University of the Free State Postdoctoral Research Fellowships 2026: Multiple Opportunities Available
University of the Free State (UFS)
- Location
- Free State
- Contract
- Fixed-term contract
- Salary (as advertised)
- R270 000 per year
- Minimum qualification
- Bachelor's degree
- Closing date
First listed . Last checked at source .
In brief
**Overview** The University of the Free State (UFS) invites suitably qualified South African and international researchers to apply for several Postdoctoral Research Fellowship opportunities for the 2026 / 2027 academic year. These fellowships are available at the QwaQwa and Bloemfontein campuses and cover a range of research fields including Economics and Finance, Public Health, Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction, Environmental Sustainability, and related areas. Each fellowship has a distinct research focus and specific requirements. **What you will do** The key responsibilities vary depending on the specific fellowship opportunity: * **1. Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Economics and Finance** The successful fellow will: * Examine perceptions and social uptake of improved rangeland management. * Design impact-evaluation frameworks. * Compare livelihood and income outcomes before and after interventions. * Analyse household and community-level socioeconomic data. * Analyse quantitative and qualitative research data. * Conduct fieldwork in Phuthaditjhaba and surrounding areas. * Apply econometric, quasi-experimental and mixed-method approaches. * Contribute to journal articles, policy briefs and stakeholder reports. * Participate in stakeholder workshops. * Support postgraduate supervision. * Contribute to grant writing. * Engage with communities, policymakers and project partners. * **2. Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Public Health** Successful fellows will be expected to: * Conduct innovative Public Health research. * Produce at least three DHET-accredited scholarly outputs per year. * Initiate research projects. * Seek research funding. * Participate in activities of the Division of Public Health. * Register and reside as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UFS. * **3. Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Disaster Management and Climate Change** Successful candidates will: * Conduct interdisciplinary research. * Undertake quantitative and qualitative analysis. * Support the Northern Cape climate project. * Assist with data management. * Conduct literature synthesis. * Prepare technical reports. * Draft policy briefs and stakeholder reports. * Participate in research seminars. * Contribute to funding and grant applications. * Develop research networks. * Produce at least two DHET-accredited journal articles per year. * Reside and participate in research activities at UFS. **Requirements (from the original advert)** The eligibility and minimum requirements differ for each fellowship: * **1. Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Economics and Finance** Applicants must have: * PhD in Economics, Agricultural Economics, Environmental Economics, Development Studies or a closely related field. * PhD completed within the last five years. * Strong knowledge of applied microeconomics, development economics or environmental/resource economics. * Experience with quantitative analysis using tools such as Stata, R or Python and/or mixed-methods research. * Evidence of peer-reviewed publications or manuscripts under review. * Ability to undertake field-based research in rural or communal environments. * *Advantageous experience includes:* Rangeland management, livestock systems, natural resource governance, climate adaptation, Difference-in-Differences, Propensity Score Matching, Instrumental Variables, Panel-data analysis, Community-based natural resource management, and Southern African rural contexts. * **2. Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Public Health** Applicants must: * Be South African or foreign nationals. * Have completed a PhD in a relevant discipline within the last five years. * Not hold full-time salaried employment during the fellowship. * Spend at least 80% of the postdoctoral period at UFS. * **3. Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Disaster Management and Climate Change** Applicants must: * Be South African or foreign nationals. * Hold a PhD awarded within the last five years. * Have a PhD in a relevant field such as Disaster Management, Environmental Science, Agricultural and Environmental Economics, Climate Change, Sustainability Science, Agricultural Sciences, Development Studies, Geography, Environmental Management, or a related interdisciplinary field. * Demonstrate potential for independent research. * Have relevant research-methods experience. * Not hold full-time salaried employment. * Be able to relocate to UFS. * Spend at least 80% of the fellowship period at UFS. **Who should apply** The University of the Free State invites suitably qualified South African and international researchers. The ideal candidate profile is tailored to the specific focus of each fellowship: * **1. Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Economics and Finance** Candidates interested in a two-year fellowship linked to the Restoring Biodiversity and Connection to Nature in the Southern African Mountains Research Chair. The fellowship focuses on the economic and social impacts of improved rangeland management practices and livestock value-chain strategies. Research will examine how interventions affect livestock owners’ incomes, rural livelihoods, livestock productivity, sustainable land management, climate-resilient agriculture, and community responses to improved rangeland practices. The research is centred on communal and smallholder livestock systems around the Witsieshoek Indigenous and Communal Protected Areas in Phuthaditjhaba. * **2. Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Public Health** Candidates interested in research areas such as Public Health, Mental Health, Digital Health, Environmental Health, or Planetary Health. * **3. Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Disaster Management and Climate Change** Candidates whose research focuses on climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, environmental sustainability, resilience, climate-smart development, or disaster risk governance. The successful candidate will contribute to a Northern Cape provincial project focused on integrating climate change response with disaster management planning. **Deadline** The closing date varies per fellowship: * **1. Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Economics and Finance:** 30 October 2026 * **2. Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Public Health:** 19 October 2026 * **3. Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Disaster Management and Climate Change:** 23 October 2026 **Reference** Original posting: https://www.studentroom.co.za/university-of-the-free-state-postdoctoral-research-fellowships-2026-multiple-opportunities-available/ Source: studentroom
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