Student Opportunities

Opportunities

A list of training opportunities for early and mid-career professionals in fields relating to marine science. For internship and postdoctoral opportunities, please have a look at the Vacancies page.
Opportunity
  
  
SCAR has launched its 2025 Antarctic-related Fellowships for early-career researchers. Following the launch of the Polar Initiative in 2022 the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has funded an additional SCAR fellowship and as a result SCAR will offer in total four to five fellowships of up to USD $15,000 each for 2025.
SCAR7/31/2025
A PhD opportunity is available at the Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas (IIM-CSIC) in Vigo, Spain, focusing on the dynamics of nitrous oxide (N₂O) in the Atlantic and Antarctic Oceans. The project combines laboratory measurements, oceanographic fieldwork, and advanced data analysis to study N₂O production, transport, and exchange with the atmosphere. Ideal candidates have a background in marine or environmental sciences, an interest in programming, and a passion for interdisciplinary climate research. The position is linked to ongoing projects and aims to be funded through competitive grants. Interested applicants should contact mercedes.delapaz@iim.csic.es. No closing date specified.
IIM-CSIC7/31/2025
24 Nov - 5 Dec 2025 | Cape Town​​
​Applications are open for the Coastal and Regional Ocean Community Model (CROCO) Summer School. It will be held at the Center for High Performance Computing (CHPC) in Cape Town, South Africa, offering a unique opportunity for ocean modeling enthusiasts and researchers. Attendance is free and in-person.
SAEON, IRD & partners8/15/2025
The EAF-Nansen Programme, a FAO/IMR initiative, offers 5 fully-supported MSc/PhD studentships for 2025-2028. This opportunity is for nationals from 32 partner countries, including South Africa, who are accepted into a relevant graduate programme. Research must align with one of three themes: fish population dynamics and stock assessment; climate change impacts on fisheries; or aquatic food systems, including nutrition, safety, and value chains. The studentship covers tuition, subsistence allowances, and research costs directly. Students will also be co-supervised by a programme expert.
FAO8/15/2025
Applications are now open for the 2026 intake of the Master’s in Applied Ocean Sciences (AOS), starting in February 2026. This two-year programme is the pilot course for the South African Master in Ocean Sciences (SAMOS), a collaborative initiative involving nine South African universities, the NRF, and five European partners, co-funded by the EU Erasmus+ CBHE programme (2025–2028). The AOS programme includes coursework and a minor dissertation, preparing students for careers in the blue bio-economy, marine research, and ecosystem conservation. In 2026, students will register at the University of Cape Town (UCT), with coursework hosted at Nelson Mandela University’s Ocean Sciences Campus in Gqeberha. The second year will focus on research at one of the nine partner universities.
NRF & partners8/31/2025
27-31 October 2025 | Online
​The Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation (SEEC) at the University of Cape Town is offering an online short course on statistical modelling and data analysis using R from October 27-31, 2025. Targeting researchers and scientists, the course covers R basics, regression, experimental design, and generalized linear models. The fee is R5000, and participants need basic statistical knowledge and their own computer with R and R-Studio.
UCT9/26/2025
The DSTI and NRF have announced a call for new Master's and Doctoral funding applications for the 2026 academic year, with continuing eligible students required to submit progress reports. Funding is available at Full Cost of Study (FCS) for eligible South African citizens and permanent residents (financially needy, disabled, or exceptional academic achievers) and Partial Cost of Study (PCS) for a limited number of international students and other qualifying South Africans. Applications across Science, Engineering, Technology, Social Sciences, and Humanities must be submitted online via the NRF Connect System, with specific opening and closing dates for students at different study levels. 
Closing dates:
Honours (General): 21 November 2025
NRF-SARAO Honours: 31 August 2025
First-time Master’s: 04 July 2025
First-time Doctoral: 04 July 2025
Master’s and Doctoral Extension Support: 15 August 2025
NRF11/21/2025
The Institute for Coastal and Marine Research (and collaborators) is offering a free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to share lessons learnt in developing the Algoa Bay Marine Spatial Plan (MSP). The MOOC will be available for free on the Nelson Mandela University's Engage platform and can be accessed at any time by anybody around the World! Click here for further details, if you are interested in doing this Course, kindly register here​. YouTube details: https://youtu.be/_g2PxfPKVOQ
NMU12/31/2025