NRF Honors Bursary | Requirments & Closing Date

The NRF honors bursary aims to facilitate honors students to participate in South Africa’s research and innovation sector. It finances their education and offers vocational work opportunities for future research.

Are you interested in the program and want to know about its application process? Keep reading this guide.

About the Bursary

The National Research Foundation or NRF aims to encourage research and innovation in South Africa, encourage development in SAASTA, and support research through properly designed facilities. Every year, the NRF bursary programs aim to uplift research students from the following fields: Science, Engineering, Technology, Social Science, and Humanities.

NRF Bursary Eligibility Criteria

Here are the following requirements you must fulfill to qualify for the DSI-NRF bursary program.

Applying for Honors

• The applicant must be 28 or younger if they are applying for Honors funding.
• The applicant must be a South African national.
• The applicant must have a combined minimum of 75% in all major subjects during the last year of undergraduate. It applies to FCS or exceptional achievers.
• The applicant must have a combined minimum of 65% in all major subjects during the last year of undergraduate. It applies to FCS economically deficient or disabled applicants.
• The applicant must have a combined average score of 65% during the last year of undergraduate. It applies to PCS applicants.

Eligibility for Masters/ Doctorate

Applying for Masters

• The applicant must be a South African national.
• The applicant should not be more than 30 years old at the time of application.
• The applicant must be enrolled in the second or third year of their master’s degree as a full-time student.
• The applicant must have a combined average of 75% in all subjects during their honors, diploma, or four-year degree. It applies to FCS exceptional achievers.
• The applicant must have a combined average of 65% in all subjects during their honors, diploma, or four-year degree. It applies to FCS economically deficient or disabled applicants.
• The applicant must have a combined average of 65% in all subjects during their honors, diploma, or four-year degree. It applies to PCS applicants.

Applying for Doctorate

• The applicant must be a South African national.
• The applicant must be under the age of 32 at the time of application.
• The applicant must be enrolled in the second, third, or fourth year of their doctorate as a full-time student.
• The applicant must have a combined average of 75% in all subjects of their Master’s degree. It applies to FCS exceptional achievers.
• The applicant must have a combined average of 65% in all subjects of their Master’s degree. It applies to FCS who are economically deficient or disabled.
• The applicant must have a combined average of 65% in all subjects of their Master’s degree. It applies to PCS applicants.

NRF Honors Bursary Application Process

Now that you are eligible for the NRF honors bursary program, let us see how you can submit your application. It is pretty straightforward, and you do not have to submit any document by hand. Here is how you can do it.

• First, visit the official application portal of the NRF nrfconnect.nrf.ac.za/.
• Locate the application link and fill out the form. Double-check all the fields.
• Next, upload the supporting documents in clear and scanned copies.
• Finally, hit the submit button, and your application has been submitted.

Note: You will see a few documents under the application form. It is better to read them before submitting the application. They have all your queries answered regarding the funding, consent form, training, etc.

Documents Required for the NRF Honors Bursary

Applicants are required to submit the following documents along with the online application form.

• A state-authorized South African ID document (certified copy).
• Full tertiary academic record to date. It should be on the letterhead of the institution.
• Proof of your enrollment in the university as of 2023. It should be on the letterhead of the institution.
• Proof of household income (parents or guardians). It should be their latest payslips if employed, affidavit if unemployed, or SASSA grant letter if applicable.
• Recent progress report. It only applies if you are applying for an extension of the bursary.

Fields/ Universities Covered by the Bursary

The candidate must be enrolled or registered in the following institution to avail of the bursary.

• Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Durban University of Technology, Nelson Mandela University, Rhodes University, Sol Plaatje University, Tshwane University of Technology, University of Fort Hare, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Mpumalanga, University of Pretoria, University of the Free State, University of Western Cape, Vaal University of Technology, Walter Sisulu University of Technology, University of Zululand, University of the Witwatersrand, University of South Africa, University of Johannesburg, University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, Sefako Makgatho Health Science University, North-West University, Mangosuthu Mandela University, and Central University of Technology.

The fields covered under the bursary include,

• Science, Engineering, Technology, Social Science, and Humanities.

NRF Bursary Contact Details

For further bursary-related queries, you can contact NRF directly.

For General Honors/ NRF-TWAS

• 012 481 4315
• [email protected]

For General Masters/ NRF-DAAD

• 012 481 4148
• [email protected]

For Masters and Doctoral Extension Support/ NRF-SASAC, PDP, NRF-SASOL

• 012 481 4105
• [email protected]

For National Skill Funds

• 012 481 4166
• [email protected]

For First-Time SARChi Honors, Masters, and Doctorate

• 012 481 4113
• [email protected]

For First-Time CoEs Honors, Masters, and Doctorate

• 012 481 4003
• [email protected]

FAQs

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, the DSI-NRF bursary program is an excellent opportunity for research students to fund their education. Aside from finances, it gives them vocational work opportunities and research assistance. I hope this guide has been helpful for anyone interested.