Call for Applications:

Doctoral Scholarships
Deadline: Friday, 26 June 2026

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 repair 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 relevant to AVReQ research interests include:

  • Transformative encounters with institutional cultures, or challenges of transformation at historically privileged universities.
  • Cultural heritage, institutional cultures (e.g., museums, archives, commemorative sites) as spaces of memory, repair, and contestation.
  • Strategies for building communities of care and reflective research practice in contexts affected by violent histories.
  • Memory and heritage memorialisation – or how oral histories (narratives of forced removals, enslavement or apartheid), challenge the “master narrative” of historical restitution.

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. 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 2027 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 one page.
  • A copy of your Master’s certificate, or letter from your supervisor confirming that you will graduate by the end of the 2026 academic year.
  • An example of your writing (e.g., journal article, chapter, or essay).
  • A copy of your CV.
  • Certified copies of all official academic transcripts.
  • A certified copy of your Identity document (e.g., passport, National ID).
  • At least one recommendation letter, written by an academic mentor who is familiar with your work.
  • A completed Declaration of Authorship, Generative AI Use, and Writing Assistance form, available here.

In the first phase of the application process, the SARChI Chair and Stellenbosch University research team will be responsible for shortlisting candidates. In the second stage of the process, the NRF will make the final decision. 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: Friday, 26 June 2026 at 12pm (noon).

Please note that all shortlisted applicants must be available for an online interview on Tuesday, 30 June 2026.