Key facts
- Status
- Check with the provider
- Provider
- Barry Bredenkamp
- Study level
- Postgraduate
- Academic year
- 2027
- Last checked
- September 2026
The bursary has used a 31 August closing date at 23:59.
VerifiedBarry Bredenkamp spent his career making South Africa’s energy use more efficient, latterly as a senior manager at the South African National Energy Development Institute. The bursary created in his memory by SANEDI and the University of Johannesburg funds master’s and doctoral research on digitalising the power grid, from electric vehicle charging to cybersecurity for distributed energy.
About the Barry Bredenkamp Bursary
- Value: R100 000 for master’s students and R150 000 for doctoral students, covering academic and research activities and student welfare.
- University: the University of Johannesburg only, in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment or the Faculty of Science.
- Theme: power grid digitalisation, including e-mobility technologies and adaptation, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, voltage regulator and smart inverter settings, cybersecurity for distributed energy resources, and power system digital twin surveillance.
Eligibility requirements
- Registered, or registering, for a master’s or doctoral degree at the University of Johannesburg.
- Researching one of the listed power grid digitalisation topics.
- A strong academic record and a supervisor in the relevant faculty.
- Preference for candidates from historically underprivileged and designated groups.
How to apply
- Secure a supervisor at the University of Johannesburg working on power grid digitalisation.
- Complete the online application on the university’s bursary portal, uploading your ID, qualifications, research proposal, CV, a writing sample and two academic references.
- Submit before the closing date. Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by the faculty and SANEDI.
Closing date
31 August at 23:59 in the last published call. Expect a similar date for 2027.
Contact details
- University of Johannesburg: 011 559 6417, carinbe@uj.ac.za
- SANEDI: www.sanedi.org.za
Energy postgraduates should also apply to the SANEDI bursary, the DSI-NRF postgraduate scholarship and see the University of Johannesburg bursaries page.
FAQs
1. When does the Barry Bredenkamp bursary close for 2027? +
The bursary has used a 31 August closing date at 23:59. The 2027 call had not been published when we checked. Watch the University of Johannesburg postgraduate funding pages from June 2027 and email the programme coordinator.
2. Who was Barry Bredenkamp? +
A leading South African energy efficiency specialist and senior manager at the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), who died in 2022. The bursary was created in his memory by SANEDI and the University of Johannesburg.
3. How much is it? +
R100 000 for master's students and R150 000 for doctoral students, covering academic and research activities and student welfare.
4. Which research areas? +
Power grid digitalisation: e-mobility technologies and adaptation, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, voltage regulator and smart inverter settings, cybersecurity for distributed energy resources, and power system digital twin surveillance.
5. Who qualifies? +
Master's and doctoral students in the University of Johannesburg's Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment or Faculty of Science, researching one of the listed topics. Preference goes to candidates from historically underprivileged and designated groups.
6. How do I apply? +
Online through the University of Johannesburg's bursary application portal, with your ID, qualifications, research proposal, CV, a writing sample and two academic references.
Update note (checked September 2026): The only call on the University of Johannesburg’s postgraduate funding page is the 2023 round, which closed on 31 August 2023. No 2026 or 2027 call had been posted when we checked. Source: uj.ac.za.
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