Call for Applications: Postdoctoral and PhD Fellowships in Demography, Human Capital, and Sustainable Development
The Southern Africa Labour & Development Research Unit (SALDRU), based in the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town (UCT), in collaboration with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), invites applications for three postdoctoral fellowships and three PhD scholarships in the field of demography, human capital, and sustainable development. These positions will be based at SALDRU and are funded through the Yidan Prize in Education Research 2024, awarded to Wolfgang Lutz. The selected candidates will be part of a three-year project on African Human Capital and Sustainable Development, with the potential to contribute to the establishment of a permanent Africa Centre on this topic.
About the Project
The project will apply multi-dimensional demographic modelling to analyse how near-term investments in education translate into long-term improvements in human capital. This research will assess the implications for health, gender equity, poverty reduction, and resilience to environmental change.
Eligibility Criteria
We are looking for young scholars from across Sub-Saharan Africa, whether currently based on the continent or elsewhere, with strong quantitative skills and a commitment to using rigorous scientific research to inform policy-making.
Postdoctoral Fellowships Applicants must:
- Hold a PhD (awarded within the last 1-5 years) in demography, statistics, economics, or another quantitative social science discipline.
- Have experience working with large-scale datasets and quantitative models.
- Demonstrate strong STATA or R programming skills.
- Show an ability to disseminate research findings to academic and policy audiences.
- Have at least two working papers, with published journal articles being an advantage.
- A background in quantitative education policy research is desirable but not required.
- Have not previously held comprehensive professional or permanent academic positions.
PhD Scholarships Applicants must:
Hold a Master’s degree in demography, statistics, economics, or a related quantitative social science field.
Demonstrate strong quantitative skills and statistical software proficiency.
Show interest in research on education, human capital, and sustainable development.
Fellowship Benefits
- Funding: Financial support for up to three years at UCT’s competitive rates, up to a maximum of R315,000 for PhD and R534,000 for Postdoctoral Fellowships per annum (as per the UCT and SARS limit in 2025), and does not include any fringe benefits. The fellowship is renewable, contingent on satisfactory academic progress and the availability of funds.
- Supervision: Mentorship by internationally renowned demographers and development economists.
- International Exposure: Participation in training activities at IIASA (Vienna, Austria) and high-level science-to-policy workshops across Africa
- Skills Development: Training in demographic modelling for analysing human capital formation and its broader impacts.
Application Process
Deadline: 20 March 2025
Applicants are required to submit:
- A letter of application outlining research interests and motivation.
- A CV, including details of conference presentations, working papers, and publications (if applicable).
- Academic transcripts for all degrees.
- Three academic reference letters.
Applications and enquiries should be sent to: saldru@uct.ac.za
Subject Line: Application for Postdoc/PhD – Human Capital Project
Note: The University of Cape Town reserves the right to disqualify incomplete or ineligible applications, to adjust the conditions of the award, or to make no awards at all.