SARAO Freestanding Doctoral Scholarships for 2027
South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO)
Quick Facts
A word from Eli, founder of Rise Africa Scholars
MSc Information Security — Unicaf Scholar
While you wait for a fully funded opportunity, don’t put your education on hold. I completed my MSc through Unicaf — studying online from Nairobi while working full-time. The tuition discount made it genuinely affordable, and the degree is from an accredited UK university.
If you’re serious about advancing your career now, I’d encourage you to explore it. I only recommend what I’ve used myself.
About This Scholarship
SARAO offers fully funded doctoral scholarships for outstanding postgraduate researchers pursuing PhD studies in fields relevant to radio astronomy, engineering, data science, and technologies linked to the MeerKAT and SKA telescopes. The scholarship is available to eligible students from South Africa and selected African countries.
What This Scholarship Covers
- Annual scholarship stipend of R210,000, International student fees paid in full for eligible non-South African students
- Annual travel grant of R55,000, Research equipment grant of R35,000, One return home travel ticket per year for eligible international students
- Repatriation costs where required
- Emergency medical insurance
- Assistive technology grant of up to R20,000 for students with disabilities
Who Can Apply
- 1 Must be a citizen of South Africa or a permanent resident, or a citizen of Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, or Zambia
- 2 Must have completed or graduated from a Master's degree since 2025 with research work directly relevant to the approved doctoral research project, or be in the final year of a Master's degree with relevant research work
- 3 Must have achieved a minimum of 65% in a relevant Master's degree
- 4 For students currently pursuing a Master's degree, evaluation will be based on Honours or BEng degree results with a minimum average of 65%
- 5 Must have selected an approved SARAO doctoral research project for 2027
- 6 Must have a signed letter from the relevant supervisor confirming agreement to supervise the doctoral research