The National Research Foundation (NRF) is responsible for the management of the DST-NRF Internship Programme in which unemployed Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) graduates and postgraduates (including those in Social Sciences and Humanities) are offered an opportunity to acquire practical work experience through mentoring and exposure to a research environment. This opportunity is also offered to those unemployed graduates and postgraduates who are interested in research management; research support and administration at public higher education institutions and research agencies through a partnership with the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA). Applications are invited from candidates who are interested in acquiring work experience in the areas of specialisation or disciplines in the stated provinces below:
| Province | AREAS OF SPECIALISATION/ DISCIPLINES (Choose 1 discipline per province up to a maximum of 3 in order of preference) |
| Eastern Cape | Agricultural Economics; Agricultural Management; Agricultural Sciences; Animal Production; Animal Science; Anthropology; Biochemistry; Biology; Botany; Chemistry; Communication & Media Studies; Computer Science; Computer Software; Dental Sciences; Development Studies; Ecology; Ecology & Environmental Science; Education; Electrical Engineering; Engineering Sciences; Epidemiology; Fisheries; Food Sciences & Technology; Fresh Water Biology & Limnology; Health Promotion & Disease Prevention; Health Systems Research; Horticulture; Industrial Psychology & Sociology; Information Systems; Information & Computer Technologies; Knowledge Management; Languages & Literature; Management; Marine Biology; Material Sciences & Technologies; Mechanical Engineering; Microbiology; Molecular & Cell Biology; Nutrition; Physics; Physiology; Plant Production; Political Sciences; Political Sciences & Public Policy; Process Engineering; Public Health; Public Management & Administration; Research Management, Research Support & Administration; Rural Development; Social Science; Social Work; Sociology; Soil & Water Sciences; Sports & Recreational Arts; Sports Science; Statistics; Statistics & Probability; Zoology. |
| Free State | Agriculture; Agrometereology; Analytical Chemistry; Animal Production; Animal Science; Anthropology; Biochemistry; Civil Engineering; Development Studies; Ecology & Environmental Science; Education; Food Sciences & Technology; Genetics; Geology; Home Economics; Human Geography; Languages & Literature; Medical Virology; Microbiology; Molecular & Cell Biology; Musicology; Pharmacology; Physiology; Plant Biotechnology; Plant production; Sociology; Soil & Water Sciences; Town & Regional Planning. |
| Gauteng | Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering; Agricultural Economics; Agricultural Engineering; Agricultural Management; Agriculture; Agrometeorology; Analytical Chemistry; Anatomical Sciences; Animal Breeding & Genetics; Animal Production; Animal Science; Anthropology; Applied Mathematics; Archaeology; Architecture; Artificial Intelligence; Astronomy; Atmospheric Science & Meteorology; Biochemistry; Bio-engineering; Biological Sciences; Biology; Biophysics; Biostatistics; Biotechnology; Botany; Chemical Engineering; Chemical Sciences; Chemistry; Chemistry Sciences Engineering; Civil Engineering; Communication & Media Studies ; Communication Technologies; Computer Engineering; Computer Multimedia Systems; Computer Programming; Computer Science; Computer Software; Demography; Dental Sciences; Design Studies; Development Studies; Dramatic Arts; Ecology; Ecology & Environmental Science; Education; Electrical Engineering; Electronic Engineering; Endocrinology; Energy; Engineering; Engineering Management; Engineering Sciences; Environmental Engineering; Environmental Health; Environmental Studies; Epidemiology; Fine Arts; Food Sciences & Technology; Food Technology; Forensic Sciences; Forest Science; Genetics; Geographic Information Science (GISc); Geographic Information Systems (GIS); Geology; Geophysics; Haematology; Health; Health Economics; Health Informatics; Health Promotion; Health Promotion & Disease Prevention; Health Systems Research; Health Technology; Historical Studies; Horticulture; Human Geography; Hydrology; ICT; Immunology; Industrial Design; Industrial Engineering; Industrial Psychology & Sociology; Information & Computer Sciences; Information & Library Science; Information Management; Information Systems & Technology; Information Technology; International Relations; IT-Graphic Design; Knowledge Management; Management; Manufacturing & Process Technologies; Marine Biology; Marine Engineering & Navel Architecture; Material Sciences & Technologies; Mathematical Sciences; Mathematics; Mechanical Engineering; Medical Microbiology; Medical Virology; Metallurgical Engineering; Microbiology; Mining Engineering; Molecular & Cell Biology; Natural Sciences; Neuroscience; Nuclear Engineering; Nutrition; Operations Research; Paediatrics & Child Health; Performing Arts; Pharmacology ; Physical Chemistry; Physical Geography; Physics; Physiology; Plant Biotechnology; Plant Production; Political Sciences; Political Sciences & Public Policy; Polymer Science; Psychology; Public Health; Public Management & Administration; Quality Management; R & D Psychology; Research Management with Mathematics; Research Management, Research Support & Administration; Rural Development; Science Education; Science Journalism; Social Science; Social Work; Sociology; Soil & Water Sciences; Space & Earth Science; Sports medicine; Statistics; Statistics & Probability; Theology; Theoretical & Condensed Matter Physics; Town & Regional Planning; Toxicology; Veterinary Science; Virology; Zoology |
| KwaZulu-Natal | Agricultural Economics; Agriculture; Agrometereology; Animal Production; Applied Mathematics; Archaeology; Astronomy; Atmospheric Science & Meteorology; Biochemistry; Biological Sciences; Biology; Biotechnology; Botany; Chemical Engineering; Civil Engineering; Communication & Media Studies; Computer Engineering; Computer Multimedia Systems; Computer Programming; Computer Science; Cultural Studies; Dental Sciences; Earth Science; Ecology; Ecology & Environmental Science; Education; Electrical Engineering; Electronic Engineering; Energy; Engineering Management; Environmental Engineering; Environmental Studies; Fisheries; Food Sciences & Technology; Genetics; Geochemistry; Geographic Information Science; Geology; Geophysics; Haematology; Health Economics; Health Promotion; Health Systems Research; Horticulture; Hydrology; Industrial Biotechnology; Industrial Engineering; Industrial Psychology & Sociology; Information & Computer Sciences; Information & Library Science; Information Systems & Technologies; Knowledge Management ; Languages & Literature; Management; Marine Biology; Material Sciences & Technologies; Mathematics; Mechanical Engineering; Medical Microbiology; Medical Technologies; Medical Virology; Microbiology; Molecular & Cell Biology; Nutrition; Organic Chemistry; Pharmacology; Physics; Physiology; Plant Biotechnology; Plant Production; Psychology; Public Health; Public Management & Administration; Rehabilitation Medicine; Research Management with Mathematics; Research Management, Research Support & Administration; Social Science; Social Work; Sociology; Soil & Water Sciences; Space & Earth Science; Sports Science; Statistics; Statistics & Probability; Sustainable Development; Veterinary Science; Virology; Zoology. |
| Limpopo | Agricultural Economics; Agricultural Engineering; Agriculture; Agrometereology; Animal Production; Animal Science; Anthropology; Biochemistry; Biology; Biotechnology; Botany; Communication & Media Studies ; Computer Science; Development Studies; Ecology & Environmental Science; Education; Electronics Engineering; Food Sciences & Technology; Forest Science; Fresh Water Biology & Limnology; Game Ranching & Farming; Geology; Geophysics; Horticulture; Human Geography; Hydrology; Industrial Psychology & Sociology; Information & Computer Sciences; Information & Library Science; Information Systems & Technology; Information Technology; International Relations; Knowledge Management; Linguistics; Mathematics; Microbiology; Nutrition; Nutrition & Metabolism; Physical Chemistry; Physical Geography; Physics; Physiology; Plant Production; Psychology; Public Health; Research Management, Research Support & Administration; Rural Development; Science Education; Social Science; Social Work; Sociology; Soil & Water Sciences; Sports & Recreational Arts; Sports Science; Statistics & Probability; Town & Regional Planning; Veterinary Nursing; Zoology |
| Mpumalanga | Agricultural Economics; ICT; Physical Geography; Research Management, Research Support & Administration; Zoology. |
| Northern Cape | Botany; Ecology & Environmental Science; Science Education. |
| North West | Agriculture; Biochemistry; Biological Sciences; Biostatistics; Biotechnology; Chemistry; Civil Engineering; Construction Industry & Building; Demography; Diabetology; Epidemiology; Forest Science; Genetics; Health; Health Promotion & Disease Prevention; Health Systems Research; Information Systems & Technologies; Knowledge Management; Mathematical Sciences; Microbiology; Neuroscience; Nursing Science; Nutrition; Physics; Plant Production; Psychology; Public Health; Public Management & Administration; Research Management, Research Support & Administration; Social Work; Soil & Water Sciences. |
| Western Cape | Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering; Agricultural Engineering; Agricultural Management; Agriculture; Analytical chemistry; Anthropology; Applied Mathematics; Archaeology; Astronomy; Atmospheric Science & Meteorology; Biochemistry; Bio-engineering; Biological Sciences; Biology; Biomedical Technology; Biostatistics; Biotechnology; Botany; Cardiovascular Diseases; Chemical Engineering; Chemistry; Communication & Media Studies ; Computer Programming; Computer Science; Computer Software; Construction Industry & Building; Development Studies; Diabetology; Ecology; Ecology & Environmental Science; Education; Electrical Engineering; Electronic Engineering; Energy Efficiency; Engineering; Environmental Engineering; Environmental Health; Environmental Studies; Epidemiology; Food Sciences & Technology; Forensic Sciences; Fresh Water Biology & Limnology; Genetics; Genito-urinary Diseases; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); Geology; Geospace Physics; Haematology; Health Economics; Health Informatics; Health Promotion; Health Promotion & Disease Prevention; Health Systems Research; Health Technology; Horticulture; Human Geography; Hydrology; Immunology; Industrial Engineering; Industrial Psychology & Sociology; Information & Computer Sciences; Information & Library Science; Information Systems; Information Systems & Technology; Management; Manufacturing & Process Technologies; Marine Biology; Material Sciences & Technologies; Mechanical Engineering; Medical Biotechnology; Medical Virology; Mental Health & Substance Abuse; Microbiology; Molecular & Cell Biology; Morphology; Natural Sciences; Neuroscience; Nutrition; Nutrition & Metabolism; Oceanology; Organic Chemistry; Paleontology; Particle & Plasma Physics; Pharmacology ; Phenomenological Physics; Physical Geography; Physics; Physiology; Plant Biotechnology; Political Sciences; Psychology; Public Health; Public management and administration; Quality Management; R & D Psychology; Research Management, Research Support & Administration; Science Education; Science Journalism; Social Science; Social Work; Sociology; Soil & Water Sciences; Space & Earth Science; Sports & Recreational Arts; Sports Medicine; Sports Science; Statistics; Statistics & Probability; Sustainable Development; Toxicology; Virology; Zoology. |
Qualifications required
Only university graduates with Bachelors, Honours, BTech, MTech or Master’s degrees will be considered. (People holding a National Diploma, DTech and PhD need not apply).
How much will interns be paid?
Interns will receive a monthly salary ranging between R6 070.00 and R8 050.00 per month – depending on the level of qualification.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?
Unemployed South African university graduates and post-graduates in the Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET), Research and Development, Social Sciences and Humanities fields are eligible. South African Permanent Residents who hold a South African Identity Document also qualify while non-South Africans are not eligible. Applicants should not be older than 35 years old at the time of submission of an application to qualify. Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
SHORT LISTING AND INTERVIEWS
Short listing and Interview of applicants will be conducted by the participating host institutions. Applicants will be shortlisted and called for interviews via their personal emails listed in the application. Applicants are advised to check their emails intermittently from December 2016 to 31 March 2017.
PLACEMENT IS AT VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS
Successful applicants will be placed at various participating institutions throughout the country and should thus apply for a position available in the province where they would like to be placed. The NRF does not pay relocation costs to an appointed candidate (s) who has to relocate to another province.
DURATION: The internship programme is offered for a period of 12 months. Successful applicants will be required to sign an internship contract for the duration of the internship period.
HOW TO APPLY?
All applications must be submitted electronically on the NRF Online Submission System at https://nrfsubmission.nrf.ac.za. Register and then log in, go to my applications and create an application and then Internship Programme Applicants 2017 and apply there following instructions. Please also attach certified copies of qualifications, academic records and a copy of the South African Identity Document. Please note that you may only apply for a maximum of 3 disciplines in order of preference across all provinces.
ENQUIRIES
For technical online enquiries, please contact the Support Desk (Mondays to Fridays from 08h00 to 16h30) on: Tel: (012) 481-4202 or E-mail: supportdesk@nrf.ac.za For programme related queries contact Sello Raseruthe: (012) 481-4388 or sello.raseruthe@nrf.ac.za and Monwabisi Mfihlo: (012) 481-4023 or monwabisi.mfihlo@nrf.ac.za
CLOSING DATE: 07 November 2016, no late applications will be considered.
NB: Correspondence will be limited to short listed candidates only. If no correspondence has been received 4 months after the closing date, applicants should consider their applications as unsuccessful. Successful applicants will start their internship on 1 April 2017.