African Trust Infrastructures Doctoral Fellowships 2027 in South Africa
Offered by Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER), University of the Witwatersrand, with support from Standard Bank
Location
South Africa
Funding
Fully Funded
Study level
PhD
Field of study
Law, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Political Science, Finance & Accounting, Other
Application deadline
November 15, 2026
About This Fellowship
The African Trust Infrastructures Doctoral Fellowships are offered by the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER) at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Supported by Standard Bank, the fellowships form part of the second phase of the African Trust Infrastructures research project.
The programme invites doctoral researchers from relevant academic disciplines to investigate how systems of identification, population registration, credit and finance have developed in African societies and how these systems shape institutions, economic relationships and everyday life.
The project brings together questions from history, political science, anthropology, economics, sociology and law. It is particularly interested in the ways that digital systems used to identify people, administer populations, establish financial identities and manage access to credit influence relationships between citizens, institutions, governments and financial organisations.
What is the African Trust Infrastructures project about?
Digital identification and financial systems increasingly influence how people access services, prove their identity, participate in the formal economy and interact with public and private institutions. These systems can create new opportunities for service delivery and financial participation, but they can also raise questions about exclusion, surveillance, institutional power, data governance and the distribution of economic opportunities.
The African Trust Infrastructures project examines these developments through historical and contemporary research. Rather than treating digital identification or finance as purely technical subjects, it considers the broader political, social and economic circumstances in which these systems emerge.
Possible research interests include:
1. Digital identification and population registration
Research may examine how national identity systems and digital population registers are designed, introduced and used, and how they affect people's relationships with the state and other institutions.
2. Credit, lending and financial inclusion
Potential topics include the historical development of lending systems, the institutions that determine access to credit, and how financial technologies change the relationships between borrowers, lenders and communities.
3. Digital finance and institutional change
Researchers may investigate how new financial systems influence economic participation, the organisation of financial services, the distribution of power or the ways in which people establish financial identities.
4. History and contemporary institutional development
The project encourages researchers to connect current developments with longer historical processes. This can help explain why particular systems emerge, how they become established and what their consequences may be.
Applicants should develop a clearly defined research question within the project's interests rather than assuming that any topic related to technology or finance will automatically qualify.
Two doctoral fellowship routes
The 2026 call offers a full-time route and a part-time route. Applicants should select the option that matches their circumstances and carefully consider the different funding and participation requirements.
Full-time doctoral fellowship
The full-time programme supports doctoral research over three years. Fellows are expected to work closely with WiSER research staff and participate fully in the institute's on-site intellectual life.
The funding package for the first year is R250,000. According to the official announcement, this covers university fees, research expenses and a living allowance. Some additional assistance with conference and research funding may also be available.
The full-time programme is not compatible with other employment. Fellows are also required to undertake up to five hours of work per week for WiSER.
This route may suit researchers who can commit their working time to doctoral study, research collaboration and participation in the institute's academic community.
Part-time doctoral fellowship
The part-time programme runs for five years and is designed to be compatible with other employment. Part-time fellows must, however, be based in Johannesburg and find ways to participate at least partially in the institute's intellectual life.
Part-time fellows receive funding for tuition, but living expenses are not covered. Some additional conference and research assistance may be available.
This route may be more suitable for applicants who need to maintain their employment while pursuing doctoral research and who can meet the Johannesburg-based participation requirement.
Who should consider applying?
The announcement welcomes outstanding prospective doctoral researchers from Political Science, History, Anthropology, Economics, Sociology, Law and other relevant or appropriate disciplines.
The project is interdisciplinary. Applicants should therefore demonstrate not only academic preparation in their discipline but also a clear connection between their proposed research and the African Trust Infrastructures theme.
The official announcement does not specify a nationality restriction. Prospective applicants should contact WiSER if they need clarification about admission, academic qualifications, residence arrangements or eligibility based on their individual circumstances.
Required application documents
The official call asks applicants to submit the following through the linked Google application form:
1. Complete academic transcripts
Provide the complete set of course transcripts for each degree. Review the documents before submission to ensure that all relevant academic records are included and readable.
2. Curriculum vitae
Include your academic qualifications, research experience, publications or writing experience where relevant, and the names and contact details of three academic referees.
3. A writing sample
Submit a piece of writing that demonstrates your ability to formulate an argument, work with evidence and communicate clearly. Select a sample that reflects your research and analytical abilities.
4. A one-page statement of research interest
Describe your interest in the African Trust Infrastructures project. Explain the broad question you would like to investigate and why it matters.
The application process requires a Gmail account to upload documents through the Google form. WiSER states that it will not retain a record of the Gmail account used for this purpose.
How to develop a strong research-interest statement
The one-page research-interest statement is an important opportunity to show that you understand the intellectual purpose of the project.
Identify a focused question. Instead of saying that you are interested in digital technology in Africa, identify a particular system, institution, historical process or financial relationship that you want to investigate.
Explain why the question matters. Describe the historical, political, social or economic issue behind your proposed research. Explain what the study could help us understand about institutions or the experiences of people who interact with them.
Connect your topic to the project's theme. Make the relationship between your research interest and trust infrastructures explicit. Consider how identification, population registration, credit or finance systems shape relationships between people and institutions.
Show disciplinary relevance. Explain how your academic background equips you to investigate the topic. A historian might emphasise archival and historical methods, while an economist could focus on financial institutions and incentives. Interdisciplinary proposals should explain how their different perspectives complement one another.
Keep the proposed scope manageable. A doctoral project needs a research question that can be investigated with available evidence and completed within the relevant study period. Avoid attempting to study every digital identification and financial system across Africa in one project.
Do not overstate what is already known. If your proposal is preliminary, explain the question you want to investigate rather than claiming to have established findings before conducting the research.
Funding and research responsibilities
The full-time route provides a first-year package of R250,000 and funding for three years. The published announcement does not provide a separate breakdown of the amount allocated to tuition, research expenses and living costs, nor does it specify the exact funding package for each subsequent year.
The part-time route provides tuition funding over five years but no living-expense allowance. Applicants should therefore consider accommodation, transport, research materials and other personal costs when deciding which route is feasible.
Both routes involve engagement with WiSER's research community. The full-time programme explicitly requires close collaboration with research staff, on-site participation and up to five hours of work per week for the institute.
Additional application advice
Choose a writing sample that demonstrates your strongest academic work. The sample should show coherent reasoning, a well-defined argument and appropriate use of evidence. If it was written for a different subject, explain its relevance where the application permits.
Prepare your academic referees early. The CV must include the names and contact details of three academic referees. Choose people who can speak to your research ability and academic preparation, and check that their contact details are current.
Make the research statement specific but appropriately preliminary. You do not need to claim that you have already completed the research. Instead, show that you can identify a meaningful question, understand its significance and explain how it connects to the project.
Check the practical requirements of your chosen route. Full-time applicants should assess whether they can discontinue other employment and relocate or participate on site. Part-time applicants should confirm that they can be based in Johannesburg and participate in WiSER's academic activities while continuing their employment.
Ask questions about fit before submitting if necessary. The official announcement directs research enquiries to Dr Laura Phillips at laura.phillips@wits.ac.za, with the phrase “Trust doctoral fellowship” in the email subject. Applicants can use this contact to clarify research alignment or questions not answered in the announcement.
Important information
This is a doctoral research opportunity, not a general postgraduate scholarship. Its focus is specific: historical and contemporary analyses of African trust infrastructures, including digital population registration, identification, credit and lending, and financial systems.
Applicants should not assume that the full-time and part-time routes offer identical financial support. The full-time route includes a living allowance in the first-year package; the part-time route does not provide living-expense support.
Application deadline: 15 November 2026, 11:00 p.m., as listed on the official WiSER announcement. The time zone is not stated, so confirm it with the institute if necessary.
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