Division for Research Development (DRD) at Stellenbosch University in service of institutional vision and commitment to support research for impact

SU has set itself the vision to be established as a leading research-intensive university on the African continent by pursuing excellence and remaining at the forefront of its chosen focal areas, by gaining national and international standing on the basis of its research outputs, by being relevant to the needs of the community, and by being enterprising, innovative and self-renewing.

In June 2018 the University accepted its Vision 2040 and Strategic Framework 2019-2024 (http://www.sun.ac.za/english/about-us/strategic-document), which affirms and strengthens the University`s commitment to research for impact. Increasing demands on higher education institutions to show relevance, the unique contribution that the institution makes to the socio-political environment by being transformative, inclusive and accessible, necessitates innovative ways to communicate and make visible the competitive edge and attractiveness of the institution.

With the University’s vision we aim to further demonstrate relevance as an institution, both nationally and internationally and make visible the research-related activities of SU. In the 2017/2018 Environmental Plan of the Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, one of the objectives is clearly stated: Research and Innovation Impact – to ensure that our research focus areas are aligned to the Global Sustainability Development Goals. It is therefore important that the excellence and relevance of SU`s research is evaluated and showcased according to the socio-economic effects thereof.

SU has identified five strategic research areas that will drive the research agenda for the next few years: The Natural Environment; Social Justice and Development; Health and Human Security; Human Creativity and Social Innovation; Systems and Technologies for the Future.

There is an institutional commitment to address both the national and institutional goals of excellence, relevance and impact in research activities for the betterment of society. The strategic need for science communication and public engagement is inevitably part of this strive and therefore SU, through the functions of the DRD, has created various opportunities and initiatives for showcasing research at SU - aligned to international, national and institutional priorities, as well as SU`s core strategic theme Research for Impact.

The role of the DRD

Research and Innovation management has grown rapidly over the past decade. The need for it at South African Institutions has become apparent with the changing landscape of higher education – competition amongst institutions for scarce resources; the many funding opportunities; rules and regulations of complex funders; the strive to effectively measure research successes; the need to align research focus areas with strategic institutional and national goals; the need to highlight the activities and expertise of researchers within the institution; the importance of accurate and current research-related information; the drive towards more collaboration, internationalisation, partnerships with national and international stakeholders, and overall – the need to support, facilitate and encourage the advancement of research at institutional level.

The DRD at SU is a well-capacitated centralised professional support services division, tasked with the advancement, facilitation and support of research. Our goal is to streamline processes and to provide effective development and support opportunities to SU researchers. We see our task as a critical success factor in the vision of SU to be one of the leading research-intensive universities on the African continent, by offering an excellent, effective, professional and value-adding service to our research community.

The division’s tasks and services are divided across six operational clusters, and it has around 50 staff members specialising in the respective areas. The respective operational areas are: Research Integrity & National Grants, Research Information & Strategy, Research Contracts, International & Early Career Research Grants and the Post-graduate Office.

One of our main functions is the management of research funding, including research grants at institutional, national and international level, and research funding generated through industry partnerships as well as its associated contractual agreements.

All research- and research-related contracts are managed by and processed through DRD. The division is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies related to research, which inter alia includes policies related to research ethics and integrity, and the management of research ethics review processes. We are also responsible for the management of investigations into allegations of research misconduct. DRD furthermore undertakes the management and dissemination of institutional research-related information and data in various forms, including the reporting of research outputs to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) for subsidy purposes, the National Research Foundation (NRF) ratings process (NRF – www.nrf.ac.za), and nominations for various research accolades and awards. We also produce the institutional annual research report, Research at Stellenbosch University, and a number of research-related brochures and other information sets. The management and support of postgraduate students and their bursaries are dealt with by the Postgraduate Office, which forms part of the DRD.

We have a dedicated focus on research partnerships, in particular those at national level, which facilitates funding for, and policy impacts emanating from, SU research. Research capacity development forms a further key focus within the division, and we offer a suite of interventions aimed at rejuvenating and diversifying our productive research corps. The management of postdoctoral fellowships and coordination of the University’s postdoctoral programme also resort here.

Leadership and management within the DRD are provided by the Senior Director: Research and Innovation (SD: R&I) who reports to the Vice-Rector responsible for research and innovation, and a senior management group of six members.

Staff members of the DRD are active and engaged members of the Southern African Research and Innovation Association (SARIMA), through which they engage in leadership, scholarship and capacity development in Research Management. The SD: R&I currently serves as SARIMA president. The DRD at SU was furthermore the coordinating entity on the recently completed Erasmus+ funded Strengthening of Research Management (StoRM) project, which lead to the establishment of a PG Diploma course in Research Management and Administration (RMA) that will soon be offered by SU for the first time. There is hence a very strong and ongoing focus on the development and advancement of research management capacity at SU.