SOLTRAIN Research Project Funding Support for Postgraduate Students

Thank you for your interest in the SOLTRAIN+ Rolling Bursary Calls for postgraduate studies.

SOLTRAIN+ will support up to twenty Master’s or PhD theses dedicated to the topic of renewable heating and cooling, particularly solar thermal energy topics. Postgraduate students from Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe are invited to apply for funding of up to € 2,100.

Three topics have already been awarded in the first call launched in April 2024. Future bursaries will be awarded in the frame of the SOLTRAIN+ project through rolling calls, with bursary awards taking place four times a year. Submissions handed in by 31st of January will be considered for the next bursary awarding in mid-February 2025. A special invitation is extended to women to apply, as 50% of the bursaries are dedicated to women.

We encourage students enrolled in Master’s and PhD programmes in the SOLTRAIN+ countries to apply for bursaries in the field of renewable heating and cooling, with a particular focus on solar thermal energy. The aim is to build capacity in renewable heating and cooling technologies, promote the opportunities solar thermal energy offers for various applications and sectors, and contribute to a sustainable energy future.

Eligible fields for this round of research funding are as follows:

1. Potential analysis for solar thermal systems in the health sector, at educational or social institutions and in the tourism sector
2. Analysis of measurement data from selected systems from SOLTRAIN demonstration systems
3. Renewable Heating and Cooling (solar thermal, solar thermal and heat pump, energy efficiency and heat recovery) in industry and commerce, buildings, health and tourism sector (including country-specific opportunities and challenges)
4. The use of solar thermal technologies for heating/drying/cooling in industrial applications
5. Documentation and analysis of mass housing programmes with mandatory installation of solar water heaters
6. Cost-effectiveness and socio-economic impact of renewable heating and cooling in off-grid communities (e.g., in the Four-O Region in Namibia)
7. Women in the Renewable Heating and Cooling Sector (opportunities, barriers, policies)
8. Gender and Diversity in solar thermal – expanding beyond women in diversifying the workforce

To avoid duplication, the following research topics have already been funded by SOLTRAIN. If your topic overlaps significantly with any of the following topics, it will diminish the strength of your application:

1. Comparative study of solar water heater and electrical geysers in terms of performance and financial benefits
2. Design and performance monitoring of an innovative residential prototype solar air source heat pump water heater
3. Design of a hybrid vapor absorption milk chiller (solar and biogas) for small scale dairy farms in Zimbabwe
4. Exploring solar thermal integration opportunities for the tourism and hospitality sector in Zimbabwe
5. SOLTRAIN research study for solar thermal system expansion and stagnation management
6. Design and fabrication of a small-scale solar maize dryer with automated dryer control in Zimbabwe
7. Adsorption refrigeration system design through modeling adiabatic cooling effects
8. Potential analysis for solar thermal systems in the health sector (Lesotho)
9. Solar Thermal Energy for Breweries (Lesotho)
10. Numerical and experimental investigation of the thermal performance of a solar absorber and nocturnal radiator (SAANR) hybrid panel for climatic conditions of Gaborone, Botswana.
11. Potential analysis for solar thermal systems in the Namibian health sector
12. Domestic hot water technology transition to solar thermal systems: Barriers and opportunities in Maputo City, Mozambique
13. Techno-economic assessment of a solar thermal industrial-scale system using compound parabolic collectors
14. Development of a pilot-scale solar thermal dryer for the treatment of faecal sludge from on-site sanitation facilities
15. Potential analysis of Solar Thermal technologies for heating for industrial applications in Windhoek, Namibia
16. Design of an energy efficient solar cooling system
17. Modelling and performance optimisation of a solar food dryer with thermal energy storage
18. Analysis of hot water heating systems demand for Government Central Hospitals in Zimbabwe: Case Study Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital
19. An assessment of demand for industrial process heat and potential for solar thermal systems in Zimbabwe
20. Comparison of hybrid photovoltaic thermal solar system and thermosiphon solar thermal hot water system under Windhoek, Namibian conditions
21. Potential analysis for solar thermal systems in the health sector (Botswana)
22. Performance enhancement of parabolic dish solar cookers using thermal energy storage
23. Documentation of solar thermal systems in Namibia's health sector and the development of a draft long-term maintenance strategy for installed systems
24. Performance analysis of a travelling-wave thermo-acoustic refrigerator coupled to a hybrid solar powered heating/ cooling system
25. Designing a financial mechanism for promoting use and uptake of solar water heating systems in Maseru
26. Performance evaluation of a solar food dryer with thermal energy storage.
27. Potential analysis of solar thermal applications for Harare city council health facilities

To apply for financial support, ALL of the following conditions must be met:

1. You must be a registered postgraduate student
2. Your study area must encompass solar heating and/or cooling, heat pumps, energy efficiency, heat recovery
3. You must be a citizen of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, or Zimbabwe
4. Your research work must be done in 2025

You will need to have the following documents ready in PDF format in order to successfully submit an application:

1. Proof of registration at your academic institution for 2025
2. Your full and official academic transcript
3. A support letter from your supervisor

To apply, you need to first create an account at https://soltrain.org/users/create-account/student/. Once you have verified your email, you will be able to begin the application process.

In order to start the application process, please click the button below to register on the SOLTRAIN website as a student. Once you have verified your email, you will be able to start the application process.