PAMSA Master’s in Chemical Engineering Bursary Programme
A unique opportunity to shape a sustainable future through science and innovation.
Are you a final-year BSc or BEng Chemical Engineering student – or a recent graduate – passionate about innovation, sustainability, and the circular bioeconomy?
Every year, PAMSA calls for applications from BSc or BEng (Chemical engineering) final year students and recent graduates for its Master’s in Chemical Engineering bursary and research programme.
The programme covers two years of full time study at participating universities during which students will work on projects that include beneficiation of wood fibre, recycled fibre or process waste, and resource efficiency.
Participation in the PAMSA bursary programme also facilitates possible employment as an engineer-in-training at participating PAMSA member companies.
APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2027-2028 PROGRAMME HAVE CLOSED.
Why apply?
- Financial support: R320,000 over two years for tuition and research.
- Hands-on research: Tackle real-world challenges in pulp, paper, and bio-based materials.
- Career launchpad: Join an industry rooted in renewable resources and circular thinking.
- Interviews will only be held with selected candidates. Terms and conditions apply.
Types of research
- Waste valorisation and process innovation
- Energy and water efficiency
- Bioethanol and bioproducts from paper sludge
- Lignin extraction and applications in asphalt, fertilisers, and water purification
- And more
Participating universities
- Stellenbosch University
- University of Witwatersrand
- University of the North-West
- University of Pretoria
IMPORTANT APPLICATION CRITERIA
- You must be a final-year student or recent graduate in BSc or BEng (Chemical Engineering) student from a registered South African university.
- You must have a minimum 60% average in your final year.
- You must have completed, or are on track to complete, your studies in five years or less.
- South African citizenship is preferred.
- Submit a CV, academic transcripts for each year, letters of reference, and motivation.
Applications that do not meet the above criteria will not be considered.
For more than a decade, PAMSA’s Masters students have been finding value in waste – turning by-products into sustainable solutions and expanding the circular bioeconomy.
STUDENTS AND THEIR STORIES
Changing the value of waste
More than paper
Opening doors by making doors with mill waste
RESEARCH ARCHIVE
Masters students in PAMSA’s bursary and research programme have explored various aspects of the pulp and paper industry, including the tremendous value that can be generated by turning what was once regarded as waste into environmentally sustainable products.
View all publications here, and view our most recent publications below: