Canon Collins RMTF Scholarships for Postgraduate Study in South Africa

The Canon Collins RMTF Scholarships fund master’s and PhD study at South African universities for students from across Southern Africa. They are run by the Canon Collins Trust together with the Ros Moger and Terry Furlong fund, named after two London educationalists, and they are aimed specifically at people whose academic work contributes to social justice in the region. Stage 1 applications for the 2027 academic year close on 14 August 2026 at 16:00 South African time.

Eligibility is regional and field-restricted in equal measure. You must be a citizen or recognised refugee of Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia or Zimbabwe, and ordinarily resident in one of them. Awards are then made in three fields only: justice, which covers climate justice, law, economics and politics; education policy and practice; and humanities, which covers literature, history, anthropology and the arts. Applications clearly outside these areas, such as MBAs, medical sciences, sports sciences and applied sciences, are not considered at all.

It is worth being accurate about the money, because several listings describe this as fully funded and that overstates it. The award ranges from 20,000 to 100,000 rand per academic year, scaled to your individual financial circumstances, for up to two years of master’s study or three years of a PhD. That is meaningful support toward postgraduate costs rather than a complete package covering tuition and living expenses. Where the scheme is unusually flexible is in the modes it accepts: full-time, part-time and approved distance learning study all qualify, which is valuable if you are working alongside your degree.

Beyond academic merit, the trust looks for at least two years of meaningful involvement in social justice work, and this is assessed rather than assumed. Your proposed research must also address a substantive social justice issue affecting Southern Africa. The process runs in two stages: a short online Stage 1 application by the August deadline, then a fuller Stage 2 submission in September for shortlisted candidates, requiring two references and, for PhD applicants, a supervisor’s letter of support. Interviews follow in October or November, with all outcomes communicated by mid-December. Scholars are expected to join the Canon Collins network and take part in its annual conference and smaller events through the year.

• You must be a citizen or recognised refugee of one of the eligible Southern African countries: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia or Zimbabwe.
• You must also ordinarily reside in one of those countries.
• You must be applying for, or already enrolled in, a master's or PhD programme at a recognised South African university.
• Awards are made in three fields only: Justice, which includes climate justice, law, economics and politics; education policy and practice; and humanities, which includes literature, history, anthropology and the arts.
• Applications clearly outside those fields, such as MBAs, medical sciences, sports sciences and applied sciences, are not considered.
• You must demonstrate at least two years of meaningful involvement in social justice work, which is assessed rather than taken at face value.
• Your proposed study or research must address a substantive social justice issue affecting Southern Africa.
• Full-time, part-time and approved distance learning programmes are all eligible.

• An annual award of between ZAR 20,000 and ZAR 100,000, scaled to your individual financial circumstances rather than paid at a flat rate.
• Funding for up to two years of master's study or up to three years of a PhD, with the ability to reapply for a further year in some cases.
• Membership of the Canon Collins scholar network, a long-established community of Southern African scholars and professionals working on social justice.
• An annual conference for current scholars plus smaller events through the year, which scholarship holders are expected to attend and contribute to.
• Flexibility that many scholarships lack: full-time, part-time and approved distance learning study all qualify, which matters if you are working alongside your degree.
• A funder with a specific and well-understood mission, meaning your research agenda is supported rather than merely tolerated.
• Be clear on one point: with a ceiling of ZAR 100,000 a year, this is meaningful support toward the cost of postgraduate study rather than a full cost-of-living package. Some listings describe it as fully funded, which overstates it.

• Short online Stage 1 application submitted through the Canon Collins portal.
• Certified copy of your identity document, birth certificate, passport or driver's licence.
• Proof of citizenship or recognised refugee status in an eligible country, and evidence of ordinary residence there.
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates for previous study.
• Draft research proposal outlining your intended study and its social justice relevance.
• Evidence of admission to, or application for, a master's or PhD programme at a South African university.
• Two reference letters, requested at Stage 2 for shortlisted applicants.
• For PhD applicants, a letter of support from your supervisor or prospective supervisor, also at Stage 2.

• Check your field against the three supported areas before doing anything else. Justice, education policy and practice, and humanities are the only categories funded, and applications clearly outside them are discarded.
• Download and read the official RMTF scholarship guidelines from the Canon Collins portal before starting, since incomplete applications are disregarded outright.
• Prepare evidence of at least two years of social justice involvement, because this is a substantive criterion and vague claims will not carry it.
• Submit the short Stage 1 online application by 14 August 2026 at 16:00 South African time.
• Shortlisted applicants are invited by email to submit a fuller Stage 2 application in September 2026, including two reference letters and, for PhD candidates, a supervisor's letter of support.
• Interviews are held in October or November 2026.
• All applicants are informed of the outcome by mid-December 2026, and Canon Collins asks that you do not email to follow up before then.
• Interdisciplinary and doctoral topics sometimes sit awkwardly across the three categories. Canon Collins asks applicants to use their own judgement rather than seeking a ruling in advance.