DSTI-NRF Policy Fellowship Programme 2027 (Funded) – YOA

Deadline: November 17, 2026

Applications are open for the DSTI-NRF Policy Fellowship Programme 2027. The National Research Foundation (NRF), in partnership with the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), invites eligible early- and mid-profession researchers to apply for the second cohort of the DSTI–NRF Policy Fellowship Programme.

The programme goals to strengthen the connection between analysis and policymaking by putting researchers inside designated host establishments, the place they’ll contribute to coverage growth, evaluation and implementation. Through these placements, Fellows will acquire sensible coverage expertise whereas supporting using analysis proof to tell choice-making and tackle South Africa’s socio-financial and developmental challenges.

Building on the 2024 pilot programme, Cohort 2 gives a structured fellowship expertise that mixes a number establishment placement with NRF-coordinated coverage engagement, coaching and capability growth, together with alternatives for worldwide publicity and cross-sectoral networking.

Benefits

• Successful candidates will obtain fellowship funding for a most interval of 24 months, with an annual award worth starting from R240,000 to R320,000.
• Fellows will take part in each the host establishment placement and the NRF-coordinated coverage engagement and capability growth programme. Successful candidates can be required to conform to outlined tasks, deliverables, participation necessities and reporting obligations.

Eligibility

• Open to early- and mid-profession people who obtained their doctoral diploma throughout the previous 10 years.
• Applicants should be South African residents or everlasting residents. In distinctive, effectively-justified circumstances, non-South African candidates might also be thought-about, topic to the programme’s restrict of not more than 10% of all Fellowship recipients.
• Applicants should even be registered or employed, on a everlasting or mounted-time period foundation, at an NRF-recognised analysis establishment, or be capable of safe such an affiliation earlier than taking on the grant. Eligible establishments embrace public universities, science councils, museums and nationwide amenities in South Africa.

Application

Compulsory attachments embrace:

• ID/Passport copy
• Proof of doctoral qualification; and
• For at present employed candidates, written affirmation from their employer or establishment supporting their participation and availability to satisfy the fellowship’s placement, coaching, coverage engagement and journey commitments.

Incomplete functions is not going to be thought-about. Eligible and full functions will bear a aggressive benefit overview course of, which can embrace interviews with potential host establishments.

Click here to apply

For extra info, go to DSTI-NRF Policy Fellowship.