Key facts
- Status
- Applications open Closes 23 November 2026
- Provider
- NRF
- Field of study
- Biochemistry
- Study level
- Postgraduate
- Academic year
- 2027
- Last checked
- September 2026
The 2027 call is open on NRF Connect, with each university setting its own internal deadline.
VerifiedOpen · closes 23 November 2026 · 29 days left Latest update ↓
The DSI-NRF Postgraduate Scholarship is South Africa’s largest funding scheme for honours, master’s and doctoral students. Funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and run by the National Research Foundation, it pays the full cost of study for students from low-income households and a partial scholarship for many others, across every discipline at the public universities. Applications run through the universities on the NRF Connect system.
About the DSI-NRF Postgraduate Scholarship
- Full cost of study: tuition, accommodation, living costs and research support for South African citizens and permanent residents from households earning R350 000 or less a year, students with disabilities and exceptional achievers.
- Partial cost of study: a fixed annual scholarship, set each year in the NRF funding framework, for other applicants who meet the minimum criteria and for a small quota of international students.
- Levels: honours (one year), research master’s (two years) and doctoral (three years), with extension support in some cases.
- Fields: all disciplines at South African public universities, with priority areas set by the NRF each year.
DSI-NRF Postgraduate Scholarship eligibility requirements
- At least 65% for the previous degree.
- Registering full-time at a South African public university for honours, a master’s with at least half research weighting, or a doctorate. Coursework-only master’s and part-time study are not funded.
- South African citizens and permanent residents qualify for full cost of study; international students compete for a 5% partial cost quota.
- Age limits apply at allocation stage, historically 28 for honours, 30 for master’s and 32 for doctoral applicants.
How to apply for the DSI-NRF Postgraduate Scholarship
- Apply for admission to your postgraduate programme and check your university’s internal NRF deadline.
- Register on NRF Connect at nrfconnect.nrf.ac.za and complete the application for your level, including your academic record, proof of household income for full cost of study, a research proposal for master’s and doctoral applicants and your supervisor’s details.
- Submit before the university’s deadline. The university screens applications and forwards them to the NRF; manual applications are not accepted.
- Outcomes are communicated by the university between December and March, and awards are paid to the university from registration.
DSI-NRF Postgraduate Scholarship closing dates
- Master’s and doctoral (first-time) for 2027: most university deadlines fell between June and August 2026 and have closed.
- Honours for 2027: around mid-November 2026, set by each university.
- For 2028: expect university deadlines from May 2027.
Contact details
- Your university’s postgraduate funding office (for example UCT: nrfdasupport@uct.ac.za, 021 650 3622).
- NRF: www.nrf.ac.za, 012 481 4000
Read who qualifies for the NRF bursary, see the DSI-CSIR inter-programme bursary (15 September 2026) and browse our postgraduate bursaries list.
FAQs
1. When does the NRF postgraduate scholarship close for 2027? +
Applications go through your university's internal deadline on NRF Connect. For 2027, most universities closed first-time master's and doctoral applications between June and August 2026, and honours applications close around mid-November 2026 (UCT: 15 November 2026). Honours applicants who need ISFAP assessment had to apply by 24 August 2026. Check your university's postgraduate funding office for its exact dates.
2. What is the DSI-NRF postgraduate scholarship? +
The National Research Foundation's main funding for honours, master's and doctoral students at South African public universities, funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation. It is the largest postgraduate bursary scheme in the country.
3. What does it cover? +
Full cost of study (tuition, accommodation, living costs and research support) for South African citizens and permanent residents from households earning R350 000 or less, students with disabilities and exceptional achievers; partial cost of study, a fixed annual amount, for other qualifying applicants and a small quota of international students.
4. Who qualifies? +
Students with at least 65% for the previous degree, registering full-time for an honours, a research master's (at least half research) or a doctorate at a public university. Age limits apply at allocation stage, historically 28 for honours, 30 for master's and 32 for doctoral applicants.
5. How do I apply? +
Register on NRF Connect at nrfconnect.nrf.ac.za, complete the application for your level and submit it before your university's internal deadline; the university screens and submits it to the NRF. Manual applications are not accepted.
6. When are results announced? +
Universities communicate NRF outcomes between December and March, and full cost of study awards are paid to the university from registration.
Update note (checked September 2026): For 2027 funding, the NRF’s honours call closes on 23 November 2026, while first-time master’s applications closed on 3 July 2026. Universities set earlier internal deadlines, so check with your postgraduate office. Source: nrf.ac.za.
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About NRF
Statutory research funding agency
The National Research Foundation exists because of a law. Parliament created the NRF through the National Research Foundation Act, No. 23 of 1998, after a system-wide review of science funding carried out for what was then the Department…
Read the full NRF profile →