Fellowships noticeboard
The latest available postdoctoral fellowship opportunities at UCT
Current opportunities
| Description | Research field | Closing date | Contact |
| Postdoctoral Fellowship (2026) African Brain Child: Brain Metabolome in Tuberculous Meningitis | We invite suitably qualified candidates to apply for a postdoctoral research fellowship with ABC to undertake research which will describe the changes in metabolite profiles (targeted and untargeted) in response to treatment as well as clinical events in children suffering from TBM, creating an opportunity to perform world-leading science, through building new local capacity for cerebral metabolomics with strong strategic advantages | 15 November 2025 | Please submit your application, as one single combined PDF, to Dr Jill Combrinck |
| Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit | This fellowship sits within a research initiative examining how publicly funded employment programmes create value beyond income security, with a particular focus on the Presidential Employment Stimulus which has created over 2 million jobs and livelihood opportunities since 2020. The successful candidate will undertake research on "The added value of work for communities and society," investigating how participation in work creates social value, builds community cohesion, and produces public goods that support South Africa’s development priorities. | 31 October 2025 | Applications should be submitted by email to Haajirah Esau with the subject line “PEP Postdoctoral Fellowship Application – [Your Name]”. |
| Postdoctoral Fellowship in TB Immunology South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative University of Cape Town | The South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative performs cutting edge clinical, epidemiological and immunological research in clinical vaccine development, TB pathogenesis and biomarker discovery in a setting where TB is endemic. We have completed 31 clinical trials of nine novel TB vaccine candidates as well as BCG vaccine, including two pivotal trials that demonstrated efficacy | 31 October 2025 | Please send: • a letter of motivation • your full CV (no certificates) • a 1-page condensed CV • the names, email and telephone of 3 referees to Mrs. Alison September |
| University Research Committee (URC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowships 2026 | UCT’s URC Postdoctoral Fellowships were established to enable excellent doctoral graduates to undertake two years of research and academic training as Postdoctoral Research Fellows at UCT, starting in 2026. The aim is to provide an enabling and supportive environment for our next generation of transformed and diverse postdoctoral research fellows (PDRFs) to grow and flourish, increasing the capacity of UCT to build a larger cohort of early career researchers. | 15 September 2025 | Postdoctoral Administration office by email to Emile Van Wyk |
| Department of Oceanography postdoctoral fellowships | Fine scale Physical Bipgeochemical and Oxygen Wave Cuurent Wind Interactions and Air Sea Gas | 30 September 2025 | Please email Dr Sarah Nicholson snicholson@csir.co.za |
| Memorial botanical postdoctoral fellowship: 2026 | Applications are invited from suitably qualified persons for this prestigious Fellowship focused on South African Botany. The object of the Fellowship is to enable a person who has exhibited proficiency in independent research to undertake research in systematic botany and geographical distribution of South African flora. The possibility of work on other aspects of the South African flora is not excluded. | 30 September 2025 | Please ensure that the subject line of all emails includes “Memorial post-doc” and send to Natalie Jodamus |
| Postdoctoral fellowship (12 or 18 months) in Francophone literature and post/de-colonial thought | We invite applications for a postdoctoral fellowship to conduct research supervised and mentored by a Principal Investigator in the field of contemporary Francophone literature and de-/postcolonial thought. This fellowship, tenable for either 12 or 18 months, is meant to allow undertaking research and gain professional experience for a future academic career. | 18 of August 2025 | Please submit your application, as one single combined PDF, to Markus Arnold. |
| Postdoctoral Fellowships in AMR Drug Discovery | Purpose: Two post-doctoral fellowships are being offered in UCT's Holistic Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D). The fellowships will form part of the H3D-LifeArc Centre for Translational AMR Research (CTAR) and be based at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM). | 29 August 2025 | To apply, please email the documents addressed to Dr Nikki Cardoso in a single PDF to Chanté Foentjies. |
| Call for applications for the University of Cape Town-University of Basel Postdoctoral Research Fellowship | This Postdoctoral Research Fellowship is linked to the University of Cape Town and University of Basel (UCT-UniBas) Professorship in Urban Studies at the African Centre for Cities (ACC). | 30 August 2025 | Applicants are required to submit the documents via email to Ms Faranaaz Bennett. |
| 2026 NRF SARAO Postdoctoral Grants | SARAO Postdoctoral Fellowships | Internal application closing dates: SARAO Postdoctoral Fellowships 31 August 2025 | For enquiries, please email Emile van Wyk in UCT’s Postdoctoral Administration Office. All applications must be submitted through the NRF Connect system. |
| NRF Travel Grant (KIC) 2025 | The purpose of the Knowledge Interchange and Collaboration (KIC) funding instrument is to build and maintain excellence in South African research, bolstered by international collaboration. The promotion of international collaboration through the support of travel opportunities | 31 August 2025 - (For travel between 1 January 2026 - 31 June 2026) | Applications must be submitted electronically on the NRF Connect system. Go to “My Applications” and select “Create Application”. Select the call which you are applying for: "Knowledge Interchange & Collaboration (KIC) 2nd Call".
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| Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy | The Catalysis Institute at UCT, in its Dept of Chemical Engineering, seeks a motivated postdoctoral fellow to contribute to establish the first X-ray absorption spectrometer on the African continent: FAB-I, the First African Beamline. | 31 August 2025 | Submit applications via email to: Nico Fischer. |
| Postdoctoral Fellowship in a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)-funded project: "Improving the core functions of primary care in sub-Saharan Africa" | Family Medicine, Public Health, Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, or related fields pertinent to primary care and primary healthcare. | 2 March 2025 | Further information can be obtained from Ms Lebogang Montewa (tel: +27 21 650 4843) or Associate Professor Klaus von Pressentin. |
| UCT postdoctoral conference travel grants 2025 | These Virtual Conference Participation Grants are available, via competitive application, towards the costs of the online conference registration fee in order to participate actively, share and present their research. Conference registration fees will be considered to participate in virtual conferences throughout 2025. Please ensure your application, including complete required documentation is submitted at least two months prior to the conference date such that approval and processing can be managed timeously on a rolling basis. Not all applications will be automatically approved as there is limited budget. In-person conferences closing dates | The 1st cycle for submitting applications is between 20 January 2025 and 9 March 2025. This closing date may suit PDRFs applying to travel between April and June 2025. • The 2nd cycle for submitting applications is between 10 March 2025 and 8 June 2025 which may suit PDRFs wishing to travel between July 2025 and September 2025. • The 3rd cycle for submitting applications is between 9 June 2025 and 8 September 2025 which may suit PDRFs wishing to travel between October 2025 and December 2025 The 4th cycle for submitting applications is between 11 September 2025 and 13th October 2025 which may suit PDRFs wishing to travel between January 2026 and March 2026 The Selection Committee meets in March, June, September & November 2025. | Submit as one PDF. Applications to be emailed to pdocs@uct.ac.za |
Archive
| Description | Research field | Closing date | Contact |
| Postdoctoral Fellowship in the “Identification of DNA sequence Motifs Underpinning Musculoskeletal Soft Tissue Injuries” | The research project is concerned with the sequence characterization of defined loci with the aim of identifying DNA sequence motifs with functional significance to underpin musculoskeletal soft tissue injury risk. | 7 February 2025 | Further information can be obtained from, and applications submitted to, Prof Alison V September (tel: +27 21 650 4559). Applications need to include a full CV, list of publications, conference presentations, postgraduate supervision, funding record and contact details of two contactable referees one of which must be the PhD supervisor by the closing date 7 Feb 2025. |
Fogarty HIV-Associated TB Training Program (HATTP)
| Fogarty HIV-Associated TB Training Program (HATTP) Postdoctoral Fellowship in HIV-associated Tuberculosis | Monday, 20 January 2025 | Applications: Submit applications to Kathryn Wood The application form will be available on the HATTP website. |
| Postdoctoral fellowships in heterogeneous catalysis | A postdoctoral fellowship is being offered in the Catalysis Institute in the Dept of Chemical Engineering in the area of Reaction Engineering. The research to be conducted is intended to improve the development of the selective oxidation of methane. Applicants must have experience with kinetic testing of heterogeneous catalysts at high pressure and must be au fait with modern characterisation tools. Candidates with experience in the synthesis and characterisation of nano-alloys will be given preference | Once post has been filled | Application procedure: Suitable candidates are required to provide the following: Applications must be submitted to |
| Postdoctoral fellowships in heterogeneous catalysis – molecular modelling | Postdoctoral fellowships are being offered in the Catalysis Institute in the Dept of Chemical Engineering in the area of Reaction Engineering. The research to be conducted is intended to develop an understanding of oxidic support materials for catalysts with emphasis on the role of poisons on the stability of oxides. Applicants with specific experience using VASP and micro-kinetic analysis will be given preference. | Once post has been filled | Application procedure: Suitable candidates are required to provide the following: • a letter of application expressing research experience and interests; • copy of latest academic transcript (PhD); • a full CV, including details of publications; and • names and addresses of at least two academic referees, with whom the applicant has worked |
| Postdoctoral Fellowship In Behavioural Finance & Financial Planning | College of Accounting in the Faculty of Commerce in behavioural finance and financial planning | Once post has been filled | Enquiries and application submission to Michaela Madurai |
| Postdoctoral Fellowship in Heterogeneous Catalysis | Chemical Engineering | Once post has been filled | Enquiries and application submission to: Prof Michael Claeys |
| 24 Month Postdoctoral Fellowship - Experimental Tuberculosis Research Group Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology | Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology | Once post has been filled | Enquiries and application submission to: Prof Muazzam Jacobs |
Postdoctoral Fellowship in the High Energy Physics, Cosmology & Astrophysics Theory (HEPCAT)
| Mathematics and Applied Mathematics | Once post has been filled | Queries to be sent to Shajid Haque Interested candidate to information required to Melissa Largier |
| Wellcome Trust - Humanities and Social Sciences funding schemes | Humanities and Social Sciences | Specific to various applications | Wellcome Trust |
| Georg Forster Research Fellowship (HERMES) for postdoctoral researchers | All faculties | See notice | HERMES Alexander von Humboldt Foundation |
| The World Academy of Science Fellowships (TWAS) | See notice | See notice | TWAS and partner contact |
| Off-campus student accommodation services (OCSAS) | See notice | See notice | OCSAS +27 (0)21 650 4934 |
| Postdoctoral research and scholarships at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) | See notice | See notice | Postdoc team: IIASA |
| Postgraduate funding booklet |