SARAO

About SARAO

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, or SARAO, is a national facility managed by the National Research Foundation. It runs the country's radio astronomy work. Its best-known instrument is the MeerKAT telescope, which has 64 dishes spread across a stretch of the Karoo near Carnarvon in the Northern Cape. MeerKAT also forms part of the larger international Square Kilometre Array, or SKA, which South Africa co-hosts with Australia.

Radio astronomy has a long history here. Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory started in 1961. Today the field supports a growing community of scientists, engineers and data specialists.

How SARAO supports students

A telescope needs far more than astronomers. It needs electronic, electrical, mechanical and computer engineers, plus physicists, mathematicians and software experts. For this reason SARAO funds scholarships at several levels. This profile covers the undergraduate and honours scholarships.

The undergraduate scholarship has covered degrees such as Electronic, Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronic and Computer Engineering. It has also covered BSc programmes in Physics with Mathematics, Physics with Electronics, Physics with Astronomy, and Computer Science with Mathematics. The honours scholarship targets students going into BSc Honours in Astronomy or Astrophysics, or in Computer Science with Mathematics.

Funding comes either as a full cost of study or a partial cost of study. Full funding has gone to South African citizens and permanent residents who are in financial need, living with a disability, or exceptional academic achievers. Financial need has been defined by household income, so check the current limit in the guide.

Careers in this field are broader than many students expect. SARAO engineers build and maintain receivers, signal processing systems and the power and control networks that keep a remote telescope running. Data scientists handle the large volumes of information that MeerKAT produces every day. A funded degree in one of these areas can therefore open doors in research, industry or technology.

What to know before applying

SARAO asks applicants to explain how their degree connects to a career in radio astronomy. In other words, a loosely related reason will not be enough. Show that you understand the field and want to work in it.

Honours applicants usually need a relevant BSc completed or nearly completed. For example, a Physics and Mathematics degree to third-year level has been accepted. Honours calls have also been open to citizens of several partner African countries, such as Botswana, Ghana, Kenya and Namibia.

Applications often go through your university's research or funding office, which follows the national NRF funding calendar. As a result, internal deadlines can fall earlier than the national one. Contact your university early, and read the current SARAO application guide for exact criteria, amounts and dates.