NRF Freestanding, Innovation and Scarce Skills Postdoctoral Fellowships

The National Research Foundation (NRF) in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) are pleased to announce the call for fellowship applications for 2019 in the following categories:

• DST- NRF- Freestanding Postdoctoral Fellowships;
• DST- NRF- Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowships; and
• DST- NRF- DHET - Scarce Skills Development Fund: Postdoctoral Fellowships

Objectives

The objectives for these postdoctoral fellowships supported by the NRF are listed below.

Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship

• Leverage innovation in universities and the implementation of science and related skills development;
• Expand transformation initiatives through equity and career growth opportunities for designated groups;
• Enable young scientists and professionals to access world class strategic and applied research opportunities in a university environment and thereby strengthen their research profiles and consequently improve their prospects of permanent employment in the national system of innovation;
• Attract young scientists and professionals of the highest calibre, in order to complement senior researchers influence on innovation through research; and
• Support young scientists and professionals in strategic, basic and applied research with the intention to promote innovation.

NRF Freestanding Postdoctoral Fellowship

• Increase the number and quality of Postdoctoral Research Fellows in South Africa;
• Enable South African Postdoctoral Fellows to obtain international exposure;
• Encourage outstanding international Postdoctoral Research Fellows to undertake research in South Africa.

Scarce Skills Development Fund Postdoctoral Fellowship

• To increase the number and quality of South African postdoctoral researchers in specified scarce skills areas; and
• To increase the race and gender representation and, in conjunction with the higher education sector and industry, to support the development of research to meet specific needs of the country

Application Process

Each institutions must submit a maximum of twenty (20) applications from candidates who wish to pursue Postdoctoral training in their university or research institution. Applications submitted by the institutions to the NRF must be aligned with the following equity targets:

• 80 % South African citizens and permanent residents
• 80 % Black (African, Indian and Coloured)
• 55% Female

All candidates must apply through the NRF Online Submissions System. Further instructions on the application process will be made available in the accompanying Postdoctoral Fellowships Application and Funding Guide 2019.

University management is required to implement processes to ensure that the NRF receives complete applications, not exceeding the maximum of twenty (20) per institution, by the closing date.

Areas of Support

Applications from candidates intending to pursue postdoctoral research in the specific areas listed below will be considered for the respective fellowships.

Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship

• Biotechnology;
• Cellular and Molecular Biology;
• Engineering;
• Computer science;
• Physics;
• Astronomy;
• Mathematical Sciences;
• Nanotechnology;
• Chemistry;
• Earth Science;
• Ecology;
• Medical sciences;
• Social Sciences; and
• Humanities

NRF Freestanding Postdoctoral Fellowship

• Natural Sciences;
• Engineering;
• Technology;
• Social Sciences; and
• Humanities.

In allocating funds for Postdoctoral Fellowships at South African public research institutions, priority will be given to Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) disciplines. The percentage of Fellowships awarded towards the SET domain will be between 70–80%; and between 20–30% for the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH).

Scarce Skills Development Fund Postdoctoral Fellowships

• Management: Financial Management
• Financial sector: Accounting, Auditing, Statistics, Actuarial Science
• Biological sciences: Biotechnology
• Physical sciences: Mathematical Sciences, Physics, Geology, Computer Science, Information systems, Chemistry
• Engineering: All fields of Engineering
• Sector specific: Agricultural Sciences, Transportation Studies, Tourism, Demography

Eligibility

General eligibility criteria for all Postdoctoral Fellowships

• Applicants must have obtained their Doctoral degree within five (5) years of submitting an application to the NRF;
• Applicants who are currently completing their Doctoral dissertation for submission may apply however, they should complete their Doctoral degree by 31 December 2018, as awards that are not taken up by 30 June 2019 will be cancelled by the NRF;
• Applicants who are applying for a second NRF Postdoctoral research placement to continue with research on the same project are not eligible;
• Applicants who are applying for a second NRF Postdoctoral research placement will be eligible if they intend undertaking research on a new project; and
• Applicants who are applying for a third NRF Postdoctoral research placement are not eligible; and
• Full-time employees of Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s) or other research institutions are only eligible to apply if they intend to  take unpaid leave for the duration of the postdoctoral fellowship.

Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship

Fellowships are open to South African citizens, permanent residents and non-SA citizens from the African continent and other  countries, intending to undertake postdoctoral research in South Africa;

NRF Freestanding Postdoctoral Fellowship in South Africa

Fellowships are open to South African citizens, permanent residents and non-SA citizens who intend to undertake research at a public research institution in South Africa.

Scarce Skills Development Fund Postdoctoral Fellowships

Fellowships are open to South African citizens and permanent residents only.

Application Requirements

Applicants should apply to undertake postdoctoral research

• on a research project that is different from the Doctoral research;
• located in a different department from that where the Doctoral training was undertaken; or
• at a different institution to that where the previous study was undertaken, as fellowships will preferably be awarded to individuals that will be expanding their research training on a new project and/or institution.

Special consideration will be given to applicants who are applying for a first NRF Postdoctoral research placement where the individual’s research training and outputs may be enhanced by continuing with Postdoctoral research at the same institution; department; or under the same mentor. In such instances the applicant must provide a strong motivation describing the benefits to the applicant and for advancing research and innovation. Failure to provide amotivation will result in a rejection without review.

Applicants must attach certified copies of their Identity Document or passport as well as proof of their Masters and Doctoral qualification to their application. For those who are still in the process of completing their doctoral degree, a letter of confirmation from their current institution, stating that their Doctoral qualification will be completed by December 2018 must be attached to the application.

Requested information that is not included in the appropriate section of the online application form, but is submitted as an attachment instead, will render the application incomplete resulting in a rejection without review.

Value of the Postdoctoral Fellowships

Postdoctoral Fellowships in South Africa

Successful applicants will receive funding for a maximum period of two (2) years based on the initial commencement date of the project. Female Postdoctoral Fellows that take maternity leave during the tenure of the fellowship, are eligible for an additional four (4) months of support beyond the two (2) year fellowship period.

The Postdoctoral Fellowship in South Africa packages for 2019 are indicated in Table 1 below:

Value per annum (Rand)

Innovation

• 255 000 non-taxable stipend
• 50 000 contribution towards research costs
• 15 000 compulsory institutional contribution

NRF Freestanding

• 155 000 non-taxable stipend
• 45 000 contribution towards research costs
• 15 000 compulsory institutional contribution

Scarce Skills Development Fund

• 255 000 non-taxable stipend
• 50 000 contribution towards research costs
• 15 000 compulsory institutional contribution

Host institutions will be expected to supplement the fellowship with a minimum of R15 000.00 per annum as part of the institutional commitment. In addition, the host institutions will ensure the provision of an enabling environment for Fellows’ research training and skills development.

Successful candidates for Innovation and Scarce Skills Postdoctoral Fellowships are also eligible for a travel grant of up to R25 000, for local travel, and up to R50 000, for international travel while successful candidates for DST- NRF Freestanding postdoctoral fellowship are eligible for a travel grant of up to R15 000, for local travel, and up to R45 000, for international travel. The travel grants may be used to contribute towards the costs of attending local or international conferences; workshops; visiting a laboratory or; any other activity that supports the beneficiaries’ research training. This is the maximum amount permitted over the tenure of the fellowship. Postdoctoral Fellows who wish to access the travel grant must complete a travel grant application form for submission and approval by the institution and the NRF. The travel application form can be accessed on the NRF Online Submissions System – Grantholder Tools, and should be submitted three (3) months prior to travelling.

Assistive devices for students with disabilities

All Postdoctoral Fellowship-holders with a disability may apply for additional funding for an assistive technology device of up to R20 000. This is the maximum amount allowed during the tenure of the fellowship.

As defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA), an assistive technology device is "any piece of equipment, or product system, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities".

Conditions of the Fellowship

• The fellowship shall be held as the primary funding for the Postdoctoral research training;
• Fellowships may not be held simultaneously with a another fellowship from any other government or NRF source or NRF administered source;
• Postdoctoral Fellows are permitted to spend a maximum of 20% of their time undertaking lecturing and student supervision;
• Postdoctoral Fellows may not concurrently hold the fellowship with any full-time salaried employment position; and
• Postdoctoral Fellows may hold non-binding supplementary grants or emoluments to the institutional capped value.

Equity and Redress

In line with the national imperative of equity and redress, the fellowship prioritises support for appropriately qualified applicants from designated groups viz. black (African, Indian, Coloured), female and persons with disabilities, while ensuring that only applications that meet the NRF merit review and selection criteria are supported.

The set equity targets for these Postdoctoral Fellowships supported by the NRF are listed below.

Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship

The set equity targets are 80% blacks, 55% women and 4% persons with disabilities. With respect to citizenship of successful applicants, the awards will be allocated in line with the following targets:

• 80% to South African citizens and permanent residents; and
• 20% to citizens from other countries including Southern African Development Community (SADC).

NRF Freestanding Postdoctoral Fellowship

The set equity targets are 80% blacks, 50% women and 4% persons with disabilities. With respect to citizenship of successful applicants, the awards will be allocated in line with the following percentages:

• 80% to South African citizens and permanent residents; and
• 20% to citizens from other countries including Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Scarce Skills Development Fund Postdoctoral Fellowships

Only South African citizens and permanent residents will be supported and the set equity targets are 85% blacks, 54% women and 4% persons with disabilities.

Review Process

All applications will be screened based on the eligibility criteria and application requirements. Should an application not be eligible it will be rejected without review. All eligible and appropriately completed applications are subjected to a competitive merit review process. The reviewers are selected by the NRF from existing reviewer databases and other sources and may include reviewers suggested by the applicant. In assessing the proposals, the reviewers’ reports are referred to and, agreed assessment criteria are applied in the form of a scorecard during the panel review process.

The purpose of the scoring system is to evaluate applications in order to determine applicants that are most deserving of the limited number of Postdoctoral Fellowships available. All research proposals submitted to the NRF for funding are evaluated according to the pre-determined criteria. Each area is given a weighting to indicate its relative importance as indicated in the table that follows:

Track Record of Applicant

• Applicant expertise/training that will enable the applicant to successfully undertake the proposed research. (10%)
• The applicant’s research track record which could include peer reviewed publications, conference proceedings, research prizes and awards. (10%)

Scientific and Technical quality of proposed research

• Literature review with citations, significance of the research in terms of the problem statement, aims and objectives. Scientific contribution; originality and new knowledge to be generated. (20%)
• Research design, methodology developed to address aims of the research. Provision of a work plan and feasible timelines and milestones for the research. (20%)
• Alignment with national and institutional research priorities. (5%)

Institutional Support

Institutional support for the Postdoctoral fellowship through infrastructure and facilities for an enabling environment. (10%)

Potential Research Outputs and Impact of the research

• Details of envisaged realistic outputs of the research such as publications, conference proceedings, toolkits, policy documents. (5%)
• Contribution to Postdoctoral research skills development in a priority research area (human capacity development of the applicant) (10%)
• Potential for socio-economic impact of the research in South Africa (10%)

Reporting

For continuous monitoring of progress, the awardees will be required to submit an Annual Progress Report (APR), on the NRF nline system, against deliverables as outlined in the application form and the signed Conditions of Grant.