The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, in partnership with the National Research Foundation (DSTI-NRF), Honours Student Funding for the 2026 academic year is now open for application.
- Application opens: 14 July 2025
- ISFAP-assessed applicants: Submit by 25 August 2025
- Final submission deadline: 21 November 2025
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DSTI-NRF Honours Funding Application Details
If you’re a South African citizen or permanent resident aiming to pursue a full-time Honours degree in fields like Science, Engineering, Social Sciences, Humanities, or Indigenous Knowledge Systems, this is for you.
FUNDING COMES IN TWO FORMS:
- Full Cost of Study (FCS): for financially needy students (household income not less than R350 000), those with disabilities, or top academic performers.
- Partial Cost of Study (PCS): for other eligible candidates
How to apply to The DSTI-NRF Honours Funding
Please follow the steps below to successfully apply for the funding.
- Go to www.nrfconnect.nrf.ac.za
- Register or log in on NRF Connect using ORCID
- Complete your profile (include certified ID, transcripts, etc.)
- Submit one Honours scholarship application online; no manual applications accepted
How do I register for an ORCID ID?
Here’s how you can register for an ORCID iD step-by-step. It’s quick, free, and takes just a few minutes.
- Go to the official ORCID website: www.orcid.org/register.
- Fill in your personal details
- First name and Last name (middle name is optional)
- Email address (you can add more than one for recovery)
- Password (must be at least 8 characters, including a number or symbol)
- Set your visibility preferences
- Public – anyone can see your profile info
- Limited – only trusted parties can see it
- Private – only you can see it
- Agree to the terms
- Tick the box to confirm you’ve read and agree to the ORCID privacy policy and terms of use.
- Verify your email
- ORCID will send you a confirmation email
- Click the link in the email to activate your account
- Receive your unique ORCID iD
- It will look like this: 0000-0002-1825-0097
- You can now use it for applications like the DSTI-NRF Honours Funding.
NOTE: Always use the same ORCID iD across all academic, research, and funding applications; it keeps your achievements linked to you permanently.