The Rhodes University Research Office has opened for the submission of proposals for the 2012 Sandisa Imbewu (We are growing/multiplying our seeds) Fund. The Rhodes University Board of Governors has made a further R5.9 million available for funding (to a R12.5 million seed funding), which will be open for proposals until end of July 2012.
The fund is intended to provide seed funding to support strategic new academic and research initiatives and also to increase postgraduate students at Rhodes.
Proposals will be evaluated by an internal selection committee chaired by the Vice-Chancellor or his nominee and comprising of the Deputy-Vice Chancellors, Faculty Deans (or their nominees), plus additional experts as needed, appointed for their subject expertise by the Vice-Chancellor.
Faculty Research Committees may be requested to rank proposals for the information of the VC’s selection committee, depending on the number of proposals received from each Faculty.
The selection committee is not bound to award funds should suitable proposals not be received in response to this call, and is empowered to make further calls later in the year should funds permit, or to consider ad hoc proposals at its discretion.
Speaking at the launch recently, Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Dr Saleem Badat said the fund’s name aptly reflects Rhodes University’s strategy to grow its postgraduate student numbers, research and development programmes and to multiply its postgraduate and research outputs to establish itself as the ‘Scholarly University’.
“It’s important to give attention to broadening the base of research and developing new areas of research, as well as extending current areas,” he said.
Dr Badat said proposals were ranked within their respective faculties for their potential to contribute towards faculty strategies for research and postgraduate development. Other factors such as the project’s scholarly value, sustainability and potential for attracting additional funding were considered.
He said overcoming the problem of a lack of funding has meant that the University can now explore new areas, which Dr Badat believes is key to establishing Rhodes University as a leader in scholarly practise.
The deadline for Sandisa Imbewu Fund submission is 30 July 2012.
Picture By Sophie Smith