Since its inception in 2008, the Astronomy Group (Astro) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has grown into a leading centre for research in cosmology and galaxy evolution. Today, UWC Astro is internationally recognised not only for its scientific contributions but also for its dynamic training environment and its strong commitment to transforming the astronomy landscape in South Africa and beyond.
We play a key role in MeerKAT, South Africa’s world-class 64-dish radio telescope, and are deeply involved in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) – the largest astronomy project ever conceived. The SKA will be headquartered in the Karoo, with its regional data centre based in Cape Town, positioning UWC at the heart of next-generation radio astronomy and data science.
Students interested in applying are strongly encouraged to contact potential supervisors, or email astroadmin@uwc.ac.za, as soon as possible - preferably before submitting their formal application documents.
The Centre for Radio Cosmology (CRC) at the University of the Western Cape is internationally recognised for its research in cosmology and galaxy evolution with MeerKAT, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and other telescopes.
The CRC research team includes a large cohort of PhD and MSc students, as well as postdoctoral fellows. Postgraduate students at the CRC work in a friendly, supportive and highly active research environment, with guidance from CRC academic staff and postdoctoral researchers.
The CRC is offering MSc and PhD bursaries starting in 2027. Members of the CRC academic team will supervise successful applicants - Prof Ed Elson, Prof Michelle Lochner, Prof Roy Maartens, Dr Siyambonga Matshawule and Prof Mario Santos - on cutting-edge projects, briefly described below.
The available topics cover key science goals of the SKA and MeerKAT radio telescopes in cosmology and galaxy evolution. These science goals are closely linked to those of major upcoming and ongoing optical/infrared surveys, including DESI, Rubin/LSST and Euclid.
Students may also have the opportunity to be co-supervised by CRC visiting professors and collaborators, including Romeel Davé, Andrew Baker, Matt Jarvis, Chris Clarkson, Stefano Camera, Phil Bull, Laura Wolz, Marta Spinelli, Jingying Wang and Jose Fonseca.
Students may also have opportunities to spend time at institutions abroad, including those of our international collaborators. CRC research depends critically on data science, and CRC students have access to the resources of our partner, IDIA - the Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy - at UWC.
Applicants should email the following documents:
A CV.
Transcripts of all university-level results.
A brief cover letter of no more than one page, describing past research experience, if any, including details of the research project and supervisor.
An indication of which of the projects listed below they are interested in, together with a brief explanation of why they would like to join the CRC.
The names and email addresses of two references who may be contacted.
Applications should be sent to:
Email: astroadmin@uwc.ac.za
Deadline: 30 June 2027
Interested students are encouraged to contact us as soon as possible to start the NRF application process. Applicants may use the email address above or contact potential supervisors directly.
Preference will be given to students who fit into the demographic guidelines provided by the NRF and SARAO, the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory.
Applicants should be South African citizens or permanent residents, or citizens of Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia or Zambia.
Applicants should check the NRF documentation for further details, including the NRF Application and Funding Framework and the NRF Application and Funding Guide.
Scholarships are granted on a year-by-year basis. Continuation of funding into the following year depends on satisfactory academic and research progress.
We offer a range of topics that tackle some of the major questions at the forefront of international cosmology and galaxy evolution. Research students in South Africa have a historic opportunity provided by MeerKAT and the future SKA.
In each topic below, there is a focus on South African-based radio arrays such as MeerKAT, the SKA, HERA and HIRAX. Some topics also explore the synergy between radio surveys and optical/infrared galaxy surveys such as LSST, DESI and Euclid.
Training in cutting-edge theory, computation, simulations and data science will be provided.
We will use MeerKAT observations to make statistical detections of neutral hydrogen intensity on cosmological scales through the MeerKLASS survey. There are several possible projects, ranging from technical data analysis to simulations of the signal. These include measurement of the power spectrum and detection of the elusive Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, which can be used to constrain Dark Energy. The data analysis techniques use state-of-the-art statistical methods, including machine learning algorithms.
Using existing multi-wavelength observations and upcoming MeerKAT data, we will investigate the properties of neutral hydrogen in galaxies, providing new information on the HI and dark matter content of such systems. Projects may focus on the dynamical modelling of galaxies, the statistical study of galaxies lying below the detection threshold, and methods of automated source finding using HI data cubes.
The MeerKLASS survey is producing images containing millions of radio galaxies. This project involves the study of the statistical and clustering properties of these galaxies through the use of external multi-wavelength surveys. Particular focus will be given to cross-identification with the ongoing DESI survey and the future LSST survey. This work will enhance our understanding of galaxy evolution, the cosmological evolution of dark matter density fields, and the interplay between dark matter and luminous matter.
Telescopes such as the SKA in South Africa and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile will produce enormous quantities of data that require novel analysis techniques. This research topic aims to develop machine learning techniques for astronomical datasets, including those from MeerKAT. Of particular interest is the development of anomaly-detection algorithms capable of discovering rare, or even completely new, objects in large datasets.
Dark Energy is thought to be the source of the accelerating expansion of the Universe. Its properties can be accurately measured using probes extracted from HI and other surveys, such as the power spectrum, bispectrum, BAO scale, redshift-space distortions and weak lensing. There are several possible projects associated with these different probes.
The primordial fluctuations generated in the first instants of the Universe provided the seeds for the formation of large-scale structure. Imprints of the primordial Universe are “frozen” into the large-scale distribution of matter. Using HI intensity mapping surveys with MeerKAT and the SKA, we can extract this “fossil” information. This project will explore different estimators and synergies with galaxy surveys, in particular LSST.
Other research topics may also be considered on a case-by-case basis.