#OpenSocietySA25 Commemorative Postgraduate Scholarships for African Students, 2018

The new #OpenSocietySA25 Commemorative Scholarships is now available to South African nationals/African permanent residents/African registered asylum seekers.

OSF-SA works through a unique combination of both grant-making and advocacy. This is supported by strategic research, demonstration projects, convening on niche issues, and knowledge exchange with network and local partners. OSF-SA’s work is supported by two grant-making programmes and a Research and Advocacy Unit.

Applicants whose first language is not English are usually required to provide evidence of proficiency in English at the higher level required by the University.

Scholarship Description:

• Applications Deadline: August 31, 2018
• Course Level: Scholarships are available to pursue Postgraduate study programme.
• Study Subject: Applicants can pursue further studies in the following areas:
• Law, Justice, and Governance
• Sustainable Development and Natural Resource Management
• Economic Rights, Justice and Empowerment of the Poor
• Public Health and Inequality
• Media Freedom and Expression
• Land Policy;
• Education and Inequality
• Human Rights Advancement
• Social Movements / Building Civil Society
• Constitutionalising Foreign Policy
• Political Economy
• Scholarship Award: Each scholarship provides tuition fees at a registered South African tertiary institution plus financial support to assist with the costs associated with the full-time study.
• Nationality: Available to South African nationals/African permanent residents/African registered asylum seekers.
• Number of Scholarships: Up to 15 #OpenSocietySA25 Commemorative Scholarships will be available for eligible candidates to pursue postgraduate studies in the social sciences and humanities.
• Scholarship can be taken in South Africa

Eligibility for the Scholarship:

Eligible Countries: Scholarship is available to South African nationals/African permanent residents/African registered asylum seekers

Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Entrance Requirements: In order to be eligible for the #OpenSocietySA25 Scholarships:
Applicants must be South African/African permanent residents/African registered asylum seekers under the age of 35, and of colour

Applicants must have at least two years of practical experience working in civil society on issues relating to the promotion of social justice
Applicants must have a demonstrated commitment to human rights, social justice, and advancing constitutionalism in their careers

Applicants must be nominated and fiscally hosted (throughout the period of study) by a civil society organisation that is a current or former grantee of OSF-SA
The Scholarship Award is conditional on acceptance and admission into a registered South African tertiary institution of higher learning. Preference will be given to institutions in non-urban areas and those institutions considered to be ‘previously disadvantaged’
All applicants must utilise the award for post-graduate study in the 2019/2020 or 2020/2021 academic year/s
Family members and partners of OSF-SA Board and staff members are not eligible to apply
Close friends of OSF-SA Board and staff members may apply, but this will be subject to a rigorous conflict of interest check and verification by the convenor of the Selection panel (independent of the OSF-SA and OSF)
Note to all applicants: Payment and receipt of the Scholarship Award is conditional on written confirmation by the relevant tertiary institution and the host organisation of acceptance into the chosen field of study. The Scholarship Award is for full-time study in the 2019/2020 or 2020/2021 academic year only. Failure to register for/complete the full academic programme will result in the Scholarship award being forfeited. The host organization will be required to monitor and report on the disbursement of the Scholarship Award

English Language Requirements: Applicants whose first language is not English are usually required to provide evidence of proficiency in English at the higher level required by the University.


Application Procedure:

How to Apply: To apply for an #OpenSocietySA25 Scholarship, all applicants must submit the following materials and supporting documentation via the online application portal:
A personal statement of two pages, describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for applying. Applicants must discuss their current and previous human rights work, interest in and commitment to the human rights and social justice sector and field, and career goals

A description of the issue the applicant wishes to explore if their application is successful and why it is important for the promotion of an open society (800 words maximum)
Letter of nomination from a current or former OSF-SA grantee (host organisation) and statement of commitment to financially host the applicant for a period of 12 months and administer the scholarship (tuition and stipend, with no overhead cost)

Two letters of recommendation from professional referees (that is not a family member/friend/ staff or Board Member of OSF-SA) that speak to the applicant’s prior work and future potential as a social justice advocate, scholar, and/or practitioner. Applicants may be asked to submit a further letter of reference should the Selection panel deem it necessary
A two-page abridged CV
A short biographical statement
One high-resolution (file size at least 2MB) colour photo (headshot)