The Healthy Futures South Africa (HFSA) PhD Fellowship supports doctoral candidates undertaking health-focused research at the University of Cape Town. South African citizens may qualify, as may alumni of Africa Health Collaborative partner institutions, if they meet the UCT doctoral, academic and research-theme requirements.
At a glance
- Sponsor/host: Africa Health Collaborative, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation; offered by the University of Cape Town
- Opportunity type: PhD fellowship
- Who it’s for: South African citizens or alumni of an Africa Health Collaborative partner institution who are registered, or eligible to register, for a PhD at UCT and propose research aligned with the fellowship’s priority themes. Applicants must commit to full-time or structured part-time doctoral study and demonstrate academic merit and research potential. The call also welcomes qualifying applicants from partner institutions who are not South African citizens.
- Study level: Doctoral / PhD
- Location: University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Academic year: Not specified in the official call
- Closing date: 31 October 2026 at 23:59 SAST
- Last verified: 2026-10-03
High-value notes (read this first)
The official call does not specify an academic year; do not describe this as a 2027 fellowship cycle without further official confirmation.
This is a two-stage process: apply to UCT for doctoral study first, then submit the HFSA fellowship application.
Research must align with at least one of the fellowship’s stated priority themes.
The fellowship is described as up to four years. Continued funding is reviewed annually and is not automatic.
The call gives preference to women, youth aged 18–35, persons living with disabilities, candidates from historically disadvantaged or underrepresented communities, and scholars committed to community-engaged or implementation-focused research.
The Collaborative’s announcement permits part-time work alongside the fellowship up to 20 hours per week; it also requires full-time or structured part-time doctoral study.
About the sponsor
The fellowship is offered by the University of Cape Town under the Africa Health Collaborative, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.
What it covers
The Africa Health Collaborative describes the fellowship as fully funded for up to four years, subject to approved budgets, satisfactory academic progress, continued UCT registration and availability of funds. Listed support includes tuition and international student fees, accommodation support and a living allowance, student medical cover, immigration and visa-related cost support, once-off laptop and equipment support, research costs including fieldwork and dissemination, professional development, conference and research travel, and economy-class travel for eligible fellows residing outside Cape Town. Funding continuation is reviewed annually and is not automatic.
Eligible fields
- Community-Oriented Primary Care
- Health Systems Strengthening
- Youth Empowerment in Health
- Public Health and Health Policy
- Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Health Economics
- Mental Health and Addiction Care
- Emergency and Family Medicine
- Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
- Community Engagement and Health Promotion
Eligibility
- Be a South African citizen or an alumnus/alumna of an Africa Health Collaborative partner institution.
- Be registered, or eligible for registration, for a PhD programme at the University of Cape Town.
- Commit to full-time or structured part-time doctoral study for the fellowship period.
- Demonstrate strong academic performance and research potential.
- Propose research aligned with one or more HFSA strategic priority themes.
- Provide academic references and evidence of supervisor support as part of the assessment process.
Documents to prepare
- Certified copy of ID or passport
- Academic transcripts and qualifications
- Curriculum Vitae, maximum three pages
- Research proposal, maximum five pages
- Proof of UCT application or registration
- Supervisor confirmation or support letter, if available
- Two academic referee reports, submitted directly by referees
- Proof of funding, if applicable
- Proof of address not older than three months
- The listed applicant documents must be prepared as a single PDF; referee reports are submitted directly by referees.
Closing date
31 October 2026 at 23:59 SAST
Common mistakes to avoid
- Applying for the fellowship without first applying to UCT for doctoral study; the official application instructions require the UCT academic application first.
- Assuming South African citizenship alone is sufficient without meeting the UCT PhD registration or eligibility requirement and the research-theme requirement.
- Sending referee reports as part of the applicant’s single-PDF package; the official instructions say two academic referee reports must be submitted directly by the referees.
- Exceeding the stated CV or research-proposal page limits, omitting proof of the UCT application, or failing to use the specified email subject line.
- Submitting after the deadline or sending an incomplete application; the official call says late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
How this opportunity was verified
Verified on 3 October 2026 against the official Africa Health Collaborative programme announcement and the UCT-hosted call PDF. The official call identifies the Africa Health Collaborative, UCT and Mastercard Foundation partnership; the Collaborative’s announcement provides detailed eligibility, benefits and application instructions.
How to apply
- Apply to UCT for doctoral study through its online application process before applying for the fellowship. The fellowship call says applicants must apply to UCT first.
- Complete the official HFSA PhD Fellowship application form and prepare a single PDF of the specified supporting documents. Keep the CV to a maximum of three pages and the research proposal to a maximum of five pages.
- Arrange for two academic referees to submit their reports directly, as required by the official instructions.
- Email the completed fellowship application and supporting PDF to FACE.Research@uct.ac.za with the subject line HFSA PhD Application before 31 October 2026 at 23:59 SAST.
- Check the official call and application guidelines for the form, full requirements and any updates before submitting.