University of Pretoria Postdoctoral Fellowship 2025-2026 (Fully Funded)

The University of the Free State (UFS) is offering Postdoctoral Research Fellowships for the 2025-2026 academic years, inviting exceptional recent doctoral graduates to gain valuable research and innovation experience under the mentorship of established scholars. These fully funded fellowships are based in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

The fellowship is linked to a prestigious research grant provided by the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) in collaboration with the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). Awards are made on a competitive basis, taking into account the applicant’s academic accomplishments, research potential, and relevant expertise. The fellowship has a duration of two years (2025–2026).

Key Information:

Fellowship Sponsors: SA-NRF & SNSF

Host Institution: University of the Free State, South Africa

Annual Stipend: R300,000

Duration: Two years (2025-2026)

Eligibility: Open to all nationalities

Number of Fellowships: Not specified

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for the UFS Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Doctoral Degree: Applicants must have completed a PhD in a relevant field within the last five years. Relevant fields include, but are not limited to: translation studies, news translation, media and language studies, ethnography, digital humanities, discourse analysis, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics.

Language Proficiency: Fluency in both English and French is required.

Employment Status: Applicants must not hold full-time salaried positions during the fellowship period.

Residency: Fellows must be willing to relocate to Bloemfontein and spend at least 80% of their postdoctoral tenure at UFS.

Regional Knowledge: A solid understanding of African socio-political contexts is necessary.

Fellowship Benefits:

The fellowship provides an annual stipend of R300,000 to cover research-related expenses and living costs for the two-year period.

Application Process:

Interested candidates must submit an online application via the official UFS fellowship website. Additionally, applicants should email the following documents to Dr. Marlie van Rooyen:

A motivation letter outlining their relevant experience and expertise (1-2 pages).

A comprehensive CV, including a list of research publications, conference presentations, and other academic achievements.

Official academic transcripts and a copy of the PhD degree certificate.

A copy of an ID document (for international applicants, a passport copy).

Contact details for two academic referees, one of whom should be the applicant’s primary PhD supervisor.

Application Deadline:

The deadline for submitting applications is 6 October 2024.

This fellowship offers a unique opportunity for scholars to contribute to cutting-edge research while developing their academic careers in a vibrant and supportive environment.