Energy Research Centre • University of Cape Town


The Masters programmes at ERC

Student funding

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A number of funding sources are available to students wishing to register for our programmes. The ERC offers a limited amount of funding to our own students, and funding is also available from various external bodies. Students are encouraged to apply to as many potential funders as possible.

 

1) Energy Research Centre funding

Please note: ERC funding is available only to students registered for ERC programmes.

Funding is currently available from the ERC for 2010 in the following areas:

  • Funding for full research thesis Masters degrees is available for studies related to the following areas: energy modelling and planning, and energy and climate change mitigation.

  • Funding for coursework Masters degrees is available in the following areas: energy modelling and planning, and energy and climate change mitigation. Students with research topics in any area of energy policy analysis which includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions as a dominant theme (including low-carbon energy sources and energy efficiency) would be eligible for the latter.

  • Funding for PhD students is available in the following areas: energy and climate change mitigation

  • Funding for post-doctoral work is available in the following areas: energy and climate change mitigation

Funding for Masters degrees is R40 000 per year, with larger amounts for PhD and post-doctoral programmes. In order to apply for any of the above, your application must include:

  1. A detailed motivation which includes a brief outline of your proposed area of research and how it will contribute to the ERC and its research;

  2. An academic transcript;

  3. A full curriculum vitae (maximum three pages) and

  4. The names and contact details of 3 referees.

E-mail your application to: Ms Ann Steiner at Ann.Steiner@uct.ac.za (Tel +27 21 650 4646).

 

2) Funding from other sources

Other potential sources of funding, and further information on funding opportunities in this field, are available from the following organisations:

  1. Carnegie grant: Two doctoral scholarships, available for students who will register for full-time study for a PhD degree at the ERC.Suitable candidates must have demonstrated a passion for the study of energy and climate change. There is no restriction on nationality, race or gender. For more information click here.

  2. Dutkiewicz Family Scholarship. The Dutkiewicz Family Trust has made TWO scholarships available for students who will register for full-time study for a post-graduate degree relative to energy research, in memory of Professor R. Dutkiewicz, one of the pioneers of energy research in South Africa, and founder of the Energy Research Institute at UCT (which later became the ERC). For more information click here:  You will need to apply for this bursary via the University of Cape Town (UCT) Postgraduate Funding Office.\

  3. Postgraduate funding from UCT – Click here for information from the UCT website on funding available from or through UCT.

  4. The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers several types of bursaries for postgraduate students – see their website for further information. These bursaries are awarded only to South African citizens and holders of permanent resident certificates (but grant-holders may, with the approval of the NRF Manager allocate bursaries to meritorious PhD students in the ratio of 80:15:5 (SA: other African: other international). Prospective students are strongly encouraged to apply to the NRF for funding.

  5. The South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI) offers bursaries to postgraduate students studying in the energy field specifically. See further details on their website.

  6. For students interested in studying renewable and sustainable energy, the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy at the University of Stellenbosch offers bursaries to students at any South African university. See their website. Although the deadline is 30 October 2009, they do occasionally entertain late applications.

Similar bursary funding is also offered by the energy efficiency hub at the University of Pretoria and is available via the ERC.  Students wishing to undertake a full thesis MSc degree in energy efficiency should submit their applications to the Energy Research Centre as indicated elsewhere. A limited number of bursaries are available.

 

Students are encouraged to apply to as many of these sources as possible.