University of Cape Town: The David and Elaine Potter Fellowships 2022

About University of Cape Town and David and Elaine Potter Foundation

The University of Cape Town (UCT) is one of the oldest tertiary institutions in the country, founded way back in 1829 as a high school for boys. Comprising of multiple faculties and departments, it is now a leading research institution in Africa. Other than academia, UCT has also made several social contributions.

David and Elaine Potter Foundation is a grant offering foundation that aims to help students complete their education and contribute to South African society by utilizing their knowledge. Since 1999, the foundation has given away £21 million.

University of Cape Town: The David and Elaine Potter Fellowships 2022

David and Elaine Potter Foundation has been supporting students at the University of Cape Town with grants and fellowship programmes. Known as the David and Elaine Potter Fellowship, it is meant for postgraduate students. For the academic year 2022, students pursuing a Doctoral or Masters degree are encouraged to apply.

The timeframe and fellowship amount are different for Masters and Doctoral students.

• For Masters students, the grant is offered for either one or two years, depending on which academic programme they’re enrolled in. The coverage value is R 95,000 and R 100,000 for the first and second year, respectively.
• For Doctoral students, the grant is offered for three years and is valued at R 140,000.

Students will have to renew the grant to get the funding for the following year. This depends on the study programme and satisfactory academic performance as determined by the UCT.

Fellowship Eligibility Criteria

To select the candidates for the fellowship programme, UCT has laid out specific eligibility criteria. You must fulfill them first before you can be considered for the funding. Failing to do so will result in the cancellation of your application. Therefore, always cross-check with the requirements before applying and ensure you meet all of them.

The eligibility requirements for the University of Cape Town: the David and Elaine Potter Fellowships 2022 are:

• Must be a South African citizen
• Must have successfully completed an Honours degree
• Must have scored no less than 65% in the final Honours degree mark
• Must be willing to pursue a Masters or Doctoral degree at the University of Cape Town
• Must be ready to study full-time and not part-time
• Should complete the degree within the specified timeline (extensions are not allowed)
• Must have an inherent passion for civil society
• Must be a thoughtful individual

Fulfilling all the eligibility criteria, however, does not guarantee to fund. Since the number of fellowships is limited and the number of applicants is high, it’s at the sole discretion of UCT to select the candidates. The list published by the university will be considered final.

How to Apply?

Those fulfilling all the criteria should move forward with the application process. It’s a simple process that should take no more than an hour to complete.

The first step you need to do is download and complete the David and Elaine Potter Fellowship Application form. The form is in the DOCX format. You’d need a Word Processor to open and complete it. Read all the instructions carefully before filling out the details.

Documents Required

The next step is to prepare the following documents:

• ID documents (certified copies only)
• A cover letter with an overview of the information prepared for the application
• Updated Curriculum Vitae (list your past and present community involvement and leadership roles)
• Academic transcripts
• Profile photos (head and shoulder only)
• Two reference letters from academics who have taught or supervised you
• Proof of acceptance or proof of admission at UCT
• A 2500-words or more essay explaining your intended role in civil society
• A summary of your proposed research (in an A4 page, only for Doctoral candidates)

Email Your Application

Scan the documents and email them along with the completed application to fellowships@uct.ac.za. For the subject line, include “Potter Fellowship Application 2022: First and Last Name“.

Shortlisted candidates will have to attend an interview in December of 2021 for the final selection.

Closing Date

The last date to apply for the fellowship is 11 October 2021.

Contact Details

For further assistance, you need to get in touch with the UCT at the following details:

• Telephone – 021 650 2349
• Email – fellowships@uct.ac.za

Please do NOT contact The University of Cape Town (UCT) if this fellowship has already closed. View our other bursaries open for application here: https://allbursaries.co.za/notice/