THUTHUKA
Call for Research Proposals for funding in 2026
The Thuthuka Funding Instrument is a key intervention of the National Research Foundation (NRF) aimed at supporting emerging researchers. Thuthuka research grants are awarded to academics that hold academic and/or joint academic and administrative professional appointments, at NRF recognised public universities, science councils and other public research institutions. Applicants must be employed at these institutions on a full-time permanent or full-time contractual basis that extends for the full period of the Thuthuka grant. Female applicants that are appointed on a fixed-term half-day appointment in order to accommodate family responsibilities, raising children of four (4) years of age and below, are also eligible to apply.
For detailed information on eligibility and other criteria and on the application requirements and process, refer to the attached Thuthuka Framework document.
Applicants are invited to apply for funding in one of the following three tracks:
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PhD Track: for applicants wanting to obtain a Doctoral degree within the funding period;
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Post-PhD Track: for applicants wanting to become established researchers, by strengthening their research capabilities; and
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NRF Rating Track: for applicants wanting to apply for a NRF rating within the six-year funding period.
Application Details:
All applications must be submitted online by the internal deadline date. Applications must be submitted electronically on the NRF Connect system at https://nrfconnect.nrf.ac.za. Manuals outlining the process to apply online are available on the NRF website at: https://www.nrf.ac.za/funding.
It is important to read the relevant documents before deciding on which funding opportunity to apply to. All eligibility criteria, as well as the applicable requirements, must be taken into consideration. All Framework and Application and Funding Guide documents are available on the NRF website at https://www.nrf.ac.za/funding.
Kindly note: the Research Development office has a deadline date to submit all validated applications to NRF. Prior to this date, Research Development screens all applications submitted online by the internal closing date, provides individual feedback to each applicant, and allows applicants to implement changes before validating applications in time for the NRF’s deadline date. Any application submitted after the internal closing date will unfortunately not be reviewed for funding.
Eligibility:
Refer to section 5 of the Thuthuka Framework document for eligibility and other criteria. Please read the call criteria carefully before commencing an application.