Announcement The Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS) funded by the DSTI/NRF is pleased to announce an opportunity for a doctoral students to participate in a project on land governance and responsible value chain management in the wine industry, jointly funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Research Council of Norway (RCN). This project, which will be conducted in partnership with the Wine & Agricultural Ethical Trade Association (WIETA), will investigate the key social and environmental tensions related to land use and landscape governance in the Western Cape wine industry, and how local collaborative models can be better employed to govern these.  For more information, see the basic project summary here. Who can apply Applications are invited from all eligible students with a Masters degree in relevant fields such as anthropology, sociology, and development studies.   Fluency in a relevant local language (Afrikaans and Xhosa) and the possession of a valid and current South African drivers’ licence will be an advantage.  Grant conditions and details The NRF minimum academic requirement for postgraduate funding is 65% for the previous degree. Successful applicants will be funded either at Full Cost of Study (FCS) or Partial Cost of Study (PCS). The FCS funding will be awarded to South African citizens and Permanent Residents only, who are either financially needy (i.e., those whose combined household family income is less than or equal to R350 000 per annum), living with a disability or exceptional academic achievers. However, the PCS funding will be awarded to 5% of international students including South African citizens and Permanent Residents who could not be funded under FCS but meet other minimum requirements for the NRF scholarship funding criteria . The  scholarships are intended to support master’s and doctoral candidates to pursue studies in all areas of Science, Engineering, Technology, Social Sciences, and Humanities. How to apply If you are interested in doing your Ph D research within this project please submit your application and proposal online to the National Research Foundation (NRF) by accessing the NRF Connect link. Please sure that you put the Reference/Grant Number: NOSA240312208700 into your application in the relevant block, so that the NRF can pass your application on to us for consideration.  The CoE-FS will not be accepting applications directly. Please liaise with your institution’s research/postgraduate office about the institution’s internal closing date. The onus is on the applicant to submit their application correctly and timeously. For enquiries applicants are encouraged to contact the research or postgraduate offices at their universities. Below, find the documentation that will assist you in completing your online application: DSI–NRF postgraduate student application and funding framework for funding in the 2025 academic year NRF statement of expectation for postgraduate training (postgraduate funding policy) DSI–NRF postgraduate funding policy frequently asked questions ISFAP application consent form.

Originally published by the University of Pretoria. UP’s Professor Lise Korsten has hit the ground running as the new and first female president of the African Academy of Sciences. The pan-African body, established in 1985 with the primary goal of promoting science, technology, and innovation on the African continent, has a new governance line-up headed by Prof Korsten, who won the hotly contested election for the presidential post. “I must be honest, I did not think I was going to get elected,” said Prof Korsten, who is a Professor in Plant Pathology and Co-Director of the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security. “This is a very challenging position that will require extensive networking building relations with various stakeholders and creating new partnerships. To champion change I will need to, as a priority, realign, re-focus, recharge, and redeploy people and committees, and redesign structures and systems that will take us into a very new, exciting, but different future.” She said she is honoured at being handed such a big responsibility. “It is about the African continent, and it is all about timing. The time is now for Africa to rise, and the opportunities are enormous if we are ready to explore these. The Governing Council will have to accelerate our pace of transformation and adjustment to catch the waves of opportunity, otherwise, Africa will miss the boat and not rise to the occasion. We should not be left behind and should lead the way because the next century will bring significant changes and opportunities. The Academy will need to grow, invest in, and nurture our youth and particularly our female scientists because it is our biggest asset.” Read the article, in full, here.