SATS is proud to announce the 2026 full PhD scholarship and research and teaching internship for emerging African theologians interested in Applied Hermeneutics for African Realities. The opportunity includes a fully paid PhD scholarship, as well as research assistance and teaching experience.
Applicants are required to engage the field of applied biblical hermeneutics and African realities. Holding to biblical faithfulness and the truthfulness of Scripture, SATS is inviting proposals that embrace and develop a hermeneutic that accords ultimate priority to the text and yet grapples with the contemporary context for faithful application and relevance.
Who can apply?
You may apply if you:
- Live on the African continent.
- Hold an accredited master’s degree in theology or related fields.
- Aspire to serve in theological education.
What should be the topic or focus of your doctoral research?
The study must explore specific biblical texts that are contextually interesting and address African realities through text-centred hermeneutics.
What is the process SATS will follow with this scholarship?
The process starts with a general advertisement of the scholarship. The due date for applications is 10 October 2025. Thereafter, a panel of SATS academics will interview the best applicants and draw up a shortlist of the three most promising applications. They will submit a recommendation to SATS’s Senior Management Team for approval. Next, SATS will engage with the chosen candidate to clarify the final details and conditions of the scholarship and internship. The chosen candidate will be announced by 5 December 2025. Finally, arrangements will be made for the candidate to formally commence their PhD studies.
What are the conditions of the scholarship and internship?
Applicants who meet all the academic and registration requirements will be considered for a full PhD scholarship at SATS. The committee will select only one applicant. The scholarship is conditional upon continued performance throughout the doctoral journey. These requirements are as follows:
- The successful completion of phases 1–5 of the PhD process.
- A commitment to serve as a research assistant to a selected senior academic during phases 1, 2, and 3 of the PhD process. The commitment would not exceed 8 hours per month.
- The successful completion of SATS’s internal lecturing course by the end of phase 3.
- Teaching a cohort of 20 first-year students per term during phases 4 and 5 of the PhD process.[1]
The research assistance and teaching will be part of an internship and will thus not be a paid position. In addition to the full PhD scholarship, the student will receive the following:
- Access to an annual Perlego subscription for their studies.
- A once-off R10 000 (±550 USD) office allowance towards a laptop, resources, books, etc.
How do I apply?
Write an essay and email it to Marilyn Schott, the SATS Registrar, at
- Your personal profile, including a description of the ministry in which you are involved (100–200 words)
- Your philosophy on theological education (100–150 words)
- Preliminary thesis title (10–25 words)
- An abstract (200–300 words)
- A short explanation of the uniqueness of your proposed research (50–100 words)
- A short description of the potential significance of your proposed research (100–200 words)
- Tell us why you think you merit the scholarship (100–200 words)
For further information
Please contact Marilyn Schott (
[1] The student is required to finish any cohort they start with.