PhD, MA and Honours bursaries for 2027
Are you interested in joining a Research Chair dedicated to the future of the Karoo?
This is an opportunity to contribute to grounded research addressing some of the region’s most important developments and enduring legacies. The Chair supports research across a range of exciting themes, such as:
– regenerative and holistic agriculture
– sustainable commercial agriculture
– renewable energy projects
– environmental stewardship
– rural development
As part of the Research Chair, you’ll have access to mentorship, collaborative research opportunities, and academic support while contributing to an exciting collection of research projects.
Project Overview
The first phase of the DSTI/NRF Research Chair in the Sociology of Land, Environment and Sustainable Development (SLED1) was established in 2016 to deepen our understanding of the complex web of social and environmental dynamics within which commitments to sustainable development are grounded. This was achieved through empirical, ethnographic case studies of these issues in the semi-arid Karoo region of South Africa. This research focus identified the importance of existing land-use changes in this region, including large-scale international and national investments in astronomy and renewable energy projects, along with significant changes relating to human settlement, agriculture and mining, as well as ongoing threats to biodiversity. The Chair produced theoretically engaged and empirically grounded findings that highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary and comparative research when addressing these kinds of concerns. These studies looked at the impacts of megaprojects on structural inequality, racialised poverty and the marginalisation of the local residents of the adjacent Karoo towns. It is worthwhile noting that almost 65% of renewable energy projects in South Africa are in the Northern Cape Province.
The next phase of the research programme (SLED2) aims to build upon this strong foundation and add to and deepen this existing body of knowledge. It seeks to provide comparative perspectives from other sites in the Karoo and beyond and introduce a specific focus on the variety of local innovations and adaptations to changing environmental conditions in the Karoo and the social and ecological consequences of climate change for the future of human and other-than-human life in this historically dry and water-scarce region.
To address the silences and gaps in social science and humanities research on the Karoo, the next phase of the programme focuses on contemporary forms of innovation, adaptation and major developments, especially in relation to the changing environmental conditions of climate change, i.e., the Anthropocene. The programme also continues to pursue an interest in small towns, commercial agriculture and game farms, mining, conservation areas, tourism, as well as astronomy (SALT and SKA) and green energy projects.
Research orientations
Students are expected to align their research projects with the themes outlined below. Students are also welcome to bring their own research topics if they are aligned with the SARChI research agenda noted above.
– Livelihoods, climate change and resilience
– Land ownership, race and labour politics
– Communal land, livelihoods, livestock and land management
– Shared worlds: more-than-human entanglements with Karoo plants and animals
– Politics of export commodities such as merino wool, mohair, nuts, seeds, wine, rare earth and green minerals and other produce
– Indigeneity, access to land and protected environments
– Studying the Anthropocene in the Karoo
– Karoo mega-projects (i.e., science and renewable) and their disconnections/connections with local Karoo communities
– Green and alternative energy projects
– Land restitution in arid regions
– Spectacle and neglected infrastructures
– Conserving the Karoo: parks, reserves and conservation corridors/buffer zones
– Karoo futures: development, anticipation, and socio-ecological resilience
Funding
The NRF has introduced a new system from 2021 which has changed the process of applying for scholarships/bursaries for postgraduate research degrees linked to the SARChI Research Chairs. The successful candidate(s) will be funded by an DSTI/NRF scholarship linked to the NRF SARChI chair held by Prof Steven Robins, Land, Environment and Sustainable Development. Bursary applicants link their application by means of its Grant Unique Identifier (UID) on their applications under Reference Record. The Chair’s UID is 98765.
The NRF minimum academic requirement for MA and PhD funding is 65% average for the preceding degree. Candidates must be full-time students and cannot hold other salaried employment. Successful candidates will be expected to be mainly based in Stellenbosch for the duration of their studies.
Successful applicants will be funded either at Full Cost Study (FCS) or Partial Cost of Study (PCS). The FCS funding will be awarded to South African citizens and permanent residents only, who are exceptional academic achievers, living with a disability, or financially needy (i.e., those whose combined household family income is less or equal to R350 000 per annum). PCS funding will be awarded to 5% of international students, including South African citizens and permanent residents who could not be funded under FCS but meet other minimum requirements for the NRF scholarship funding criteria.
Tuition and reasonable running and travel expenses will also be covered where possible.
Details on how to apply for NRF Postgraduate funding or additional information on DSTI-NRF Postgraduate Funding for the 2027 academic year, please refer to the documents below:
Frequently Asked Question (final version)
DSTI-NRF Postgraduate Scholarship Framework for 2026 Funding (final version)
Postgraduate conditions of grant (final version)
Applicants can apply to both the Departmental and SARChI Chair scholarships. However, candidates who are successful in both competitions will only be able to accept one award. Furthermore, potential students who do NOT qualify for the NRF SARChI bursaries on offer are still eligible for acceptance into this Chair’s research programme, provided they meet the general University, departmental and research programme admissions criteria; have sufficient funds to cover their academic and living costs, AND there is appropriate supervisory capacity within the research programme to accommodate them.
Requirements
Applicants must meet ALL of the following criteria:
– An average mark of 65% or higher in the most recent completed degree (undergraduate degree for Honours applicants, Honours degree for Master’s applicants, and Master’s degree for PhD applicants)
– A record of postgraduate study or research in fields relevant to the scope of this call
– The relevance of previous study or research experience must be explained in a covering letter
– In line with NRF’s funding guidelines, a strong preference will be given to South African citizens and members of under-represented groups
– Prospective students will also need to meet the requirements of Stellenbosch University and the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology for acceptance into their proposed degree programmes in order to be able to proceed to registration.
How to apply
All applications must be submitted electronically via the NRF Connect system at https://nrfconnect.nrf.ac.za/. Additionally, they need to send the following documents to Prof Steven Robins (slr@sun.ac.za) with the subject line “Honours/MA/PhD Degree: SARChI Chair 2027”:
– A one page motivation letter detailing your academic background, relevant work experience, research interests, and how these relate to your proposed area of study;
– A short pre-proposal outlining a possible fieldwork-based research project that you would like to undertake.
– A detailed CV including your academic record, work experience, publications (where applicable) and the names and contact details of at least two academic referees;
– Academic transcripts;
– A copy of your ID or passport;
– One example of recent written work (e.g. a journal article, thesis chapter or research essay).
It is not expected that applicants will have fully developed research projects in mind when first applying. What will count more than a detailed proposal is a motivation that shows that they are actively interested in the overall scope of this SARChI research programme, are committed to developing a research project that will contribute to meeting its broad objectives and have the ability to succeed academically in the applicant’s chosen degree programme.
Applications close on the following dates:
Honours: 23 November 2026
First-time MA’s: 13 July 2026
First-time PhD: 21 July 2026
