Hey future PhD legends in Gauteng! Are you deep into your doctoral research and looking for some much-needed support for your fieldwork? Well, you’re in luck because the awesome Beyond Binaries project has an exciting opportunity just for you: the Beyond Binaries Fieldwork Bursary 2025! This isn’t just about funding; it’s about empowering the next generation of scholars to conduct impactful, ethical, and decolonial research. Ready to dive in? Let’s get your research funded!
The Beyond Binaries Fieldwork Bursary, a collaboration between the University of the Witwatersrand School of Social Sciences, IRD—the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development—and IFAS-Research, offers ten fieldwork bursaries, each valued at a cool R10,000! This bursary is specifically designed for PhD students currently registered at universities in Gauteng, South Africa. Its main goal is to give you a financial boost for your doctoral research, helping cover expenses directly linked to fieldwork and ethnographic activities like interviews, participant observation, and focus groups. This project is all about challenging old ways of thinking and supporting innovative, original research that celebrates diverse knowledge flows, moving beyond outdated binaries and promoting ethical practices in knowledge production. You can learn more about the project here.
Who Can Apply?
To be eligible for this fantastic opportunity, you need to tick a few boxes:
- You must be a currently registered PhD student at a university located in Gauteng.
- You need to be ready to complete your funded fieldwork by July 2026.
- Be prepared to attend events at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) related to the Beyond Binaries project, including a big conference in September 2026 focusing on ethics, extraction, and knowledge economies.
- Be committed to writing a short paper reflecting on your fieldwork experiences. Don’t worry, successful applicants will get awesome mentorship, editorial support, and training to help get your work ready for publication!
What Does It Cover?
Each of the ten bursaries is worth R10,000. This money is specifically meant to cover expenses directly related to your fieldwork and ethnographic research. Think interviews, participant observation, and focus groups – basically, anything that helps you get out there and gather your crucial data! This isn’t just a handout; it’s an investment in strengthening innovative and original research from Africa’s future scholars.
How to Apply?
Ready to get your application in? Here’s how to do it:
- Complete the online application form. You’ll need to detail your fieldwork plan, explaining exactly how you’ll use the bursary funds and how your research tackles those big ethical and epistemological questions. If you’re doing fieldwork outside South Africa, you’ll also need to show how you’ll comply with that country’s research approval requirements. Find the direct link to the application form in the official call (usually on the Beyond Binaries project website).
- Submit supporting documents via email. Send these to the email addresses provided in the official bursary call. Make sure you include:
- Your most current Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- A copy of your ethics approval paperwork or certificate.
The deadline for applications is super important: 23:59 on Monday, 20 October 2025. Don’t miss it! Successful applicants will hear back in early November 2025.
If boosting your PhD fieldwork with R10,000 and contributing to groundbreaking, ethical research sounds like your kind of opportunity, then don’t hesitate! Get your application in before the deadline. Plus, keep exploring more amazing funding opportunities right here on Bursaries Room – your future self will thank you!
