Call for doctoral scholarship applications 2025
Application closing date (for Cohort 1 African candidates): 1 June 2025
The African German Centre of Excellence for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science (UKUDLA) invites applications for PhD scholarships in the area of sustainable, resilient food systems and data science. Scholarships will be awarded for a period of 36 months (extension possible for a maximum of six months, up to a maximum duration of 42 months). During this period, a six-month exchange period at the German partner-university, the University of Hohenheim (UoH), is an integral part of the scholarship. The application form can be found here. The scholarship is financed by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
UKUDLA objectives
UKUDLA’s primary objective is to advance the expertise of master’s students, PhD candidates, early-career researchers, and university lecturers in agri-food systems and applied data science. It also aims to enhance teaching methodologies and mentorship programmes within these interdisciplinary fields.
For this purpose, scholarships for food systems-related doctoral studies are awarded to individuals from the target group described below and are selected through a competitive process.
By training future academic and professional leaders, the programme contributes to the following long-term impacts:
Participating institutions
Successful candidates will enrol for full-time doctoral study at one of the network’s institutions: the University of the Western Cape, the University of Mpumalanga, the University of Pretoria (South Africa); or the Lilongwe University of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (Malawi).
Place of tenure
For the duration of the degree, successful candidates must be based in the city or town where the university at which they are registered is located. A six-month exchange programme with UoH (Germany) is an integral part of the scholarship.
Scholarship benefits
Target group
Application requirements
Please note: The university from the network you choose might have additional requirements for admission to the university, in which case it is the applicant’s responsibility to be aware of what these are and be compliant.
*The following restriction must be taken into account: In the case of breeding projects, the development of genetically modified (including genome-edited) organisms for commercial use as food or animal feed is not eligible for funding.
Submission of application
As a first step, all applicants must submit a completed application form, which can be completed here.
The following attachments must be uploaded as part of the application:
The application form (linked here) also requires a motivational statement (250 words each on your research interest, how the scholarship will impact your career path, what impact it will have on your community or environment and a description of your academic and career journey).
Selection procedure
Applications will undergo an administrative review to ensure all qualifying criteria are met. If an application meets the specified criteria and the research topic is relevant to the theme of sustainable, resilient food systems and data science, it will be reviewed by the selection committee. Applications will be peer-reviewed by two selection committee members using a rating rubric. The research proposal will be weighted according to its importance. A shortlist will be produced, and selected candidates will be invited to participate in an online interview.
The successful candidates will be informed before the end of June 2025, to commence their scholarship in July 2025.
Payment of scholarship funds
The award of the scholarship is dependent on acceptance of the student’s registration at the institution of choice.
The scholarship funds will be paid directly to the scholarship holder’s student account. Further details will be communicated after admission to the scholarship programme in the Letter of Award and Scholarship Agreement.
Payments cannot be made in advance/prior to the scholarship start date and the commencement of studies at the host institution. Furthermore, no additional benefits other than those listed in this call for applications, such as benefits for family members, can be made.
Expectation
UKUDLA scholarship holders are expected to actively engage in their PhD studies, as demonstrated by the submission of a well-developed PhD proposal and regular progress reports detailing their research. They are also expected to contribute to the academic community by publishing their research findings in peer-reviewed journals. Furthermore, scholarship holders should actively participate in science communication, disseminating their research to broader audiences. Finally, they are required to dedicate 10 hours per week to work at the university, as agreed upon with their institution and supervisor.
Duration and continuation of scholarship
Scholarships are awarded for the duration of the standard period of study for the PhD programme, which is 36 months (extension by a maximum of six months up to a maximum duration of 42 months is possible). After the first and second years of the project, your academic and research achievements will be assessed for further funding (details will be provided in the scholarship agreement).
Deadline
The deadline for applications is 1 June 2025.
Email address for queries
Any questions or queries can be directed to arua-sfs@up.ac.za.
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