The central purpose of The Mandela Rhodes Foundation is to build exceptional leadership capacity in Africa. The Mandela Rhodes programmes aim to develop leadership and vocational capacity across African society, to help the continent achieve success and prosperity and full equal participation in the global world.
Beyond the flagship Scholarships Programme, the MRF sees potential in partnering with like-minded organisations to further enhance its purpose and impact. In 2016, the Foundation partnered with the Leverhulme Trust to create a new Doctoral Scholarship offering. This opportunity is only available to Alumni of the MRF, making it a very compelling supplementary offering to the Mandela Rhodes experience. The Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships were known as the Leverhulme Mandela Rhodes Doctoral Scholarships until March 2020, when they were renamed in honour of Shaun Johnson, the MRF’s Founding Executive Director, after he passed away unexpectedly.
The aim of the Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships (SJMS) is to increase the impact and effectiveness of Mandela Rhodes Alumni who wish to pursue PhD studies outside the African continent, by connecting them to financial support for doctoral study in the United Kingdom. We believe that this partnership is aligned with our vision to increase leadership and vocational capacity.
The Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships increases vocational capacity by:
- Supporting Alumni to further specialise in their chosen disciplines through doctoral study.
- Enabling Alumni to access some of the best supervisors and research facilities in those disciplines, which may not necessarily be available in their home countries.
The Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships increase leadership capacity by:
- Supporting Alumni who have clearly identified and articulated the next phase of their leadership journey and feel that doctoral studies will support that intent.
- Increasing Alumni access to international networks of academic and vocational influence via strategic positioning at UK universities.
About Mandela Rhodes Foundation
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation is one of Nelson Mandela’s three official legacy organisations, founded in 2003 in partnership with the Rhodes Trust. Our purpose is to build exceptional leadership capacity in Africa. We find, fund, and empower young Africans who aspire to use their talents to serve their societies and our continent. We do this by providing a postgraduate scholarship for young leaders to study in South Africa and participate in a residential Leadership Development Programme. Our programme is built on Nelson Mandela’s belief that leadership begins with inner transfo... read more
Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships
| Application Deadline | 14 Mar 2022 |
| Type | PhD |
| Sponsor | Mandela Rhodes Foundation |
| Gender | Men and Women |
Aim and Benefits of Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships
The Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships cover your tuition and provides a stipend for your living costs.
Requirements for Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships Qualification
- Candidates must be Mandela Rhodes Scholars
- Candidates must be beginning a new PhD – the SJMS does not provide support for PhDs which have already been begun
Interview date, Process and Venue for Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation acknowledges and supports the Leverhulme Trust’s approach to grant giving, which is to use established criteria as a baseline, and from there select on the basis of congruence with the Trust’s values and aims. The primary baseline criteria for PHD research proposals are: originality, importance, significance, and merit.
The secondary criteria for the Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarship are designed to meet the aims of the MRF outlined above. Applicants should motivate for the scholarship on the basis of the following criteria:
- Their research. The research proposal should have a demonstrable potential social impact, that will contribute to the betterment of Africa. The research should meet the criteria of originality, importance, significance and merit.
- Their research institution of choice. The applicant should motivate for why it is necessary for this research to be conducted at a UK institution of their choice, making specific mention of potential supervisor/s they have identified, or research units they intend to join. The applicant should be able to articulate how this positioning will advance them in their career, beyond the completion of the doctoral thesis.
- Their leadership capacity and potential. The applicant should demonstrate how the MRF values have been threaded through their journey since their time in residence to the present moment, through their academic and non-academic pursuits. They should be able to motivate for why they believe the Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarship for doctoral study in the UK is an essential next part of their leadership journey.
Application Deadline
March 14, 2022How to Apply
Mandela Rhodes Alumni who wish to apply to be recommended for the Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarship can download an application form via MandelaRhodesConnect. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
The application process
- Mandela Rhodes Alumni who wish to apply to be recommended for the Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarship can request an application form from Gigi Edross-Jeppie ([email protected]).
- Applications will close at 12 noon, SAST, on the 14th of March. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. All application forms are to be submitted to Gigi directly.
- Referees must be asked to send reference letters directly to Gigi. If your reference letters have not been received by the deadline, your application will not be considered.
- Candidates will be contacted on the 25th of March to confirm whether or not they are through to the interview round.
- Panel interviews will take place virtually on Friday the 8th of April 2022.
- Candidates will be informed whether their application for the SJMS has been successful by the 13th of April.
For more details, visit Mandela Rhodes Foundation website.