The African Climate Collaborative is pleased to invite applications for 12 PhD fellowships to support participation in a four-year doctoral training programme in Climate and Development. The programme comprises one year of structured coursework followed by three years of thesis research, and is designed to build a new generation of African scholars addressing the continent's most pressing climate and development challenges.
The value of the fellowship for 2027 is R390,000 (R315,000 for stipend and fees; and up to R75,000 for relocation, medical insurance, research and other costs).
Programme Structure
- Year 1: Structured pre-doctoral coursework.
- Years 2 - 4: Independent thesis research under supervision, along with doctoral skills training.
View the full programme structure here
Eligibility Criteria
- Academic qualification: A completed Master's degree in a discipline relevant to climate and development in Africa, and specifically in the discipline listed as eligible for the chosen research topic (see table below).
- Citizenship: Open to citizens of an African country ONLY. African applicants who reside outside Africa are also welcome to apply.
- Age: Applicants must be under 35 years of age as of 1 February 2027.
- One topic only: Each candidate may apply to only one of the 19 listed research topics. (Multiple applications from a student may result in disqualification)
- UCT acceptance: Successful applicants will need to apply and be accepted for admission to study for a PhD at UCT in order to qualify for the fellowship. We will offer assistance with the application to successful fellowship applicants.
We particularly encourage applications from women and from applicants with lived experience of displacement or disability.
Available Research Topics
Each topic below is linked to a named supervisor (or supervisory team), whose disciplinary background determines the Master's discipline required of applicants to that topic. Please carefully review the topics below to find more detail on each topic, and apply only to the topic for which you meet the disciplinary requirement.