The Mastercard Foundation has teamed up with Stellenbosch University in South Africa to open applications for the 2025 African Stars Fellowship Program. This initiative offers the Mastercard African STARS Scholarship, a fully funded opportunity for students to pursue an MSc in Bioinformatics of Infectious Diseases and Pathogen Genomics at Stellenbosch University.
About the African STARS MSc Fellowship
- Duration: 2 years (February 2026 – January 2028)
- Location: Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Category: Masters Scholarships
- Eligible Countries: African Countries
- Reward: Full Scholarship
- Deadline: June 26, 2025
The program features a structured 9-month lecture block, which includes a mandatory module on Statistics and Bioinformatics. Following this, students can choose from elective modules in Infectious Diseases or Pathogen Genomics, allowing for customization to meet current research demands.
Participants will engage in over a year of practical research experience within Stellenbosch University’s esteemed infectious disease laboratories, culminating in a bioinformatics research project.
To support career growth, the fellowship offers workshops specifically designed for researchers from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Additionally, ongoing mentorship is provided by a dedicated team of supervisors from Stellenbosch University and partner institutions.
For further details regarding the MSc program structure, please refer to page 136 of the 2025 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Yearbook.
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for the Mastercard African STARS MSc Fellowship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Must be born in and/or currently reside in Africa
- Must be 35 years old or younger at the time of application
- Must possess a BSc Honours (NQF level 8) or an equivalent 4-year degree with a minimum of 65% in one of the following fields:
- Bioinformatics
- Data Science
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Computer Science
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- A related discipline
We especially encourage women to apply.
Benefits
The Mastercard African STARS Scholarship (African STARS MSc Fellowship) offers numerous benefits, covering all aspects of your MSc journey. This includes:
- Full tuition fees
- Comfortable accommodation
- A living stipend for daily expenses
- Support for research-related costs
- Coverage for air travel expenses
- Health insurance for peace of mind
This fellowship is designed to support you every step of the way!
How To Apply
To apply for the Mastercard African STARS Scholarship (African STARS MSc Fellowship), interested and qualified candidates should follow these steps:
- CLICK HERE to visit the scholarship webpage.
[Apply for the African STARS Fellowship (Scholarship)] Please note: This form is specifically for the scholarship application. Deadline: 26 June 2025 - Submit a formal application to Stellenbosch University for admission to the MSc Program.
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