SKILL Pre-PhD Training Programme

The SKILL programme is an initiative of, and funded by, the Royal Dutch Embassy. It has been designed to contribute to the development of high-level skills at South African universities and in South Africa at large.

One part of this initiative offers South Africans who intend to enroll for a PhD degree the opportunity to draft a sound research proposal. The proposal may then be submitted to any South African university of their choice. A series of training courses has been developed to realise this.

The courses will be organized by Exactica in conjunction with various universities around the country.

The programme is open to all South African citizens who have completed a Masters degree. From the pool of applicants a total of 75 candidates per year (2010-2014) will be selected to take part in the programme. These will be divided into 3 groups of 25 students each, according to broad subject areas. Candidates from all disciplines are invited to apply.

The programme will consist of two contact sessions of one week each, held approximately two months apart. The content of the programme will be provided by various experts in their fields.

The first contact session is intended to ensure that participants fully understand what is required to succeed in their PhD studies, and have the necessary skills and knowledge to draft a preliminary proposal. Participants will:

learn about the mutual responsibilities of supervisors and students
follow an adapted version of Exactica's Thesis and Dissertation workshop
learn how to effectively search for secondary literature and primary sources
learn how to reference and use referencing software.

At the end of the first contact session participants will have the knowledge to successfully undertake their preliminary primary and secondary research, to identify and select possible topics and problems, and be able to evaluate potential methods. They will then have two months to draft a short preliminary proposal, which will be further elaborated during and after the second contact week.

The second contact session is intended to provide candidates with the detailed skills necessary to transform their preliminary proposal into a fully articulated proposal ready for submission. This session will cover:

how to write a comprehensive literature review
research methods
research ethics
the principles of good academic writing

Participants will also have the opportunity to work on the structure and content of their proposals in small groups in conjunction with their mentors and peers.

After the second contact session participants will be expected to finalise their proposals. During this phase, various specialists will be available to support candidates.

All participants will be provided with:

course materials, including the required books
access to an academic library
an academic mentor during the programme
the opportunity to consult with an academic writing specialist
the opportunity to consult with a statistician

In addition, a professional academic editor will be contracted to edit the completed proposals for style and language, ensuring that the document is ready for submission.

After completion, a number of the best candidates will be invited to the Netherlands to interact with Dutch academics.

If you would like to apply for the SKILL Pre-PhD training programme, please submit the form below indicating your interest. To be considered, a CV and a letter of motivation is required, only in Microsoft Word (Doc/Docx) or PDF format. Please email those to

The courses themselves, including all materials, are fully funded and free to successful applicants, but please note that travel and accommodation expenses, if necessary, are the responsibility of the participants.

Please note that completed forms are not sent to www.exactica.co.za, but rather to Exactica's database address, www.majesticinteractive.co.za. Your browser may alert you that the information will be sent to this different internet address, but it is safe.

The SKILL programme is funded by the Royal Dutch Embassy in South Africa, and administered by SAVUSA.

Stimulating Knowledge Innovation through Life-long Learning