Scholarship Overview
Overview
The African Climate Collaborative PhD Fellowships provide 12 fully funded positions for doctoral study in Climate and Development at the University of Cape Town (UCT). This is a structured four-year programme designed to build a new generation of African scholars equipped to address the continent’s most pressing climate and development challenges.
The programme begins with one year of intensive pre-doctoral coursework, followed by three years of independent thesis research under expert supervision. Each fellowship is tied to a specific research topic with a named supervisory team, ensuring targeted training and mentorship from day one.
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Programme Structure
Year 1: Structured pre-doctoral coursework providing foundational training in research methods, climate science, and development theory.
Years 2–4: Independent thesis research under supervision, complemented by ongoing doctoral skills training and professional development.
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The 12 available fellowships span 19 distinct research topics across multiple disciplines including environmental science, engineering, social sciences, statistics, and business. Each topic has specific disciplinary requirements and preferred skill sets.
Available Research Topics
Applicants must select exactly one topic from the following areas (note: some topics may already be closed to applications):
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- The politics of care in African urban flooding-health contexts — Environmental and Geographical Sciences; requires qualitative/ethnographic skills, isiXhosa advantageous
- Managing locust outbreaks under climate change — Statistical Sciences; requires strong modelling and programming skills (R/Python/MATLAB)
- Multi-level governance of electricity commons for Paris Agreement implementation — Environmental and Geographical Sciences; political science/sociology background preferred
- Governing water infrastructure investment under climate change in African cities — Construction Economics and Management; urban planning background with GIS skills advantageous
- Knowledge and governance in urban climate adaptation — Environmental and Geographical Sciences; focus on southern African cities, heat or water risk
- Sustainable concrete technology for African urbanisation — Civil Engineering; materials science and construction management focus
- Energy system impacts of climate-predicted ENSO swings — Chemical Engineering; energy systems modelling and quantitative methods required
- Biodiversity change detection using remote sensing — Biological Sciences; statistical ecology, R/Python programming essential
- Innovation systems for electric cooking transitions — Environmental and Geographical Sciences; gender analysis and qualitative methods
- Climate-compatible education innovation in Africa — Academic Development Programme; science education and curriculum development focus
- Participatory modelling for climate-resilient fisheries — Biological Sciences; southern Benguela case study, stakeholder engagement
- Scale-explicit evaluation of climate adaptation in fisheries — Biological Sciences; marine governance and interdisciplinary analysis
- Multi-modal remote sensing for smallholder resilience — Environmental and Geographical Sciences; machine learning and geospatial data science
- Hydrological reorganisation under climate and development pressures — Environmental and Geographical Sciences; hydrology/ecohydrology modelling
- Nature-based solutions for the St Lucia Estuarine System — Environmental and Geographical Sciences; catchment-to-coast framework development
- Climate-resilient blue bioeconomies and Indigenous ecosystem values — Environmental and Geographical Sciences; marine social science and participatory methods
- Collective action for scaling business climate adaptation — Graduate School of Business; agri-food/retail sectors, qualitative research
- Effectiveness of biodiversity spatial planning — Statistical Sciences; conservation science, remote sensing, and spatial analysis
- Chinese power finance architecture in Africa — Graduate School of Business; energy political economy, Mandarin advantageous
Eligibility Requirements
Candidates must meet all of the following criteria:
- Academic qualification: Completed Master’s degree in a discipline relevant to the specific research topic
- Citizenship: Citizen of an African country ONLY (applicants residing outside Africa are welcome to apply)
- Age: Under 35 years of age as of 1 February 2027
- Application limit: Apply to only ONE research topic; multiple applications result in disqualification
- UCT admission: Successful fellowship applicants must separately apply and be accepted for PhD admission at UCT (assistance provided)
The programme particularly encourages applications from women and from applicants with lived experience of displacement or disability.
Required Documents
Complete applications must include:
- Curriculum Vitae: Maximum 5 pages, including names and contact details of 3 referees (one must have supervised your Master’s dissertation)
- Writing Sample: Previous academic or research writing, ideally from your Master’s dissertation
- Academic Transcripts: For both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees (certified copies required prior to fellowship confirmation)
- Letter of Motivation: Explaining your interest in the specific topic and programme, and how your training positions you for this research
- Copy of Identification: National ID or passport
Application Process
- Review all 19 research topics carefully and identify the single topic matching your disciplinary background and interests
- Verify you meet the specific disciplinary requirements and preferred skills for your chosen topic
- Prepare all required documents, ensuring your CV does not exceed 5 pages
- Submit complete application through the online portal by the deadline
- Clearly indicate your single chosen research topic in your application
- If shortlisted, complete the separate UCT PhD admission application with programme assistance
Funding Details
Each fellowship provides full funding for four years of doctoral study. While specific monetary values are not published, fully funded positions at this level typically cover tuition fees, living stipend, research expenses, and associated programme costs. The structured nature of the programme ensures comprehensive support through coursework and research phases.
Why This Matters for SADC Applicants
For Zimbabwean and SADC region applicants, this represents a rare opportunity for fully funded doctoral training at Africa’s top-ranked university. The research topics directly address regional priorities including water security, energy transitions, agricultural resilience, and urban climate adaptation. UCT’s location in Cape Town provides access to diverse African case studies while maintaining continental relevance. The explicit welcome to African diaspora applicants means those currently working or studying outside the continent remain eligible.
