Call for Applications: African Laser Centre Scholarship Proposals 2027

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) publishes a rolling set of Expressions of Interest (EOI) and calls for proposals, including research rental programmes, biomanufacturing training applications, laser knowledge exchange support, scholarships, and industry collaboration opportunities. Deadlines vary by call; for example, one CSIR Photonics Centre Rental Pool Programme closes on 16 October 2026 (16:30), while several biomanufacturing course applications close on 28 September 2026 (16:30). This page is an index of multiple opportunities—review the specific call you want to apply for and download the linked documents for full requirements. Opportunity at a Glance

- Opportunity type: CSIR Expressions of Interest (EOI) and calls for proposals/calls for applications (multiple opportunities listed on one page)

- Funding/benefits: Varies by call (e.g., rental pool programme support for laser-related research; knowledge exchange visit support; scholarships; training participation; collaboration frameworks) - Eligible applicants: Varies by call (e.g., researchers at South African public universities and universities of technology; SMMEs and established industries; researchers in South Africa or across Africa; eligible organisations such as foundries and engineering companies)

- Eligible locations: Varies by call (South Africa and/or across Africa, depending on the opportunity)

- Application deadlines: Multiple deadlines listed on the page, including:

- 23 October 2026 (16: 30) – CSIR Photonics Centre’s Rental Pool Programme 2027/28

- 28 September 2026 (16: 30) – Single-Use Bioprocessing Platforms for Recombinant Vaccine Production

- 28 September 2026 (16: 30) – Biomanufacturing for point-of-care diagnostics; From design to scale-up

- 30 September 2026 (16: 30) – Collaboration opportunity in metal injection moulding technology

- 16 October 2026 (16: 30) – ALC Knowledge Exchange Programme support for 2027; African Laser Centre Scholarship Proposals for 2027

- 18 September 2026 (16: 30) – Casting product development

- 11 September 2026 (16: 00) – Industry Participation in the Development and Qualification of Hot Isostatic Pressing Applications

- 9 September 2026 (16: 30) – Principles for Microbial Preservation and Aseptic Techniques in Biomanufacturing

- 10 September 2026 (16: 30) – Advanced Downstream Processing for Biologics and Vaccine Manufacturing

- Duration: Varies by call (e.g., multi-year up to three years for the rental pool programme; course durations described as one-week online + one-week hands-on for training calls)

- Official source: CSIR “Expressions of Interest” page (index of opportunities)

- Source URL: https://www.csir.co.za/work-with-us/funding-and-programmes/eois

About the Opportunity

This CSIR page consolidates multiple funding and programme opportunities under “Expressions of Interest (EOI)” and related categories. The listed items include: - Calls for proposals supporting research programmes through CSIR rental pools (e.g., photonics/laser-related research) - Calls for applications for training courses hosted through the CSIR Southern African Biomanufacturing Training Hub - Calls for proposals and scholarships under the African Laser Centre (ALC) initiative at CSIR - EOIs for industry collaboration in manufacturing and industrial development programmes (e.g., metal injection moulding, casting product development, hot isostatic pressing) Because each listing is a separate opportunity, applicants must follow the instructions and eligibility requirements in the specific call documents linked from the page. Funding and Benefits Benefits and financial support vary by call. Based on the page text: - CSIR Photonics Centre’s Rental Pool Programme 2027/28 - Supports researchers’ laser-related research programmes in the 2027/2028 financial and academic years - Allows submission of a multi-year project proposal with a maximum duration of three years - Contracting with successful proposers is done on an annual basis - Continued funding after year one is subject to submission and approval of an annual progress report - For grant holders with an approved multi-year project, no re-application is required, but a progress report is still required for continuation - ALC Knowledge Exchange Programme support for 2027 - Provides financial support for knowledge exchange visits for students (for researchers with active collaborations in lasers and laser-related applications) - The page indicates the aim is to facilitate targeted knowledge and technology transfer needs - African Laser Centre Scholarship Proposals for 2027 - Provides bursary support for non-South African students (as described in the call summary) - Students must be intended to further postgraduate studies in laser and laser application-related disciplines and be registered at a South African university in 2027 - EOIs for collaboration and industrial development - These calls describe participation in collaborative product development and structured market study activities (e.g., identifying lead users and priority component families for hot isostatic pressing) - The page text does not specify a cash amount for these EOIs; applicants should consult the linked EOI documents for details - Training course applications (biomanufacturing) - Course calls describe training participation rather than a grant amount - Examples include courses with one-week online training and one-week hands-on training Where the page does not state specific amounts, cost coverage, or award limits, the amount is not specified in the source and applicants should rely on the official call documents. Who Is Eligible? Eligibility requirements vary by listing. The following eligibility details are explicitly stated in the page text: - CSIR Photonics Centre’s Rental Pool Programme 2027/28

- Eligible applicants: researchers employed at public universities and universities of technology in South Africa

- Applicants submit a multi-year project proposal (maxi