Call for Applications:

Doctoral Scholarships

Deadline: Thursday, 26 June 2025

The South African Research Chair in Violent Histories and Transgenerational Trauma (SARChI Chair) at the Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and the Reparative Quest (AVReQ), Stellenbosch University, invites applications for fully funded doctoral scholarships linked to the SARChI Chair funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF). We welcome applicants whose proposed research aims to engage critically with the afterlife of colonialism, enslavement, oppression, histories of race/racialised institutional cultures and the possibility of renewal of these cultures. We especially encourage proposals that seek to rethink dominant discourses and contribute to new understandings of transgenerational trauma and the ethics of repair. Prospective PhD candidates are welcome to propose topics related to these broad themes of research. Examples of topics of relevant to AVReQ research interests are:

  • Transformative encounters at historically white universities, with a focus on institutional cultures.
  • Cultural Heritage, Institutional cultures, and spaces of memory, repair, and contestation (e.g., museums, archives, commemorative sites) as sites of repair and/or rupture.
  • Strategies for building communities of care and reflective research practice in contexts affected by violent histories.

Successful candidates will join a vibrant interdisciplinary research community at AVReQ, committed to fostering critical inquiry, ethical scholarship, and reparative practices.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be considered for the scholarship, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  1. Hold an MA degree in Humanities/Social Sciences with a minimum aggregate mark of at least 65%.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of qualitative research methods.
  3. Demonstrate a strong commitment to pursue postgraduate study and a clear interest in contributing to a collaborative research community.
  4. Eligibility is limited to South African citizens and those holding permanent residency.
  5. A key consideration in the selection process will be the alignment between the applicant’s academic interests and the research themes of the SARChI Chair programme.

DURATION AND COMMENCEMENT

The duration of the PhD scholarship is three years and will commence in January 2026 or soon thereafter with proof of registration.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Submit your application via email to Dr Melanie Cilliers [cilliersm@sun.ac.za] with the following information:

  • A cover letter explaining why you are interested in the scholarship.
  • A draft research proposal of no longer than 8 pages, 1.5-spaced, including a reference list of no more than a page long.
  • A copy of your Master’s thesis, or letter from your supervisor confirming that you will graduate by the end of December 2025.
  • An example of your writing (journal article, chapter, or essay).
  • Your CV, indicating your date of birth, year you completed your MA degree, and the names and contact details of two academic referees.
  • Certified copies of all official academic transcripts.
  • Certified copy of Identity document (e.g., passport, National ID, etc) and other documents relevant to the requirements of the scholarship.

In the first phase of the application process, the SARChI Chair and Stellenbosch University research team will be responsible for shortlisting candidates and the NRF will make the final decision in the second stage of the process. Shortlisted candidates will be assisted with submitting their applications on the NRF Online Submission System.

Email enquiries for more information about the scholarships may be sent to Dr Melanie Cilliers at cilliersm@sun.ac.za with the following subject title written in capital letters: DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIP ENQUIRY 2026.

Deadline for Applications Thursday, 26 June 2025 at 12pm (noon)

Please note that all shortlisted applicants must be available for an online interview on 1 July 2025.