The University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP) invites eligible academic staff members to apply for financial support to complete their first Master’s or PhD degree from the UCDP Staff Credentialing Project. This initiative supports the institution’s commitment to advancing academic excellence and accelerating completion rates for emerging academics.
As part of UKZN’s strategic plan to increase PhD credentialing among its staff, this initiative provides funds to enable you to complete your first doctoral degree. This aligns with the national goal of having 75% of academic staff with doctoral qualifications by 2030. Through this funding, successful applicants may receive support for key research-related expenses—such as fieldwork, data collection related expenses, and teaching relief – refer to page 1 of the application form for a list of funded categories.
The awards made will take effect from the written date of acceptance of an award to the end of November 2026. The awarded funds must be used by the end of November 2026. The only deviation from this is when staff appointments (i.e. for teaching relief) have been made, which may run through to the end of December 2026.
Application Process and Deadline
To apply, please complete the application form and submit it to the UCDP Office via email at ucdp@ukzn.ac.za. The deadline for submission is Friday, 5 December 2025.
For further details on eligible expenses, please contact the Central UCDP Office at ucdp@ukzn.ac.za before submitting your application. Please note that only complete applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed.
Please note:
- Preference will be given to first-time applicants.
- Second+ time applicants should send a progress report/summary of how previous funds have benefited them.
- Applicants registered for more than 10 semesters for a PhD will NOT be considered.
We look forward to supporting you on this important milestone toward your academic and professional goals.
All signatures must be obtained and all supporting documentation must be submitted with the application, incomplete applications will not be considered
