2025 Mastercard Foundation African STARS MSc Fellowship to Study in South Africa

Published: 10 Jun 2025

The Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) at Stellenbosch University (South Africa) and the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) (Senegal), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, invite applications for the African STARS Fellowship; a fully funded opportunity to pursue an MSc in Bioinformatics of Infectious Diseases and Pathogen Genomics at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. This two-year, multidisciplinary MSc programme is designed to equip African scientists with the expertise needed to lead innovative research in infectious diseases and pathogen genomics.

Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholarship

Application Deadline	June 26, 2025
Funding Type	Fully Funded
Country to study	South Africa
School to study	Stellenbosch University
Type	Masters
Course to study	View courses
Sponsor	Mastercard Foundation
Gender	Men and Women

Benefits of Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholarship

The African STARS Fellowship covers the full cost of the MSc programme, including:

• Tuition fees
• Accommodation
• Living stipend
• Research-related expenses
• Air Travel expense
• Health insurance

Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholarship Courses

• Bioinformatics of Infectious Diseases and Pathogen Genomics

Requirements for Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholarship

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Born in and / or living in Africa
• 35 years of age or younger at the time of application
• Hold a BSc Honours (NQF level 8) or equivalent 4-year degree (≥65%) in:

1. Bioinformatics, Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science,
2. Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology, or a related field

• Women are strongly encouraged to apply

Application Deadline

June 26, 2025

How to Apply