Call for Applications:

Masters 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 Master’s research scholarships for research aligned with the SARChI Chair’s themes. The scholarships will be funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and will require students to be enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences for a two-year full-time Master’s degree in areas focusing on themes central or related to the SARChI Chair’s research programme. The SARChI Chair’s broad thematic research areas fall within the following broad themes:

  1. Critical approaches to studying violent histories and their transgenerational afterlife, including institutional culture/s, histories of race/racialized relational cultures.
  2. Explorations of processes of repair of violent pasts, and strategies of confronting/healing of racial and gendered intergenerational trauma.
  3. The role of the arts (visual arts, literature, film, performance) in expanding scholarship on historical trauma and processes of repair.

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 Honours degree (or equivalent qualification) by the time the scholarship commences with a final mark of at least 65%.
  2. Have completed their Honours degree (or equivalent qualification) no earlier than 2023.
  3. Demonstrate a strong commitment to pursue postgraduate study and a clear interest in contributing to a collaborative research community.
  4. South African citizens and those holding permanent residency are eligible for full NRF scholarships. Successful applicants who are not South African citizens are eligible for partial scholarships.
  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 Master’s scholarship is two 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 5 pages, 1.5-spaced, including a reference list of no more than a page long.
  • A copy of your Honours thesis, or letter from your supervisor confirming that you will graduate by the end of December 2025.
  • Your CV, indicating your date of birth, year you completed your Honours 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: MASTER’S 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 30 June 2025.