The Power Systems Research Group (http://grid.sun.ac.za), within Stellenbosch University’s Electrical & Electronic Engineering department, studies the impacts of increasing variable renewable energy generation, energy storage, and changing customer behaviour on the traditional electrical power system.
The research activities ultimately aim to support the system operation, network planning, and long-term capacity planning functions within the South African power industry. Strong partnerships with South Africa’s national utility Eskom, SANEDI, and local municipal utilities support this aim.
The research group has a strong focus on maintaining a vibrant community of practice to support members in their academic journey, while encouraging a sustainable work-life balance.

Full bursaries of R135k per year for Master’s and R180k per year for PhD studies in Electrical Engineering at Stellenbosch University. Funding is also available to attend local and international conferences and for research equipment, depending on the student’s needs and performance.

Applicants must already have graduated, or will be graduating by early 2027, with a B.Eng or Master’s degree in Engineering, or a Master’s degree related to Energy Meteorology or Economics. They must register as full-time students, located in person in Stellenbosch, for the duration of their bursary-funded studies. A minimum average mark of 65% in the final year of undergraduate study is required.

Selected applicants will be contacted within three weeks after the deadline.

How?

Complete the online form available at this link: https://forms.gle/jGoUWg7ussUjTKow7

African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), with support from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation (formerly Carnegie Corporation of New York), invites applications for its pilot Mid-Career Research Fellowships for 2026–2027. The programme will support up to ten (10) mid-career academics to undertake six-month, research-intensive sabbatical placements at selected research-intensive institutions including the ARUA’s thirteen (13) Centres of Excellence (CoEs) and the twenty-two (22) Clusters of Research Excellence (CoREs) between September 2026 and August 2028.

The fellowship is intended to strengthen research leadership, deepen collaborative and interdisciplinary work, and generate high-impact scholarly and policy-relevant outputs that advance ARUA’s 2022–2027 Strategic Plan. The fellowship targets academics at Associate Professor level with a proven track record of post-PhD (or equivalent) scholarly experience in full time employment at an ARUA university. The beneficiaries should have a dedicated six-month sabbatical period away from routine institutional duties, enabling intensive collaboration with leading experts at ARUA CoEs or Africa-Europe CoREs. Each CoE or CoRE is expected to host fellows from countries other than their home country to promote cross-institutional knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary innovation, and mentorship of emerging scholars.

During the six-month residency, fellows are expected to:

•Pursue a clearly defined research project aligned with the host institution’s or CoE/CoRE’s thematic priorities, which are achievable within the fellowship period.
•Contribute to interdisciplinary and cross-institutional collaboration, including joint publications, proposal development and network-building.
•Mentor early-career scholars (e.g. PhD students, postdocs, early-career fellows) through joint writing, project work, and skills-building activities.
•Participate in retooling opportunities, training, and inter-institutional collaborations (including with Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities via CoREs) to enhance personal well-being, professional development, and research innovation.
•Implement a robust public engagement and knowledge-translation strategy using seminars, workshops, policy dialogues, blogs, and ARUA Biennial Conference platforms.
•Contribute to ARUA’s strategic goals by producing high-impact outputs, exchanging knowledge across institutions, addressing continental challenges, and supporting the global competitiveness of African research

Applicants must:

•Demonstrate a strong track record of research and publication in an area aligned with the selected host institution/CoE/CORE research focus
•Show evidence of prior or ongoing collaborative research, preferably across institutions or countries, and clear potential to expand such collaborations through the fellowship.
•Present a feasible six-month research plan with clearly defined outputs and a strategy for continuation beyond the fellowship, where applicable.
•Provide an institutional letter confirming support, leave or sabbatical arrangements, and return to their university at the end of the fellowship.
•Associate Professors who have just completed a tenure as Dean, Director or Head of Department/Centres are encouraged to apply.
•Women and applicants from historically under-represented regions within the ARUA network are strongly encouraged to apply.

ARUA MCR Fellowship Call – FINALApplication link: https://arua.org/mid-career-research-fellowships/