The Canon Collins Trust invites eligible postgraduate students from Southern Africa to apply for the Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship Programme for the 2027 academic year.
Scholarship Application Closing Date: 14 August 2026 at 16:00 SAST
Scholarship Location: Recognised universities in South Africa
Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship Programme 2027
The Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship supports postgraduate students whose studies contribute to social justice and development in Southern Africa.
Funding is available for selected Master’s and PhD programmes offered by South African universities.
Successful applicants may receive between R20 000 and R100 000, depending on their individual financial circumstances and study requirements.
The scholarship also gives recipients access to the Canon Collins scholar network, annual conferences and professional-development activities.
Scholarship Programme Overview
Scholarship provider: Canon Collins Trust
Programme: RMTF Scholarship Programme
Academic year: 2027
Study levels: Master’s and PhD
Study location: South African universities
Study modes: Full-time, part-time and eligible distance learning
Scholarship value: Between R20 000 and R100 000
Master’s funding period: Up to two years
PhD funding period: Up to three years
Closing date: 14 August 2026 at 16:00 SAST
Application method: Online
Fields of Study Supported
The scholarship will fund postgraduate studies in the following broad areas:
- Justice
- Education Policy and Practice
- Humanities
Applications outside these fields will not be considered under the stated criteria.
Justice-Related Fields
Eligible Justice-related areas include:
- Climate Justice
- Law
- Economics
- Politics
Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed study or research addresses a meaningful social justice issue affecting Southern Africa.
Education Policy and Practice
Applicants pursuing postgraduate studies related to education policy and practice may apply.
Relevant research may include issues connected to:
- Access to education
- Education inequality
- Curriculum policy
- Teacher development
- Education governance
- Higher-education policy
- Education and social transformation
The exact research topic must still align with the scholarship’s wider social justice objectives.
Humanities Fields
Eligible Humanities disciplines include:
- Literature
- History
- Anthropology
- Arts
Applicants should clearly explain how their research contributes to social justice, development or positive social change within Southern Africa.
Fields That Are Not Funded
The supplied scholarship information states that applications in unrelated fields will not be considered.
Examples include:
- Master of Business Administration programmes
- Medical Sciences
- Sports Sciences
- Applied Sciences
Applicants should not apply unless their programme clearly falls within one of the supported fields.
Eligible Countries
Applicants must be citizens or recognised refugees from one of the following countries:
- Angola
- Botswana
- Eswatini
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- South Africa
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Applicants must also ordinarily reside in one of these countries.
General Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be citizens or recognised refugees from an eligible Southern African country.
- Ordinarily reside in an eligible country.
- Apply for or already be enrolled in a Master’s or PhD programme.
- Study at a South African university.
- Meet the relevant academic qualification requirements.
- Demonstrate at least two years of meaningful social justice involvement.
- Show that their research addresses an important social justice issue in Southern Africa.
- Submit a complete online application before the deadline.
Master’s Degree Requirements
Master’s applicants must:
- Hold or expect to obtain a good Honours degree.
- Apply for or be registered for a relevant Master’s programme.
- Study at a South African university.
- Demonstrate social justice involvement.
- Show that their proposed study aligns with one of the supported fields.
Master’s funding may be awarded for up to two years.
PhD Requirements
PhD applicants must:
- Hold or expect to obtain a good Master’s degree.
- Apply for or be registered for a PhD at a South African university.
- Identify a suitable academic supervisor.
- Submit a draft research proposal during the application process.
- Demonstrate that the proposed research addresses a significant Southern African social justice issue.
PhD funding may continue for up to three years, subject to satisfactory academic progress.
Social Justice Experience Requirement
Applicants must demonstrate at least two years of meaningful involvement in social justice activities.
This may include participation in:
- Community organisations
- Advocacy initiatives
- Human-rights programmes
- Education-development projects
- Environmental justice campaigns
- Legal-access initiatives
- Research projects
- Youth-development programmes
- Civil-society organisations
- Public-interest activities
Applicants should provide specific examples of their contribution, responsibilities and impact.
Research Focus
The proposed study must address an important social justice issue affecting Southern Africa.
Applicants should clearly explain:
- The problem being investigated.
- Why the issue matters.
- Which communities or groups are affected.
- How the research may contribute to change.
- How the work relates to the supported scholarship field.
- Why the research is relevant to Southern Africa.
What Does the Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship Cover?
Successful applicants may receive funding ranging from:
R20 000 to R100 000
The amount awarded will depend on the student’s circumstances and assessed financial needs.
Funding may contribute towards:
- Tuition fees
- Study-related expenses
- Other approved academic costs
The supplied information does not guarantee that every recipient will receive R100 000 or that all study expenses will be fully covered.
Scholarship Duration
Funding may be awarded for:
- Up to two years for Master’s studies.
- Up to three years for PhD studies.
Continued PhD funding is subject to satisfactory academic progress.
Recipients may be required to provide academic progress reports during the scholarship period.
Additional Scholar Benefits
In addition to financial support, successful applicants may receive access to:
- Annual Canon Collins conferences
- Networking opportunities
- Leadership-development activities
- Professional-development events
- The Canon Collins scholar community
- An active alumni network
These activities are intended to support the personal, academic and professional development of scholarship recipients.
Application Process
The selection process consists of two stages.
Applicants must first submit the initial online application. Only eligible and complete applications will be considered for the second stage.
Stage 1 Application
Applicants must complete the online application by:
14 August 2026 at 16:00 SAST
Stage 1 applicants must upload:
- Degree certificates.
- Academic transcripts.
- An updated Curriculum Vitae.
- An identification document.
- Proof of recognised refugee status, where applicable.
- Two recent payslips, if currently employed.
Incomplete applications may not progress to the next stage.
Stage 2 Application
Applicants who successfully pass Stage 1 are expected to receive an invitation by email during September 2026.
Stage 2 documents will include:
- Two reference letters.
- A sample writing piece for Master’s applicants.
- A draft research proposal for PhD applicants.
- A supervisor support letter for PhD applicants.
Only invited applicants will be required to complete Stage 2.
Interview and Selection Timeline
Shortlisted candidates are expected to attend interviews during:
- October 2026
- November 2026
Final scholarship outcomes are expected to be communicated by:
Mid-December 2026
Applicants should monitor their email regularly, including spam and junk folders.
Required Documents for Stage 1
Applicants should prepare:
- Degree certificate or certificates.
- Complete academic transcript.
- Updated CV.
- Passport or national identity document.
- Refugee-status documentation, where applicable.
- Two recent payslips, if employed.
Documents should be clear, complete and uploaded in the requested format.
Documents Required During Stage 2
Invited candidates will need:
- Two recent reference letters.
- A writing sample for Master’s applications.
- A draft PhD research proposal for doctoral applications.
- A letter from the proposed PhD supervisor.
- Any additional documents requested by the selection panel.
Applicants should begin preparing these documents early, especially research proposals and supervisor letters.
Important Application Rules
Applicants should ensure that:
- Their programme falls within an eligible field.
- Their proposed research has a clear social justice focus.
- They meet the nationality or refugee-status requirement.
- They ordinarily reside in an eligible country.
- They apply to a South African university.
- All information supplied is truthful.
- Supporting documents are uploaded correctly.
- The application is submitted before the deadline.
Saving an incomplete application does not mean that it has been formally submitted.
How to Apply for Canon Collins RMTF Scholarships 2027
Applications must be submitted online through the designated scholarship application portal.
Click here to apply for Canon Collins RMTF Scholarships 2027
Applicants should:
- Open the online application portal.
- Create or sign in to an applicant profile.
- Select the Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship.
- Complete all required personal information.
- Provide academic and research details.
- Describe their social justice experience.
- Upload all Stage 1 supporting documents.
- Review the application carefully.
- Submit it before 16:00 SAST on 14 August 2026.
- Retain confirmation of submission.
Scholarship Application Closing Date
Applications close on:
14 August 2026 at 16:00 South African Standard Time
Applications submitted after the deadline may not be accepted.
Applicants should submit early to avoid last-minute login, upload or internet-related difficulties.
Important Application Checklist
Before submitting the application, confirm that:
- You are a citizen or recognised refugee from an eligible country.
- You ordinarily reside in one of the listed Southern African countries.
- You are applying for a Master’s or PhD programme.
- Your programme is offered by a South African university.
- Your field falls under Justice, Education Policy and Practice or Humanities.
- You have at least two years of social justice involvement.
- Your research addresses a Southern African social justice issue.
- Your degree certificates are attached.
- Your academic transcripts are attached.
- Your CV is updated.
- Your identity or refugee-status documents are attached.
- Your payslips are attached, where applicable.
- Your application is submitted by 14 August 2026 at 16:00 SAST.