University of the Free State 2025 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

The fellowship is linked to a competitive research grant obtained from the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The project, “South-North flows of information through translation in the global news agency AFP” is led by Dr Marlie van Rooyen from the UFS and Prof Lucile Davier from the University of Geneva. The UFS postdoctoral fellow will be based in Bloemfontein and supervised by Dr Van Rooyen.  

Furthermore, the fellowship will enable an outstanding doctoral graduate to obtain experience in research and innovation at a higher education institution under the mentorship of established researchers. The fellowship is awarded on a competitive basis, considering the applicants’ academic achievements and research potential, as well as the relevance of prior experience and expertise. The fellowship is available for a period of two years (2025–2026). 

• Table of Content
• About University of the Free State (UFS)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
• Aim and Benefits of Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
• Requirements for Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Qualification
• Documents Required for Application
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About University of the Free State (UFS)

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

Aim and Benefits of Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

The scholarship benefit is valued R300,000 yearly. 

Requirements for Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Qualification

Applicants are to meet the following criteria: 

• Graduated with a PhD in a relevant discipline within the last five years. Relevant disciplines include but are not limited to translation studies; news translation; news/media and language; ethnography; digital humanities; discourse analysis; pragmatics; and/or sociolinguistics 
• Fluent in at least English and French. 
• May not hold full-time salaried employment during the fellowship. 
• Must be able to relocate to the UFS for the duration of the fellowship. This is a residential fellowship: the successful applicant must spend 80% of her/his postdoctoral period at the UFS. 
• Have a strong socio-political knowledge of Africa. 

Recommendations 

• Knowledge of and experience in qualitative research methodologies.  
• Qualitative data analysis software. 
• Prior experience in presenting research papers at conferences and/or seminars. 
• Authored/co-authored academic publications.  

Documents Required for Application

Applicants are to submit the following documents:

• Motivation letter, including a 1-2-page outline of relevant expertise and experience. 
• Full CV including a list of research publications, conference papers and other scholarly outputs demonstrating relevant experience and expertise.  
• Full transcripts of academic records and copy of doctoral degree certificate. 
• Copy of ID document (or copy of passport in the case of foreign applicants). 
• Contact details of two academic referees who have taught/supervised the candidate (one referee must be your lead PhD supervisor). 

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Application Deadline

How to Apply

To apply, please email the necessary documentation by 6 October 2024 to Dr Marlie van Rooyen at [email protected]  

For more details, visit UFS website.