Basic HTML Version
13
Introduction
has done its best to shore up these researchers over the
last few years. Secondly, the DHET’s direct spending on
research in universities is only 9.1% of the total budget
devoted to higher education and this is not favourable to
research-led universities. Thirdly, the ongoing economic
crisis in the world has had a detrimental effect on the
funding of research by industry and philanthropic funders.
For UCT’s research to retain its current level of impact and
influence (and of course we do not want to remain static
but improve), we will need to right-size the funding for our
research effort.
Growing our postgraduate numbers and placing UCT as
an international destination of choice for higher-degree
students requires sufficient and appropriately skilled
supervisory capacity. The recently established office of
the Director of Postgraduate Studies intends to provide
concentrated leadership at a senior level to prioritise the
development of every aspect of postgraduate study and
the postdoctoral sphere, and to ensure the best possible
experience for the maximum number of students at this
level. I am pleased to announce the recent appointment of
Dr Nelleke Bak to this position.
Research that uses human participants or animals is required
to undergo an ethics review. I thank UCT’s research ethics
and animal ethics committees, overseen by two Senate-
level committees, for their commitment, diligence, and
excellent work. The work of these committees contributes
significantly to the high ethical quality of research that
emanates from UCT. In this regard, we also look forward to
the appointment of a manager of the recently established
Office of Research Integrity.
In 2012, we celebrated 125 years of women in research at
UCT and the pages that follow later in this report draw
attention to this achievement. In a continuation of the
research themes profiled in our 2011 research report,
we showcase the outstanding research being conducted
across the university, which is increasingly taking on a
multi- and interdisciplinary approach to finding solutions
for problems facing our continent and the world.
In 2012, Dr Marilet Sienaert was appointed as Executive
Director, Research. The leadership role played by
the Research Office in supporting and enhancing the
research enterprise at UCT was recognised in the
change in status of the department’s Director to that of
Executive Director.
I am especially grateful to our donors and sponsors who
generously contribute to our research endeavour, to our
research partners who choose to collaborate with UCT, and
to the committees, individuals, and departments across the
university who contribute to raising the profile of research
at the university.
1 218
Research Contracts
R682 million
Value of Research Contracts
415
NRF-rated Researchers
33
SARChI Research Chairs
1 314.40 units
Publication Count
2 500
Journals, Books, and Proceedings
25 864
Students
8 249
Postgraduate Students
1 391
Doctoral Students
282
Postdoctoral Research Fellows
4 892
International Students
2 004
International Postgraduate
Students
R159 million
Postgraduate Funding