Tips for completing your Bursary Application

Here are a few important issues that each applicant should be aware of before completing the bursary application form. We suggest you read through these points and take note, thereby avoiding errors made by many applicants in the past.

TIP #1

Are you eligible?

The goal of the PRF is to ensure that protein for animal nutrition is produced locally rather than having to be imported, so research related to all aspects of soybean and canola production is relevant, as is the efficient utilisation of protein by poultry, pigs and dairy cattle. Your proposal needs to address explicitly how it fits with this general mission and current priority areas.

Study the PRF website, and look up projects that have been funded in the past to get an idea of what works. Some knowledge of the aims and activities of the PRF will help you to direct your research more appropriately.

TIP #2

Ensure that you have discussed your proposed postgraduate study with a supervisor who is both aware of, and will support, the research you plan to undertake

Postgraduate study at the Masters level, especially, is a time to learn all aspects of how research should be conducted, so you need a supervisor who will provide you with the relevant training. Select a supervisor who is well known in the field of study you have chosen, who has published in reputable journals and who has successfully supervised students in the past.

Bear in mind that members of the PRF have the necessary expertise to assist in choosing a topic, in planning the research and in analysing and interpreting the results of the research. Feel free to involve us together with your supervisor if this would help you to conduct more worthwhile research.

TIP #3

Define your objectives carefully

Create specific aims and well-defined criteria to quantify success, and keep it concise. The proposal should have clear headlines, should be easy to read and should have a logical flow from one paragraph to the next. Cite the literature on which your proposed research is based and show that you and your supervisor have the expertise and facilities to conduct such a project successfully.

TIP #4

Complete all the sections required

Plan your application carefully and read the instructions. In addition, ensure you complete all the required forms and submit all the necessary documents using the templates provided.

TIP #5

Do not submit a hand-written application

Remember that you are trying to create a good impression of your ability as a scholar and researcher. No matter how impressive your handwriting, you must demonstrate that you are capable at least of making use of a word processor.