Opportunities

Current Funding Opportunities for ECRs:

Check out the UCT's website for more information. Don't miss out!

PhD opportunities through the Africa Climate Collaborative at UCT

The Africa Climate Collaborative at the University of Cape Town is offering 12 funded PhD fellowships. The programme includes a year of structured coursework followed by three years of thesis research. The Marine and Antarctic Research Centre (MARiS) at UCT will host the following PhD projects:

• Participatory modelling and scenario development for climate resilient fisheries in the southern Benguela: The project brings fisheries stakeholders into the modelling process to co-develop climate adaptation scenarios for the southern Benguela. The candidate will translate those scenarios into quantitative model inputs and evaluate them using the southern Benguela Atlantis ecosystem model. Supervised by: Kelly Ortega-Cisneros (kelly.ortegacisneros@uct.ac.za) 

• “From Site to System”: a scale-explicit framework for evaluating climate adaptation in South African fisheries (a southern Benguela case study). The project seeks to develop a scale-explicit framework for evaluating climate adaptation in South African fisheries. Working with fishers, industry and managers in the southern Benguela, the student will build an evaluation approach that connects local evidence with national decision-making. Supervised by: Louise Gammage (louise.gammage@uct.ac.za) 

The closing date for applications is 15 October 2026. Full details and the list of research topics are at https://acdi.uct.ac.za/africaclimatecollaborative/phd-fellowships-climate-and-development

Postdoc opportunities through the Africa Climate Collaborative at UCT

The Africa Climate Collaborative is inviting applications for 10 Postdoctoral research fellowships supporting participation in our Postdoctoral Researcher Programme (PRP) in Climate and Development at the University of Cape Town (UCT).  The Marine and Antarctic Research Centre (MARiS) will host the following PhD projects:

• Climate risk assessment for South African marine ecosystems and fisheries: The project will develop a comprehensive climate risk assessment across South Africa's main marine ecosystems, quantifying climate hazards, species and fisheries exposure, and vulnerability under projected climate change. Supervised by Dr Kelly Ortega-Cisneros (kelly.ortegacisneros@uct.ac.za)

• From risk to response: adaptive capacity, response diversity and adaptation pathways in coastal social-ecological systems. This project asks who retains room to act as climate change reshapes fisheries in the southern Benguela. The fellow will measure response diversity, meaning the species, gears, grounds and livelihood options that fishers, industry and managers can still turn to. The project then uses those measures to identify which adaptation pathways remain open and what closes them off. Supervised by Dr Louise Gammage (louise.gammage@uct.ac.za )

Applications are now open and close on 29 October 2026. For the full list of research topics, eligibility requirements and information on how to apply, please visit:

https://acdi.uct.ac.za/africaclimatecollaborative/postdoctoral-research-fellowships-climate-and-development