UFS and South African Society for Plant Pathology (SASPP) Fellowship South Africa 2025 – 2026

ABOUT THE COMPANY – UFS | SASPP

UFS and South African Society for Plant Pathology (SASPP) Fellowship South Africa | The University of the Free State (UFS), located in Bloemfontein, was first established in 1904 and renamed in the 1950s. The university consists of multi campuses and today, is one of the leading public universities within the country.

The South African Society for Plant Pathology provides many opportunities to plant pathologists. Here, pathologists are able to meet and exchange information they have on their study as well as connect based on shared scientific interests. The South African Society for Plant Pathology also allows pathologists to coordinate affiliation with various scientific societies within the country, as well as communicate with various foreign societies where they are able to disseminate and gather information relating to the Pathology of plants.

ABOUT THE UFS | SASPP FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME – FIELDS COVERED

The University of the Free State is inviting students to apply for the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship programme, in the Department of Natural and Agricultural Sciences/ Plant Sciences, for the 2023 academic year..

The Fellowship programme is available for the Plant Pathology discipline, whereby candidates will conduct research in the area of soil-borne pathogens of agricultural crops, as well as their biological control.

During the fellowship programme, the candidate will be expected to engage in full-time Post-Doctoral studies under the supervision of Prof. Wijnand Swart in the Division of Plant Pathology (Department of Plant Sciences.) The fellowship programme will officially commence on 1 January 2023 or soon thereafter.

ABOUT THE UFS | SASPP FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME – COVERAGE VALUE | DUTIES

The programme will run for a duration of 2 years and is valued at R220 000 for the annual fellowship and R30 000 for additional research expenses.

The duties and responsibilities of candidates during the programme are:

Lecturing a 2nd-semester course in Ecology of Plant Pathogens as well as a course in Host-parasite Interactions
Ensuring that lectures and practical classes for undergraduate and post-graduate modules are planned and prepared
Ensuring that students’ class tests, exams, and tutorials are checked and assessed
Providing supervision on post-graduate research (Honours, Masters, and PhD)
Contributing and undertaking researcher/ performing individual research/ working with other researchers
Ensuring that your own research is published in peer-reviewed journals
Securing and finding sources of funding for own research as well as scholarly projects
Develop and lead internal networks (e.g. participating and charing in departmental and/or university committees/ working groups
Providing professional advice and acting as an external examiner to other universities
Leading and developing external networks
Creating a network with external contacts with the aim of collaborating (e.g. educational bodies, professional bodies, employers)
Establishing partnerships by participating in international visits

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ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE UFS | SASPP FELLOWSHIP

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 have completed a Doctoral Degree (PhD.) in Plant Pathology, specialising in soil-borne diseases and biological control of pathogens, with strong undergraduate training in host-pathogen interactions and microbial ecology
You must have obtained your PhD. within the last 4 years
You must intend on pursuing full-time Post-Doctoral studies, in the research are above
You must intend on studying at the University of the Free State (UFS), in 2022
You must be younger than 50 years old
You must be willing to stay at the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State for the duration of the programme
Preference will be given to candidates from designated groups

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HOW TO APPLY FOR THE UFS | SASPP FELLOWSHIP

Students who meet all the criteria may apply by submitting clear copies of the following supporting documentation (the submission of these documents is compulsory – if any items are missing, your application be disregarded):

PhD. degree certificate
Academic transcripts
Motivational letter to support your application, and state your earliest possible starting date
Updated Curriculum Vitae
Contact details of 2 academic referees
Example of your academic writing skills (this can be an article or chapter of your PhD. thesis)

Note: there is no application form to be completed for this programme – students need only submit the documents above to apply.
Applications must be submitted via email to Prof. WJ Swart at: swartwj@ufs.ac.za
(Insert the words “UFS SASPP Fellowship Application” in the email subject line).

NOTES ABOUT THE UFS | SASPP FELLOWSHIP

Candidates will be required to attend an online interview
Successful candidates will be contacted within 6 to 8 weeks after the interviews
The successful candidate may be offered permanent employment if their performance during the programme is satisfactory

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CLOSING DATE FOR THE UFS | SASPP FELLOWSHIP

5 November 2021.
(Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted – please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)

CONTACT THE FELLOWSHIP PROVIDER

For any queries related to this fellowship programme, please contact The University of the Free State and the South African Society for Plant Pathology directly:
Contact Person: Prof. Wijnand Swart
Email: swartwj@ufs.ac.za

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NSFAS, or National Student Financial Aid Scheme, was established according to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme Act of 1999 and incorporated the Tertiary Education Fund of South Africa (TEFSA), which stopped operating in 2000.