South African Radio Astronomy Observatory - Postgraduate Scholarships

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) is a National Facility managed by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and incorporates all national radio astronomy telescopes and programmes. Scholarship applications are now open!

Eligibility for SARAO Postgraduate Scholarships for the 2023 Academic Year

Honours

• Nationality
• South African citizens and permanent residents
• Degree/Research Focus
• Bachelor of Science – Honours: in Physics and Electronics or Astronomy or Astrophysics or Computer Science OR
• Bachelor of Science - Honours at NASSP (National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme)
• Minimum Academic Requirement
• A minimum average of 65% for major subjects in the final year of undergraduate study
• Research Project
• NA
• Age requirement at the time of application
• 28 years old or younger

Master

• Nationality
• South African citizens and permanent residents, AND citizens of Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia
• Degree/Research Focus
• Students who wish to pursue postgraduate-level research relevant to the scientific and technical goals of the SKA and MeerKAT radio telescopes – see section 2 for details
• Minimum Academic Requirement
• A minimum average of 65% for all subjects at honours level OR
• A minimum average of 65% for all final year subjects of a four-year degree
• Research Project
• SARAO will only consider Masters/Doctoral scholarship applications from students who have selected an approved 2023 SARAO postgraduate research project.
• Age requirement at the time of application
• 30 years old or younger

Doctoral

• Nationality
• South African citizens and permanent residents, AND citizens of Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia
• Degree/Research Focus
• Students who wish to pursue postgraduate-level research relevant to the scientific and technical goals of the SKA and MeerKAT radio telescopes – see section 2 for details
• Minimum Academic Requirement
• A minimum of 65% at Master’s level
• Research Project
• SARAO will only consider Masters/Doctoral scholarship applications from students who have selected an approved 2023 SARAO postgraduate research project.
• Age requirement at the time of application
• 32 years old or younger

Structure and Funding Levels for SARAO Postgraduate Scholarship Applications for the 2023 Academic Year

1. Maximum duration of a SARAO Scholarship

   1. Honours: One year, however, SARAO will provide two years funding to students who register for the NASSP Extended Honours Course

   2. Masters: Two years

   3. Doctoral: Three years

2. SARAO will pay the international student fee due to the university for students from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia.

3. Travel grants are awarded annually, for the duration of the scholarship.

   1. The student must use the travel grant for travel related to his/her research. It is compulsory for a student to travel at least once a year to a conference/workshop for research purposes (unless government restricts travel, for example in the case of Covid-19).

   2. Travel grants, or any funds remaining from a travel grant, for a particular year, will be carried over to the following year, for the duration of the scholarship.

4. The equipment grant is a total amount available for the full duration of the scholarship (i.e. this is not an annual amount).

   1. The equipment grant is available to the student to support the purchase of equipment required for his/her research.

   2. Equipment grants, or any funds remaining from an equipment grant will be carried over to the following year, for the duration of the scholarship.

5. Laptop grants are available to Honours students

6. SARAO will organise and pay for one return ticket, per year, for students from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia, to travel to South Africa.

7. SARAO will pay the repatriation fee, if required, for students from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia.

8. SARAO will pay the cost of emergency medical insurance for students from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia.

9. Students living with a disability may apply for up to R20 000. This is the maximum amount allowed during the tenure of the scholarship. An assistive device is defined as any device, product, equipment or tool that is designed or adapted to enable persons with disabilities to participate in activities, tasks or actions including: (i) mobility aids such as wheelchairs, prostheses and crutches as well as service animals (ii) communication aids such as hearing aids, Frequency Modulation (FM) systems; (iii) sensory aids such as white canes; noise reducing headphones and coloured lenses (iv) technology aids such as computers for alternate and augmentative communication, screen readers, magnifiers, texts in audio format (Strategic Policy Framework on Disability for the PSET, 2018).