Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Bursary

Who can apply

• Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):
• You must be a South African citizen
• You must be between 18 and 35 years old
• You must be currently unemployed
• Masters bursary applicants: you must have completed an Honours degree in one of the Agricultural related fields listed above
• Doctoral bursary applicants: you must have completed a Masters/ MSc degree in one of the Agricultural related fields listed above
• You must be studying or intend on studying towards a Doctoral or Masters degree, in one of the Agricultural Sciences or a related fields of study listed above
• You must be studying or registered/ accepted to study at a University in South Africa
• You must NOT be receiving any other bursary funding or NSFAS
• Preference will be given to students from designated groups, in terms of the ARC Employment Equity Plan

How to apply

Applications are submitted directly to Agricultural Research Council ARC - we do not collect applications. Read the eligibility criteria, prepare your supporting documents, then complete your application on the official page.

Full details

Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Bursary South Africa 2027

WHAT FIELDS OF STUDY DOES THE ARC BURSARY COVER?

The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) is inviting students to apply for their bursary programme, for the 2027 academic year.

Bursaries will be awarded for Doctoral and Master of Science studies, within the following Agricultural fields:

• Agribusiness Management
• Agricultural Economics
• Agricultural Extension
• Agricultural Management
• Econometrics
• Environmental & Natural Resources Management
• Gender Studies
• Information Systems
• Intellectual Property Management and Commercialisation
• International Relations
• Knowledge Management
• Social Sciences
• Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) Computable General Equilibrium Models (CGE), Agent based Modelling
• Socioeconomics

A total of 14 bursaries will be awarded - 7 for Masters and 7 for Doctoral studies.

WHAT BENEFITS DOES THE ARC BURSARY OFFER?

The bursary offers the following benefits:

• The opportunity to be paired with senior ARC professionals through a mentorship programme
• Possible work placement opportunities at the ARC and other affiliated organisations, subject to availability of positions.
• Thesis/dissertation/Research publications and printing costs funding
• Access to ARC Laboratories and research facility for your trials
• The opportunity to work on real-life projects that address socioeconomic challenges through your research (ARC co-supervision)
• Research skills training workshops to sharpen your academic writing skills

The bursary may provide funding for the following durations:

• Maximum of three (3) years for master’s programme
• Maximum of five (5) years for doctoral programme

WHAT IS THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE ARC BURSARY COVER?

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted within 4 weeks after the closing date. If you do not receive any feedback by this time, please consider your application unsuccessful.

Candidates will be subject to a positive security clearance (as well as competency and leadership assessments).

WHAT ARE THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE ARC BURSARY?

Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):

• You must be a South African citizen
• You must be between 18 and 35 years old
• You must be currently unemployed
• Masters bursary applicants: you must have completed an Honours degree in one of the Agricultural related fields listed above
• Doctoral bursary applicants: you must have completed a Masters/ MSc degree in one of the Agricultural related fields listed above
• You must be studying or intend on studying towards a Doctoral or Masters degree, in one of the Agricultural Sciences or a related fields of study listed above
• You must be studying or registered/ accepted to study at a University in South Africa
• You must NOT be receiving any other bursary funding or NSFAS
• Preference will be given to students from designated groups, in terms of the ARC Employment Equity Plan

HOW CAN I APPLY FOR THE ARC BURSARY?

Applications must be submitted online at:

Masters bursary: Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Bursary Application 2027(Reference number: ARC-925)

Doctoral bursary: Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Bursary Application 2027(Reference number: ARC-926)

Enter “www.zabursaries.co.za” in the field asking how you heard about the ARC bursary.

WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE ARC BURSARY?

Submit clear copies of the following supporting documentation along with your application (the submission of these documents is compulsory - if any items are missing, your application may be disqualified):

• Cover letter
• Detailed Curriculum Vitae
• ID document (certified copy)
• Drivers license
• Certificates of completed qualifications (certified copies)
• Foreign qualifications: SAQA evaluation report
• Proof of registration/ acceptance at a university (on institutions letterhead)
• 3 contactable referees

WHEN IS THE CLOSING DATE FOR THE ARC BURSARY?

17 June 2026.

(Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted - please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)

HOW CAN I CONTACT THE BURSARY PROVIDER?

For any queries related to this bursary programme, please contact the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) directly:

• Contact people: Mr Ndikho Mbuce
• Email: arcpdp@arc.agric.za

WHAT DOES THE ARC DO?

The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) is a premier science institution that provides a strong scientific base and a broadly distributed technology transfer capacity to the entire agricultural industry in South Africa.

ARC’s specialities include Agricultural Research - Crops and Livestock, Agricultural Economics, Technology transfer, Biotechnology, Animal Health, Plant Health, Proteomics, Agricultural Capacity Development, and Natural Resource Management.

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