NRF Bursary | Postgraduate Funding in South Africa

NRF stands for National Research Foundation which works as a mediator between South African research institutes and governmental policies. The main goal of the institute is to promote research and support the country in research. When we talk about the NRF bursary, we get to know that it is a postgraduate scholarship for engineering science, social sciences, and technology students to help them with their research.

To support those doing research in these fields NRF Bursary provides funds and assists students in their research. Let’s look at the in-depth details of NRF, what it is, what the eligibility criteria are, and how to apply in the following mentioned details.

The guide talks about the details relevant to the NRF bursary, what is its eligibility criteria and what is the application procedure so you can have an idea about what you have to do if you are interested in applying for NRF funding. Let’s first look at the details of the bursary before looking at the application procedure and eligibility criteria.

About The Bursary

NRF stands for National Research Foundation which provides funds and assists postgraduate students with their research. It is an independent body, the goal of which is to increase public science engagement and establish leading-edge research platforms for students.

The institute is involved in assisting students in their advanced research careers and creating innovative funding instruments for them. NRF promotes South African research interests throughout the country and all around the world.

The National Research Foundation provides a variety of scholarship programs to enhance their education and help them in their research. Let’s look at the eligibility criteria for NRF so you can have an idea about what you have to fulfill before applying for the NRF.

Eligibility Criteria

• The minimum academic requirement to get postgraduate funding from NRF is 65%.
• The entry age is not to be more than 28, 30, and 32 for Honors, Masters, and Doctoral studies respectively. Keep in mind you’re measuring the age in the year of application and not in the year of registration.
• You should be a permanent resident of South Africa and should have a South African identity card with you.
• To apply for NRF funding, you should be financially needy or should be an exceptional academic achiever.
• Keep in mind those living with a disability can also apply for NRF funding.

How To Apply

• If you are interested in applying for an NRF bursary, you should visit the official website by clicking on submission.nrf.ac.za/.
• Download the application and funding guide from the official website of NRF.
• In the guide, they have explained how to submit the application and the step-by-step procedure to register for Masters, Doctorate, and Honors funding. Moreover, the guide also contains a document with multiple FAQs.
• You need to make sure to understand the guide beforehand.
• Moreover, keep in mind you have to use the NRF online submission platform to apply because manual applications are not considered in the NRF.

Successful Applicants

Those applications that are approved then can get full funding or partial funding. There are two options for successful applicants: Full Cost of Study and Partial Cost of Study. Full Cost of Study FCS is given to South African citizens and only to those who are permanent residents in the country.

An applicant is eligible for FCS only if he is financially needy. Furthermore, his combined household income should be less than or equal to R 350 000 per annum. He should either be living with a disability or should be exceptionally intelligent.

PCS funding, which is the partial cost of study funding, is given to 5% of international students including permanent residents and South African citizens who meet the NRF Bursary requirements and scholarship but could not be funded under FCS criteria.

Scholarship Assistant Is Given To Whom?

Scholarship assistance from NRF is given to the candidates of Honors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees. The scholarship is for almost all areas of study including technology, science, humanity, engineering, and social sciences.

Contact Details

Here are the details of contact information for NRF. In case of any query or questions, you can visit them physically, contact them on their official website, or directly call them on their number.

• Postal address: PO Box 2600 Pretoria 0001
• Physical address: NRF Building South Gate CSIR Complex Meiring Naudé Road Brummeria, Pretoria
• Telephone number: 012 48140 00
• Web address: nrf.ac.za

Final Thoughts

The National Research Foundation is a government agency that is working to assist students of honors master’s and Doctorate in their education and research. The basic aim and objective of the organization is to contribute, support, and promote the research through funding and providing the necessary infrastructure and tools for research.

The institute provides funds for student’s innovation and development regardless of their field. No matter whether you are a science student or technology student or you are researching humanity, social science, or other subjects, you can get funds from NRF if you fulfill their eligibility criteria.

Moreover, the above article tells you about the information related to NRF Bursary, what it is, what the eligibility criteria are, and how you can apply. Make sure to pay attention so you can have an idea about what you have to do in order to get the funds.