LMI Bursary 2027, Requirements & Application

Key facts

Status: Applications closed Closed 31 July 2022
Provider: LMI
Study level: Postgraduate
Academic year: 2027
Last checked: September 2026

The 2022 call, which closed on 31 July 2022 and funded studies to the end of 2024, is the only round that has been advertised.

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

No open round · the last round we could find closed on 31 July 2022 Latest update ↓

The Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) research programme is a flagship project of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), run with the Development Policy Research Unit (DPRU) at the University of Cape Town. Its job is to make sure the post-school education and training system responds to what the labour market needs. In 2022 the programme offered research scholarships to Master’s and PhD students working on labour market and skills topics.

About the LMI research scholarship

The scholarship paid R80 000 a year, tax-free, for two years for a Master’s degree or three years for a PhD. It did not cover travel, accommodation or other benefits. Scholars were expected to produce research aligned with the LMI programme’s themes and to graduate within the funded period.

LMI Bursary eligibility requirements

South African citizen.
Registered full-time for a Master’s or PhD at one of the universities designated in the information pack.
Research focus on the labour market, skills demand and supply, or post-school education, in economics, sociology, education or a related discipline.
On track to graduate within the funded period.
Not already holding a degree at the same level, and not receiving NSFAS, NRF or other government funding.

How applications were made

Download the call for applications and information pack from the LMI website.
Complete the cover sheet and gather every document on the checklist: ID, academic transcripts, proof of registration, a research proposal, a CV and references.
Combine everything into a single PDF and email it with the subject line “LMI Scholarship Application: MASTERS or PhD – Name Surname” to the address given in the call.

LMI Bursary closing date

The 2022 call closed on 31 July 2022. No 2027 closing date exists. If DHET and the DPRU issue a new call we will update this page.

Contact details

Website: lmi-research.org.za
Development Policy Research Unit, University of Cape Town: dpru.uct.ac.za

Postgraduates in economics and education should also look at NRF funding and university merit awards. Our postgraduate bursaries list covers the main options.

FAQs

1. Is the LMI bursary open for 2027? +

No. The only public call was in 2022, for Master's and PhD students graduating by December 2024. No new call has been published on the LMI website since. Contact the programme through lmi-research.org.za to ask whether a further round is planned.

2. What is LMI? +

The Labour Market Intelligence research programme, a Department of Higher Education and Training project run with the University of Cape Town's Development Policy Research Unit, that studies skills demand and supply in South Africa.

3. Who qualified? +

South African citizens studying full-time for a Master's or PhD at a designated university, researching labour market or skills topics in economics, post-school education, sociology or a related discipline, and not holding NSFAS, NRF or other government funding.

4. How much was the award? +

R80 000 a year, tax-free, for two years (Master's) or three years (PhD). Travel, accommodation and other costs were not covered.

5. How were applications made? +

By email as a single PDF containing the cover sheet and checklist documents from the information pack, with the subject line 'LMI Scholarship Application: MASTERS or PhD – Name Surname'.

6. Where else can postgraduates find funding? +

The NRF, the DHET's other research programmes and university merit bursaries. See our postgraduate bursaries list.

Update note (checked September 2026): the 2022 call, which closed on 31 July 2022 and funded studies to the end of 2024, is the only round that has been advertised. No further call appears on the LMI website. Treat the details below as a record of what the scholarship offered and contact the programme directly if you are researching a relevant topic.

This round is not open right now. Check the provider’s own site for the next round.

Visit the provider’s website

Student funding in numbers

2025811 011students funded by NSFAS580 000 at universities, 231 000 at TVET colleges, on a budget of R48.7 billion.

20261 026 091students approved for NSFAS funding609 403 first-year applicants qualified and 416 688 continuing students met the progression criteria, out of 893 847 applications.

2027 projectedR53.4bnbudgeted for NSFASThe allocation rises from R48.7 billion in 2025 to R51 billion in 2026 and R53.4 billion in 2027. Student numbers for 2027 are not published yet.

Figures from the Minister of Higher Education’s Budget Vote of 3 July 2025 and the NSFAS statement of 2 January 2026. NSFAS is the largest funder, not the only one – we track the rest.