Postgraduate Funding Opportunities

The Postgraduate Support Office (PSO) helps current and prospective students access funding for postgraduate studies and research by announcing calls for funding through the University website (www.up.ac.za/funding), social media platforms, faculties and information sessions. In addition, funding opportunities are communicated through the weekly UP research funding bulletin managed by the Research Capacity Development Unit within the Department of Research and Innovation (DRI). 

Different forms of funding are made available and administered through the PSO. The different funding programmes support students fully or partially and these include Internal and external funding opportunities. 
Internally funded opportunities
  • 1. UP Doctoral Research Bursary
  • 2. UP Postgraduate Bursary
  • 3. UP Doctoral Commonwealth Bursary
Externally funded
  • 1. NRF Postgraduate Bursaries and SARAO
  • 2. DSI-CSIR
  • 3. Mandela Rhodes
  • 4. HWSETA
  • 5. DSAC
  • 6. OWSD
  • 7. Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarship
  • 8. Margaret McNamara Scholarship
  • 9. HUAWEI and other
A handful of external funding programmes to study abroad are also available and administerd through this office and these include:

1. Fulbright Scholarship.

2. Rhodes Oxford Scholarship.

3. FirstRand International Scholarship.

4. UK Commonwealth Scholarship and many others.

For full details on the conditions and criteria for the respective opportunities visit www.up.ac.za/funding or send an email to [email protected]. All NRF related queries must be directed to [email protected].


Important Information

Students who wish to pursue postgraduate studies are encouraged to seek funding from various sources and not rely on the institution to provide funding. It is important to search for funding concurrently as you apply for admission to UP. You should start your search for funding at least a year in advance in order to secure it prior to registration.

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