UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN
Postgraduate Funding Office - PGFO
Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
3rd Level | Otto Beit Building | University Avenue | Upper Campus
Tel: +27 21 650 3622
Email: nrfdasupport@uct.ac.za 
	
REFEREE LETTER TEMPLATE FOR 2026 National Research Foundation (NRF) APPLICATIONS

Dear Applicants, 

As requested by the NRF, ALL postgraduate students applying for master’s or doctoral NRF scholarships must upload a referee letter from their supervisor/head of department. Please provide your supervisor or head of department (if supervision is not finalised) with this template for completion. Please upload the completed and signed referee letter to your application to be considered complete and for funding support. Please note, the Designated Authority (UCT NRF Staff) will stamp the letter during their screening period. 

THE SUPERVISOR REFEREE LETTER APPLIES TO ALL *FIRST-TIME MASTER’S, *FIRST-TIME DOCTORAL *EXTENSION MASTERS AND *EXTENSION DOCTORAL APPLICANTS. SARAO MASTERS AND SARAO DOCTORAL should follow the SARAO guidelines. 
*This requirement is only applicable to the Master’s (general scholarships, NRF-DAAD, NRF-SASOL, Manus MatSci scholarships, NRF-EMET, NRF-SASAC and Scholarship linked to NRF-funded research – CoE; Thuthuka) and Doctoral (general scholarships, NRF-DAAD, NRF-MINDS, NRF-SASOL, Manus MatSci scholarships, NRF-EMET, NRF-SASAC, NRF-PDP and Scholarship linked to NRF-funded research – CoE; Thuthuka) scholarship programmes selected under the Application Category section. NOTE: This requirement is NOT APPLICABLE to those applying under “Global Change”, “SARChI” and other “Scholarship linked to NRF funded research” (see page 16 of the application and funding guide for the full list of institutional and research grants).

FOR THE SUPERVISOR
Please comment in the space provided. 
Please confirm whether you will supervise the applicant 	
	
Please comment in the space provided. 
Please confirm whether UCT (the host department) has the necessary infrastructure to carry out all recommended research projects as detailed in the applications submitted to the NRF. 	
	
Please comment in the space provided. 
Please confirm whether NRF funded students will be given the necessary support during the period of study by UCT (the host department). 	

Please comment in the space provided. 
Please confirm if ethical clearance is required?	
	
SUPERVISOR OR HEAD OF DEPARTMENT SIGNATURE 

	DATE: 		
	NAME AND SURNAME		
DA (UCT NRF STAFF) SIGNATURE 

	DATE: 		
	NAME AND SURNAME