2024 SAAO Prize Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsor:  National Research Foundation (NRF)

Scholarship: NRF 2023 SAAO Prize Scholarship for African Researchers.

Deadline: 31 July 2023

Country:  South Africa

Scholarship Worth:  R190,000

Education Level:  Postgraduate

Nationality: International Students

Scholarship details

For the Masters of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) research opportunities that the South Africa Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) will provide in 2024, applications are presently being taken. Through the SAAO, students have the chance to work with distinguished professionals on cutting-edge astronomy and instrumentation projects. These articles discuss astronomical equipment, computer modeling, observational and theoretical elements of stellar and extragalactic astronomy.

Additionally, a lot of applications call for combining and analyzing data from several wavelengths. For instance, it may be possible to integrate optical data from SAAO/SALT with radio data from MeerKAT and/or X-ray observations from satellites and to work with both domestic and foreign partners.

About the Scholarship Provider:

1. The national center for optical and infrared astronomy in South Africa is the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), which was founded in 1820. It is largely accountable for giving astronomy and astrophysics researchers access to the best facilities possible so they can conduct basic research.
2. The SAAO participates in outreach programs aimed at igniting public interest in astronomy and physics as part of its objective to advance astronomy and astrophysics in southern Africa. It also disseminates research findings and discoveries.
3. The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) is one of the facilities maintained by the National Research Foundation, which is overseen by the South African Department of Science and Innovation. The Southern African Astronomical Observatory, which gives the organization its name, maintains its administrative offices in Cape Town’s Observatory neighborhood.
4. In addition, the Northern Cape’s Karoo town of Sutherland is home to a dedicated research and observation station run by the SAAO. Since Sutherland provides the best circumstances for performing observations, all current astronomical operations are conducted there. Historical telescopes are still often used in Cape Town, especially for outreach and public events.

Scholarship Offer:

• The grant amount for a master’s degree (MSc) and a doctoral degree (PhD) will be R180,000 and R190,000, respectively, per year. Along with receiving this stipend, you will also be given the chance to look into on-site accommodation options, have all of your tuition expenses paid for, and receive significant assistance with travel and equipment.

Eligibility:

1. Applicants must apply for a specific astronomical project that the SAAO is offering and consult with the appropriate supervisor prior to applying.
2. The successful candidates must be prepared to commence their degree program at the start of the 2024–2025 academic year. This means that a BSc Honours degree (or an equivalent) must be earned in order to qualify for an MSc scholarship. For a PhD fellowship, either an MSc degree must be earned or permission must be given to upgrade to a PhD.
3. Each year, only two scholarships of either level will be given out. The SAAO retains the discretion to withhold an award.
4. For an MSc and a PhD, the funding window is 2 and 3 years, respectively. Within this time, the degree must be attained.
5. The supervisor must agree on and the student must sign the SAAO student memorandum of understanding (MoU) before funding can be provided. The student will be required to abide by the terms of this MoU, the rules of the university where they are studying, and the SAAO code of conduct.
6. To make sure that enough progress is made each year, a progress report should be produced each year, and the student should take part in the SAAO’s Postgraduate Advisory Committee process.
7. These scholarships require recipients to spend at least 60% of their time at SAAO and to go to their host university at least once each year.
8. Interviews with short-listed candidates will take place in August or September, and the selected applicant will get an offer by the end of September 2023.
9. If you have any general inquiries about the scholarship, e-mail scholarship@saao.ac.za.

All international students are eligible to apply for the NRF 2023 SAAO Prize Scholarship for African Researchers.

How to Apply:

• To apply for this scholarship, send a single PDF file with your cover letter, resume, and academic credentials to scholarship@saao.ac.za. In your email, omit any further attachments. The subject line of the email you submit should contain your last name, the last name of the person who will be supervising the project for which you are applying, and the level (MSc or PhD) for which you are applying. Before the application deadline, you should also make the appropriate preparations to have two persons email a reference letter directly to scholarship@saao.ac.za. Your name should appear in the email’s subject line.

For more information about the scholarship click this link; NRF 2023 SAAO Prize Scholarship for African Researchers.