A partnership between the Mandela Rhodes Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust to amplify the impact of our alumni
Funding for your tuition
A stipend for living costs
Note: this scholarship is only open to Mandela Rhodes Alumni. If you're looking for Honours and Master's funding, please see the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship .
In 2016, the MRF partnered with the Leverhulme Trust to create a new doctoral scholarship only available to Mandela Rhodes Scholars. This a very compelling supplementary offering to the Mandela Rhodes experience, and a highly competitive opportunity as there are two scholarships available per year. The Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships were known as the Leverhulme Mandela Rhodes Doctoral Scholarships until March 2020, when they were renamed in honour of our 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.
The SJMS aims to increase vocational capacity by:
The SJMS aims to increases leadership capacity by:
“The Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarship has been an incredible opportunity to further my career aspirations in the academy. [...] The support from Leverhulme has been exceptional. They ensured that we were firmly settled in upon our arrival, and organised an event where we could meet other Leverhulme researchers and fellow SJMS Scholars currently in the UK.”
— Axolile Qina (South Africa & Stellenbosch, 2016)
Applications are now closed. The next round of applications will open April 2027.
This scholarship is only open to Mandela Rhodes Alumni. For the main Mandela Rhodes Scholarship, please click here .
We acknowledge and support 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 criteria for PhD research proposals are: originality, importance, significance and merit.
The secondary criteria for the SJMS are designed to support the MRF’s purpose and values. Applicants should motivate for the scholarship on the bases of the following criteria:
The Trust seeks to fund outstanding scholarship, while maintaining a distinctive role within the research funding landscape. In assessing applications for funding, we use the following established criteria to priorities work of outstanding scholarship:
A second set of criteria reflect the particular values of the Leverhulme Trust, and express the Trust Board’s aspiration that our funding maintains a distinctive role within the research funding landscape. We particularly welcome applications that:
Applications are closed.
Please ensure the following documentation accompanies your application form. Please note that applicants are responsible for obtaining the reference letters from referees and submitting them with the application.
No, you can apply at any age.
Yes, the Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarship covers your tuition and provides a stipend for your living costs.
No. The scholarship provides an individual stipend. Your family’s travel, accommodation, and visa will be your responsibility.
No, once you have been recommended to the Leverhulme Trust, they will administer the scholarship.
You will need to manage your own application process for your UK university, and the accompanying Tier 4 visa process. Your university will have to provide a Confirmation of Acceptance letter, and the Leverhulme Trust will provide a confirmation letter of your funding.
