Postdoctoral Research Fellowship 1 year
Job Details
- Job Title: Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (One Year, Renewable Up to Three Years)
- Job ID: 6627
- Reference: 2296
- Institution: University of the Free State (UFS)
- Faculty: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
- Unit: Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTEC)
- Location: Bloemfontein Campus, Free State
- Employment Type: Contract
- Occupational Level: Temporary
- Fellowship Duration: 1 year, renewable for up to 3 years
- Fellowship Value: R270,000 per annum
- Research Expenses: R30,000 additional research expenses fund
- Closing Date: 23 October 2026
- Commencement: As soon as possible
Job Description
The University of the Free State (UFS) is inviting applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTEC).
The fellowship is aimed at researchers with strong backgrounds in climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, environmental sustainability, resilience, climate-smart development or related interdisciplinary fields.
The successful fellow will contribute to interdisciplinary research focused on climate adaptation, resilience and disaster risk governance. The fellowship will specifically support a Northern Cape provincial project aimed at integrating climate change response with disaster management planning and generating evidence-based knowledge to strengthen resilience and adaptation planning.
The fellowship is awarded competitively based on academic achievement, publication record, research potential, methodological expertise and the relevance of previous research to DiMTEC’s research priorities.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct interdisciplinary research and advanced quantitative and qualitative analysis relating to:
- Climate adaptation.
- Disaster risk reduction.
- Resilience.
- Environmental sustainability.
- Climate-related development challenges.
- Support the Northern Cape project through data management, literature reviews and synthesis, research coordination and project-data analysis.
- Prepare technical reports, policy briefs, stakeholder reports and research dissemination materials.
- Participate in DiMTEC research seminars and postgraduate research activities.
- Contribute to academic writing initiatives and capacity-building activities.
- Assist with research proposals, collaborative research projects and funding or grant applications.
- Contribute to tender applications aligned with DiMTEC’s priorities.
- Develop collaborative research networks.
- Contribute to strengthening DiMTEC’s national and international research visibility.
- Produce at least two DHET-accredited peer-reviewed journal articles per year, subject to satisfactory performance.
- Register and reside as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UFS.
- Participate in relevant DiMTEC academic and research activities.
Requirements
Eligibility
- Open to South African and foreign nationals.
- Applicants must hold a PhD in a relevant discipline awarded within the last five years.
- Applicants must demonstrate strong potential for independent research and scholarly publication.
- Experience in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods will be advantageous.
- Experience in data analysis, policy research and interdisciplinary research will be advantageous.
- Successful applicants may not hold full-time salaried employment during the fellowship.
- The successful candidate must be able to relocate to the University of the Free State for the duration of the fellowship.
- This is a residential fellowship, requiring the successful applicant to spend 80% of the postdoctoral period at UFS.
Relevant Fields
Applicants may have qualifications in fields such as:
- Disaster Management.
- Environmental Science.
- Agricultural and Environmental Economics.
- Climate Change.
- Sustainability Science.
- Agricultural Sciences.
- Development Studies.
- Geography.
- Environmental Management.
- Other closely related interdisciplinary fields.
Skills and Competencies
The successful candidate should demonstrate:
- Strong independent research capability.
- Excellent academic writing and scholarly publication skills.
- Quantitative and/or qualitative research expertise.
- Strong data analysis abilities.
- Policy research capabilities.
- Interdisciplinary research skills.
- Research project coordination skills.
- Ability to prepare technical and policy-oriented reports.
- Strong communication and presentation skills.
- Ability to develop academic and research collaborations.
- Capacity to contribute to research proposals and funding applications.
- Commitment to climate adaptation, resilience and disaster risk research.
Fellowship Value and Benefits
- Annual Fellowship: R270,000.
- Research Expenses Fund: R30,000 additional research funding.
- Fellowship duration of one year, renewable for up to three years, subject to satisfactory performance and submission of an annual progress report.
- Opportunity to participate in interdisciplinary research through UFS DiMTEC.
- Opportunity to develop national and international research networks and scholarly publications.
Application Process
Applicants must email the following documentation to RaphelaTD@ufs.ac.za by 23 October 2026:
- A motivation letter, including a 1–2-page outline of relevant expertise, experience and proposed contribution to DiMTEC.
- A full CV, including peer-reviewed publications, conference papers and other scholarly outputs.
- Full academic transcripts.
- Copy of the doctoral degree certificate.
- SAQA certificate if the PhD was obtained outside South Africa.
- Copy of a South African ID document or passport for foreign applicants.