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UCT RESEARCH REPORT 2012
Research excellence
UCT was awarded R13 210 177 in 2012 for the two DST/
NRF Centres of Excellence, c*change (
see page 172
) and
Birds as Keys to Biodiversity Conservation (
page 108
).
UCT also co-hosts a node of the DST/NRF Centre of
Excellence for Biomedical TB Research (
page 61
).
National and international collaborations
Five percent of UCT’s funding from the NRF in 2012
was allocated to support collaborations mainly
through the South African Science and Technology
Bilateral Agreements and the Knowledge Interchange
Programme. Mainly due to a timing difference, there
was a decrease in total funding from R16 617 629 in 2011
to R10 247 305 in 2012 (with an average grant size of
R119 698), with many bilateral funding calls being issued
late in 2012 and the outcomes communicated in 2013.
Emerging researchers
The Thuthuka Programme aims to develop human capital
for research and innovation. In 2011, the NRF launched a
new Thuthuka Programme that was implemented for 2012
funding and that consisted of three funding tracks, namely
the PhD track, post-PhD track, and the NRF-rating track.
The NRF also set support targets for this programme in
terms of black and female researchers.
These changes, together with limited NRF funding,
resulted in UCT being unable to grow its Thuthuka
budget in 2012, this remaining at approximately
their Ten Year Innovation Plan. Areas of support include
space science and astronomy, global change, human
and social dynamics, marine research, indigenous
knowledge systems, and community engagement. This
investment area includes support for the Blue Skies
Programme, through which R704 911 was allocated to
UCT researchers in 2012.
Infrastructure and strategic platforms support
Seven percent (R14.9 million) of NRF funding in 2012
was allocated to the acquisition of state-of-the-art
infrastructure and skills development to support the roll-
out of national infrastructural programmes.
Applied research relevant to industry
The Technology and Human Resources for Industry
Programme (THRIP) is a programme of the Department of
Trade and Industry, managed by the NRF. THRIP promotes
partnerships in pre-commercial research between business
and publicly funded research institutions. The design of the
programme is to leverage collaborative partnerships on
a cost-sharing basis for research in science, engineering,
and technology in order to provide technology solutions
for industry, and in the process produce a flow of targeted,
highly skilled, human capital for industry.
Direct funding from THRIP (i.e. excluding the industry
portion) increased to R20 286 684 in 2012 (10% of total
funding), from R17 827 833 in 2011 (8% of total funding).
The average grant size in 2012 was R563 519.
0
10
20
49
18
15
10
10
7
7
7
8
5
6
1 1
40
30
50
60
Established
researchers
National &
strategic
priorities
Infrastructure
and strategic
platforms
support
Industry-related
research
National and
international
collaborations
Research
excellence
Emerging
researchers
2011
2012
55
Figure 1: Percentage of NRF grant awards to UCT in 2011 and 2012 by their primary
funding purpose
percentage