The DSTI-NRF Policy Fellowship Programme Cohort 2 (24-month placements) for early- and mid-career South African professionals.

Application Deadline: 17 November 2026.

Applications are actually open for the DSTI-NRF Policy Fellowship Programme. The National Research Foundation (NRF), in partnership with the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), invites eligible early- and mid-career 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 will contribute to coverage improvement, evaluation and implementation. Through these placements, Fellows will achieve sensible coverage expertise whereas supporting using analysis proof to tell decision-making and handle South Africa’s socio-economic and developmental challenges.

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

Areas of help

The programme helps analysis and coverage engagement throughout a spread of thematic areas, together with:

• Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) coverage and governance;
• Energy, local weather change and simply transition;
• Digital transformation, synthetic intelligence and rising applied sciences;
• Urban improvement, native authorities and spatial planning;
• Health, public well being and well being methods;
• Agriculture, meals methods and rural improvement;
• Environment, sustainability and pure assets;
• Social improvement, schooling and human capital;
• Public administration, governance and institutional reform; and
• International relations, science diplomacy and partnerships.

Applicants shall be required to pick as much as three potential host establishments from the choices offered within the application course of. Applicants are inspired to think about the placement of their most well-liked hosts, as common bodily attendance could also be required.

Requirements

• This alternative is open to early- and mid-career people who obtained their doctoral diploma throughout the previous 10 years.
• Applicants have to be South African residents or everlasting residents. In distinctive, well-justified instances, 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 fixed-term foundation, at an NRF-recognised analysis establishment, or be capable to safe such an affiliation earlier than taking over the grant. Eligible establishments embody public universities, science councils, museums and nationwide services in South Africa.

Fellowship period and funding

• 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 improvement programme. Successful candidates shall be required to conform to outlined tasks, deliverables, participation necessities and reporting obligations.

How to apply

Applicants should full the application for the DSTI–NRF Policy Fellowship Programme – Cohort 2 on this hyperlink: https://forms.gle/gUDuvrmPRFeuRmbK9, and connect the required supporting paperwork in PDF format.

Compulsory attachments embody:

• ID/Passport copy
• Proof of doctoral qualification; and
• For at the moment 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.

For More Information:

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