HPI-UCT Digital Health Fellowship 2026

Overview

The Hasso-Plattner Institute (HPI) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) jointly fund doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships each year for African researchers in digital health. Fellows are hosted within UCT’s School of Information Technology or School of Public Health in Cape Town. This programme accepts both PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers, and funding runs for up to three years subject to annual progress reviews.

Research areas include health information systems, AI in healthcare, electronic health records, community health technologies, data governance, natural language processing for clinical text, and the intersection of climate change and public health.

Benefits

PhD track: Tuition and registration fees are covered in full. Fellows receive a monthly bursary of ZAR 21,850 (ZAR 262,200 per year), a one-time equipment allowance of ZAR 28,500, and conference travel funding of ZAR 38,000 per year.

Postdoc track: Fellows receive a salary of ZAR 300,000 to ZAR 380,000 per year, calibrated to experience, plus the same ZAR 28,500 equipment allowance and ZAR 38,000 annual conference travel budget.

Both tracks are funded for a maximum of three years. Continuation depends on demonstration of adequate research progress at each annual review.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet all of the following:

• Be a citizen or permanent resident of an African country.
• Hold a master’s degree for the PhD track, or a doctoral degree for the postdoc track.
• Demonstrate strong English proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS scores required).
• Commit to full-time study in Cape Town, which requires a valid South African study visa.

Peer-reviewed publications strengthen an application but are not mandatory. Candidates should identify at least one potential supervisor from UCT’s Departments of Computer Science, Information Systems, or Public Health before applying.

How to apply

Compile a single PDF file containing:

• CV of 2-3 pages
• Academic transcripts
• TOEFL or IELTS score report
• Research proposal of 2-3 pages naming potential UCT supervisors

Submit via the online form at the application link on sit.uct.ac.za/hpi-fellowships. The deadline is 15 August 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so earlier submission is advisable. Send queries to hpi-admin@uct.ac.za.