Criteria
The Skye Foundation and the Skye International Foundation award a number of annual scholarships to postgraduate students of exceptional merit who intend to read for a higher degree or prosecute research under the direction of leaders in their particular fields.
Under exceptional circumstances, awards may also be made in support of non-degree courses at postgraduate level.
The trustees may, at their discretion, also award funds towards purchase of research materials and equipment required by candidates selected for support.
The field of study is unrestricted. Awards are tenable at South African universities with a proven record of quality research in the relevant field or, at the discretion of the trustees, at recognised institutions of higher learning anywhere in the world.
Eligibility
Skye scholarships are awarded on the basis of outstanding academic achievement in any discipline and they are therefore awarded only to candidates of exceptional merit who have distinguished themselves academically in their first or subsequent degrees and are likely, in the opinion of trustees and their peers, to continue to achieve at a high level. Awards are made to South African Citizens who are normally under the age of 30.
The trustees will only consider candidates who have been nominated by deans of faculties and supported by academic leaders in their discipline.
It is not possible for candidates to apply directly for support and any applications so received will not be acknowledged.
The trustees may actively seek suitable candidates through approaches to local research universities.
In the case of study at foreign universities, preference will be given to candidates who have not had the opportunity to study overseas.
Honours Bursaries
Skye Foundation supports honours bursaries at both the universities of Cape Town and Witwatersrand. These are administered directly by the universities.
Value of Awards
Awards are generous and may, depending on circumstances, be sufficient to cover tuition fees, living expenses and other costs. Awards are generally for one academic year and may be renewed, at the discretion of trustees, for longer periods subject to indications of substantial progress on the part of the holder.
In the case of the PhD, early acceptance of research findings for publication would be an expectation, as would presentation of findings at international conferences in the particular discipline.
Depending on the value of the Skye scholarship, trustees may impose a limit on the value of other scholarships that can be held concurrently.