RCDI-Nested Postdoctoral Fellowship and PhD Scholarship Programme

The South African Medical Research Council RCDI-Nested Postdoctoral Fellowship and PhD Scholarship Programme supports early-career researchers and doctoral students at selected historically disadvantaged institutions. Learn about the funding value, eligibility requirements, participating universities and application process.

The RCDI-Nested Postdoctoral Fellowship and PhD Scholarship Programme is a research capacity-building initiative of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) designed to strengthen research capacity and scientific leadership at historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs).

The programme provides funding opportunities for postdoctoral research fellows and PhD students whose research forms part of, or contributes to, an existing Research Capacity Development Initiative (RCDI) project led by an eligible Principal Investigator (PI).

The programme is particularly focused on creating opportunities for early-career researchers and doctoral candidates to develop their research experience while working under established academic mentorship and supervision.

South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)

The SAMRC’s Research Capacity Development Initiative (RCDI) aims to support researchers at universities and research institutions that have historically faced inadequate access to research resources.

The RCDI-Nested programme complements this objective by allowing existing RCDI-funded Principal Investigators to host postdoctoral fellows and doctoral students.

According to the programme information, the fellow or doctoral candidate’s research must contribute to the PI’s funded RCDI project. The PI must also serve as the mentor or supervisor.

The programme therefore differs from a conventional open scholarship where individual applicants apply directly to the funding agency. Under this scheme, the Principal Investigator is responsible for submitting the expression of interest and nomination.

Participating Universities

The call identifies the following historically disadvantaged institutions as eligible institutions for the programme:

University of Fort Hare
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
Walter Sisulu University
University of Limpopo
University of Zululand

Candidates should therefore confirm their connection to an eligible institution and an appropriate RCDI-funded PI before pursuing the opportunity.

RCDI-Nested Postdoctoral Fellowship

Fellowship Value and Duration

The postdoctoral fellowship is valued at:

R350,000 per year

The fellow is appointed for one year, with the possibility of renewal for up to three years.

Renewal is dependent on satisfactory performance and the availability of funding.

The funding is released after the required conditions have been fulfilled and an agreement has been signed between the SAMRC, host institution, PI and fellow.

An important feature of the programme is the allocation of the fellow’s time:

80% dedicated to the RCDI project
20% dedicated to career development

This structure is intended to combine research contribution with professional and academic development.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Eligibility

Requirements for the Principal Investigator

To host a postdoctoral fellow, the PI must provide evidence of:

An approved research proposal
Ethical approval where applicable
A proven research supervision and mentorship record
Appropriate support structures and infrastructure
A clear academic development and mentorship plan
Recognition by the university as the fellow’s mentor
A fair selection or nomination process

The PI is also required to advertise the opportunity at institutional level for at least five days and provide documentation demonstrating the selection process.

Eligibility of Postdoctoral Nominees

According to the supplied SAMRC call, nominees must generally:

Be South African citizens or permanent residents
Be younger than 40 years, although candidates over 40 may be considered with a strong PI motivation and less than three years of post-PhD experience
Be within five years of completing a PhD in a health- or medical-related research field
Have a research project that forms part of the funded RCDI project
Not be full-time employees while holding the RCDI-Nested Postdoctoral Fellowship

Women and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply, while preference is given to candidates from historically disadvantaged groups.

RCDI-Nested PhD Scholarship

The programme also provides doctoral scholarship funding for candidates conducting health- or medical-science-related research.

Scholarship Value and Duration

The RCDI-Nested PhD Scholarship is valued at:

R250,000 per year

Funding may be renewed for subsequent years, subject to:

Satisfactory progress reports
Availability of funding
Fulfilment of the programme’s requirements

As with the postdoctoral fellowship, funding is released after the necessary agreement has been signed between the SAMRC, host institution, PI and student.

PhD Scholarship Eligibility

Candidates must:

Be South African citizens or permanent residents
Be registered in a health- or medical-science-related research programme
Have research that forms part of the PI’s funded RCDI project
Meet the requirements established by the relevant institution and PI
Not be full-time employees while holding the RCDI-Nested PhD Scholarship

The programme strongly encourages applications from individuals with disabilities and gives preference to candidates from historically disadvantaged groups.

How the Application Process Works

One of the most important points for prospective applicants is that RCD does not receive applications directly from candidates or nominees.

Instead, the process is coordinated through the Principal Investigator.

The PI must:

Advertise the fellowship or scholarship opportunity at institutional level.
Conduct a fair selection process.
Identify and nominate the appropriate candidate.
Complete the relevant SAMRC expression-of-interest documentation.
Provide evidence of the advertisement and selection process.
Submit the required supporting documentation to the SAMRC Research Capacity Development division.

The PI, rather than the candidate, submits the expression of interest.

This means prospective candidates should first engage with eligible RCDI Principal Investigators and relevant departments at the participating institutions.

Important Application Deadline

The supplied SAMRC notice identifies the following dates:

Opening date: 31 January 2025
Deadline: 7 February 2025

The call is specifically labelled FY 2024/25 – Readvertised and is therefore an older funding call rather than a currently open 2026 application.

This distinction is important for readers searching for current funding opportunities. The information above should not be presented as evidence that applications are currently open.

Applicants interested in future RCDI opportunities should monitor the SAMRC’s official funding and research-capacity-development pages for new calls.

SAMRC Funding Opportunities

Why the Programme Is Important

The RCDI-Nested programme addresses an important challenge in research development: strengthening the pipeline of researchers who can contribute to scientific leadership over the long term.

By embedding postdoctoral fellows and doctoral students within established RCDI projects, the programme can provide participants with exposure to active research environments, supervision, research infrastructure and scientific collaboration.

For Principal Investigators, the programme also provides an opportunity to strengthen their research teams while developing the next generation of researchers.

The emphasis on historically disadvantaged institutions is particularly significant because the RCDI is intended to address disparities in research capacity and access to resources.

Key Things Applicants Should Know

Prospective candidates should pay particular attention to the following conditions:

This is not a conventional direct-application scholarship. The PI submits the expression of interest and nomination.

Research alignment is essential. The proposed postdoctoral or PhD research must be part of, or contribute to, the funded RCDI project.

A designated mentor or supervisor is required. The RCDI PI must be the recognised mentor or supervisor.

Funding is conditional. Awards depend on satisfactory requirements, contractual arrangements and the availability of funds.

Eligibility differs between the postdoctoral and PhD streams. Candidates should carefully review the requirements applicable to their programme.

The supplied call has already closed. The deadline stated in the source was 7 February 2025.

Final Thoughts

The RCDI-Nested Postdoctoral Fellowship and PhD Scholarship Programme represents an important SAMRC initiative for strengthening research capacity and scientific leadership within selected historically disadvantaged institutions in South Africa.

The programme offered R350,000 annually for postdoctoral fellows and R250,000 annually for PhD scholars, subject to the conditions outlined in the call. The postdoctoral fellowship could be renewed for up to three years, while PhD funding was renewable based on satisfactory progress and available funding.

However, candidates should note that the specific call supplied for this article had a 7 February 2025 deadline and is no longer open. Anyone seeking a current 2026 or future SAMRC fellowship or scholarship should verify the latest funding announcements directly through SAMRC.

Strong SEO Keywords

RCDI Nested Postdoctoral Fellowship, RCDI Nested PhD Scholarship, SAMRC scholarships 2026, SAMRC postgraduate scholarships, SAMRC postdoctoral fellowship, South African Medical Research Council scholarships, SAMRC funding opportunities, RCDI scholarship programme, RCDI postdoctoral fellowship, PhD scholarships South Africa, postdoctoral fellowships South Africa, fully funded PhD South Africa, medical research scholarships South Africa, health research scholarships, research capacity development South Africa, University of Fort Hare scholarships, Sefako Makgatho scholarships, Walter Sisulu University scholarships, University of Limpopo scholarships, University of Zululand scholarships, historically disadvantaged institutions South Africa, SAMRC research funding, South Africa postgraduate funding, medical science PhD funding, early career researcher funding, African research fellowships, South African research fellowships.

APPLY NOW