
• Inclusion or exclusion in African Higher Education
• International Student Mobility
• Participatory Methods in Higher Education Research
• Private higher education in Africa (comparative perspectives)
• Refugees in Higher Education
• University and Community Collaborations

The ideal Doctoral Research candidate must have preferably partaken in research such as development studies, education and development, and higher education studies or related disciplines such as sociology, philosophy, and politics for their Honours and Masters degree.

Successful candidates will be required to perform doctoral research on human development and higher education. They will also be required to participate in relevant HEHD activities and the School of Postgraduate Studies.

This programme collaborated with partners will include theoretical and empirical research pertaining to human development which is applied to social justice challenges in development and higher education.

HEHD will undertake a suite of graduate research as well as mixed methods research under the guidance of SARChI Chair in Higher Education and Human Development, Professor Melanie Walker.

UFS DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME – COVERAGE VALUE

The university will select 2 qualified, motivated and talented students, to receive the scholarship award. The value of the fellowship is R180 000 per year, as well as an extra R30 000 for research expenses (registration fees will be deducted each year). Funding will be awarded for a maximum of 3 years, on the condition that recipients maintain satisfactory performance for doctoral studies.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE UFS DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIP

Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):

• You must be a South African citizen or a foreign national
• You must intend on pursuing full-time research at the University of the Free State, in 2022
• You must have graduated with a Masters degree in a relevant discipline
• You must have graduated within the last 5 years
• You must have graduated with a minimum overall aggregate of 70%
• You must NOT be employed on a full-time basis (and not take up full-time employment for the full duration of the fellowship)
• You must be willing to reside as a full-time student at UFS for the duration of the programme (and relocate if you are not located near UFS)

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE UFS DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIP

Candidates who meet all of the eligibility criteria may apply by submitting clear copies of the following supporting documentation (the submission of these documents is compulsory – if any items are missing, your application may be disqualified):

• ID document, if a South African citizen (certified copy)
• Passport, if a foreign national (certified copy)
• Masters degree certificate (certified copy)
• Full academic record/ transcripts (on institutions letterhead)
• Motivational letter to support your application
• SAQA verification certificate
• Proposed doctoral research outline, including; the aim, research questions, a preliminary literature review, and methods (6 to 10 pages in length)
• Masters Thesis (pdf copy)
• Curriculum Vitae, including; research publications, conference papers and grants received
• Contact details of 2 academic referees who have taught or supervised you and can vouch for you

Note: there is no application form, candidates need only submit the list of documents above to apply.
Applications must be submitted via email to Dr Faith Mkwananzi at: mkwananziwf@ufs.ac.za
(Insert the words “Doctoral Scholarship HEHD” in the email subject line).

UFS DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIP CLOSING DATE

29 October 2021.
(Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted – please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)

CONTACT THE BURSARY PROVIDER

For any queries related to this bursary programme, please contact the University of Free State directly:
Email: mkwananziwf@ufs.ac.za / info@ufc.ac.za

Bloemfontein campus – Tel: 051 401 9111
Qwaqwa campus – Tel: 058 718 5000
South campus – Tel: 051 401 9111