SARAO Freestanding Doctoral Scholarships 2026

Omran Aburayya
23 hours ago
2 min read

If you're a passionate postgraduate student aiming to contribute to the groundbreaking field of radio astronomy, the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) is inviting applications for its fully funded Freestanding Doctoral Scholarships for the 2026 academic year. This prestigious program supports doctoral research aligned with SARAO's scientific and technical objectives, particularly those related to the MeerKAT and Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescopes.

🎓 Freestanding Scholarship Summary

Location: South Africa
Host Institution: University affiliated with the approved supervisor
Study Level: Doctoral (PhD)
Target Group: Citizens and permanent residents of South Africa, as well as citizens of Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zambia
Fields of Study: Radio astronomy and related engineering disciplines
Funding:
- Annual scholarship of R205,725
- Full coverage of international student fees (for eligible countries)
- Annual travel grant of R57,000
- One-time equipment grant of R35,000
- Annual return airfare for international students
- Full coverage of repatriation fees and emergency medical insurance (for eligible countries)
- Assistive technology grant of up to R20,000 for students with disabilities
Duration: Up to 3 years
Application Deadline: 15 July 2025
Start Date: 2026 academic year
Eligible To: Students who have completed a relevant Master's degree in 2024 or later, or are in the final year of such a program

📚 Scholarship Overview

The SARAO Freestanding Doctoral Scholarship is designed to foster advanced research in radio astronomy. Applicants must select a research project approved by SARAO for the 2026 academic year and secure a supervisor's agreement to oversee their doctoral work. The list of approved projects and corresponding supervisors is available on the SARAO's designated webpage. Successful candidates will enroll at the university where their chosen supervisor is based.

🎁 Scholarship Benefits

Financial Support:
- Annual stipend of R205,725
- Full payment of international student fees for eligible international students
- Annual travel grant of R57,000 for research-related travel
- One-time equipment grant of R35,000
- Annual return airfare for international students
- Full coverage of repatriation fees and emergency medical insurance for eligible international students
- Assistive technology grant of up to R20,000 for students with disabilities

✅ Eligibility Criteria

Nationality: South African citizens and permanent residents, and citizens of Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zambia
Academic Qualifications: Completion of a relevant Master's degree in 2024 or later, or current enrollment in the final year of such a program
Research Alignment: Selection of a SARAO-approved doctoral research project for 2026 and acquisition of a supervisor agreement letter confirming supervision

📝 Application Procedure

Application Process:

Review the list of SARAO-approved doctoral research projects for 2026 on the SARAO website.
Contact the supervisor of the chosen project to discuss potential supervision.
Obtain a signed supervisor agreement letter on university letterhead.
Prepare the following documents:
- Certified copy of ID or passport
- Full academic transcripts (merged into a single PDF)
- Up-to-date Curriculum Vitae
- Supervisor agreement letter
- Motivation letter (approximately 1,000 words) detailing academic journey, research interests, understanding of SARAO's work, and career aspirations
Submit the application through the NRF Connect portal at https://nrfconnect.nrf.ac.za by 15 July 2025.
Ensure that two academic referees send their letters of reference directly to study.research@sarao.ac.za by 15 July 2025.