SALT-SAAO Scholarship South Africa 2023

ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDER – SAAO

SALT-SAAO Scholarship South Africa | The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) is the country’s leading astronomy research institute and home to the Southern African Large Telescope- the biggest optical telescope within the southern hemisphere. SAAO was founded in 1820 and is the national center for infrared and optical astronomy in the country. The main role of SAAO is to ensure fundamental research in astrophysics and astronomy is successfully conducted by providing first-class facilities to young scientists. SAAO also continues to promote both astrophysics and astronomy within the country and it does this by participating in outreach activities (aimed to get the citizens excited about the fields) and sharing their many discoveries and findings.

The SAAO is part of the National Research Foundation, operating within the South African Department of Science and Innovation. The SAAO headquarters are based in Observatory, Cape Town, and Sutherland within the Northern Cape where SAAO has a number of research and observation stations as well as many working telescopes that include SALT.

ABOUT THE SAAO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME – FIELDS COVERED

The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) is inviting students to apply for the SALT-SAAO Scholarship, for the 2023 academic year.

The scholarship will cover MSc and Ph.D. degree studies, starting in 2023, for projects relating to astronomy and instrumentation (observational and theoretical aspects of stellar and extragalactic astronomy, astronomical instrumentation, and computer modeling). See which projects are covered here.

Ngfinders.com is committed to keeping you up to date with the latest bursary opportunities, and this article covers all details about the SALT-SAAO Scholarship.

MORE ABOUT THE SAAO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME – EXPENSES COVERED

The scholarship value will be determined by the level of study: MSc level students will receive R167 000 per annum and Ph.D. level students will receive R175 000 per annum. The scholarship will also provide cover for the following expenses: tuition fees, support for travel and equipment, and on-site accommodation may also be considered.

SAAO will award a maximum of 2 scholarships at each study level. The scholarship will cover 2 years for MSc students and 3 years for Ph.D. students.

Candidates interested in working as student researchers at SAAO may visit the student opportunities page.

MORE ABOUT THE SAAO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME – SELECTION & OBLIGATIONS

Scholars will be selected based on these primary criteria: academic merit, motivation, aptitude for research, transformation considerations, and interview outcome.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to attend an interview, which will take place in August or September 2022. After the interview stage, successful candidates will receive an offer by the end of September 2022.

Before the scholarship is awarded, successful candidates must provide proof of registration from their university agreed upon with the supervisor, and must sign the SAAO student memorandum of understanding (MoU).
Scholars will be required to:

submit proof of registration from their university agreed upon with the supervisor (before the scholarship is awarded)
sign the SAAO student memorandum of understanding (MoU) and abide by this MoU, the host university regulations and the SAAO code of conduct
submit a progress report each year
partake in the Postgraduate Advisory Committee process to ensure that sufficient progress is made each year
spend at least 60% of their time at SAAO
visit their host university a minimum of once a year

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SAAO SCHOLARSHIP

Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):

Preference will be given to South African citizens and permanent residents in South Africa, however, students of any nationality are welcome to apply
You must be eligible to register to study towards an MSc or Ph.D. degree in Astrophysics, starting in 2023
You must be eligible to study at a university in South African university
You must have a background in astrophysics
MSc candidates: you must have completed a BSc Honours degree or an equivalent degree
Ph.D. candidates: you must have completed an MSc degree or have the approval to upgrade to a PhD
You must be able to complete your studies in the minimum time frame (2 years for MSc and 3 years for Ph.D.)
You must apply for a particular project and must have discussed your application with your supervisor before applying
You must have an up-to-date Covid-19 vaccination status

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE SAAO SCHOLARSHIP

Students who meet the eligibility criteria can apply by submitting clear copies of the following documentation (the submission of these documents is compulsory – if any items are missing, your application may be disqualified):

Cover letter
Curriculum Vitae
Academic transcripts

Applications must be submitted via email to: scholarship@saao.ac.za
(Insert the following in the email subject line: “your surname, the surname of the supervisor of the project you are applying for, and the level (MSc or Ph.D.) at which you are applying”).
Please note:

there is no application form to be completed for this bursary application – students need only submit the list of above documents to apply.
the documents above must be compiled into 1 single pdf document.
2 referees must submit their reference letters directly to the SAAO, via the email address above, by the due date and the email subject line should state the applicant’s name.

CLOSING DATE FOR THE SAAO SCHOLARSHIP

31 July 2022.
(Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted – please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)

CONTACT THE SAAO SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDER

For any queries related to this bursary program, please contact the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) directly:
Email: scholarship@saao.ac.za