These ideas have been submitted to the UCT Knowledge Co-op; they are available to students at UCT who may choose them for their research topics towards a degree.
They are listed in the following categories:
N.B. Projects often do fit in more than one category and so may be listed more than once.
|
Project Name |
Project Description |
|---|---|
Category 1: Education |
|
|
# 510. Socio-economics of learners |
Sketch the socio-economic reality of high school learners in Langa. 40% of learners are from other townships. |
| # 512. Psycho-social support by NGOs | Evaluate the need for psychosocial support provided by NGOs in Langa. Consider the need in the community, the current offering by government and the gap (if any) for NGOs to fulfil. |
| # 576. Youth substance use intervention | Assess the impact of the Icelandic family/school-based 'Planet youth' approach to address youth alcohol abuse in a rural community (George). |
| # 577. Impact of ocean immersion for kids | Determine the impact of the Marine Explorers immersion programme on behaviour of participants towards reaching the goal of a 'healthy functioning ocean'. |
| # 578. Children's relationship with the ocean | What are the potential longer-term impacts an extra-curricular Environmental Education program in Cape Town, can have on children's knowledge about, behaviour towards and relationship with the ocean? What has to be in place for this to be realised? |
| # 595. Assess educational support programmes | Evaluate the structure and processes of the after-school or the in-school offering of a primary school-based education support programme. |
| # 596. Education-linked internship | Placement in a primary school-based education support programme, with focus on curriculum development/ assessment in accordance with WCDoE standards. |
| # 599. Benefits of learning robotics | Assess the benefits on children’s development through early exposure to robotics and coding. |
| # 628. After school interventions for vulnerable children. | What impact does participation in afternoon clubs and holiday clubs have for vulnerable children 4-17 years of age? Consider e.g. educational performance, personal development |
| # 638. Developing a children’s environment programme | Document the development of the Environment Programme of a children's rights movement and its value for the members of the movement. |
| # 639. Impact of a children’s environment programme | Assess the impact of an Environment Programme on the members of the Children's Movement and their surroundings; and the change in their attitudes and behaviour towards nature/the environment. |
| # 648. “Financially smart kids” | Conduct a longitudinal study of the impact of the “Financially smart kids” groups over time (age 10 years to matric) i.t.o. saving pocket money, budgeting for its use, saving toward post-school aims. |
| # 664. Global citizenship course for schools | Develop a tool for teaching global citizenship principles for grade 9-12 learners as a way to reduce bias (gender, foreigners) and stereotyping. Include a short experiential learning course, pre- and post-test to assess bias, possible interventions, creative methodology. |
| # 665. Use of gamification to retain at-risk learners | Explore the potential of incorporating gamification (preferably non-tech) in a programme for at-risk secondary school learners in Langa to increase retention and attendance. E.g. a development plan for the learner with playful ‘earning’ of points in order to advance through levels; competition. |
| # 667. Impact of metacognition-focused lessons | Study of learner’s current learning techniques and the potential positive impact of metacognition-focused lessons on their ability to learn. |
| # 668. Test to track 2nd language English speakers intellectual and emotional progress | Develop baseline tests in isiXhosa for tracking intellectual and emotional performance of secondary school learners attending English medium schools, but have a different home language. Focus on specifics, e.g. extent of home language vocabulary; compare different quintile schools. |
| # 669. Deficits due to learning in a second language | Quantify the effect of learning deficits from learning in a second language at secondary school; how much is ‘lost’ when a learner performs a task in English as opposed to isiXhosa? |
| # 670. Parents’ engagement with school learning processes | Examine the extent to which parents engage with and understand their child’s learning processes at a secondary school in Langa. Identify reasons for the parents’ poor engagement and recommendations to better address this. |
| # 676. Literacy interventions impact study | Assess the impact of Nal’ibali literacy interventions on literacy behaviours: training, mentoring, resource distribution, mass media, literacy campaigns. What happens after a participant engages with Nal’ibali? |
| # 677. Literacy sector gap analysis | Map the literacy landscape in South Africa. Who are the key players, what do they bring to the sector? Where do we have service delivery overlap and where are their gaps? |
| # 678. Service delivery evaluation | Evaluate Nal’ibali’s supply and distribution chain for its literacy resources via newspaper supplements, primarily distributed at Post Offices; make recommendations to reduce wastage. |
| # 687. Impact of Drowning prevention module | Determine the impact of the Water Safety and Drowning Prevention programme for Grade 4 school children. |
| # 718. Evaluate a peer training programme for change facilitators | Conduct an independent evaluation of the year-long Agents for Change Education (ACES) programme at UCT, particularly its impact – both on the ACES and those participating in their activities – and implementation. Determine strengths, weaknesses and the extent to which desired outcomes are achieved. |
| # 742. Skills of ECD providers | Map the experience, qualifications and resources of persons providing Early Childhood Development (ECD) services in the Far South of the Cape Peninsula. Determine the gaps in terms of skillsets, training, and resources needed to upskill these service providers. |
| # 752. Defining regenerative culture. | What role does art and music, ritual and ceremony, story and mythology, and education and awareness play in shaping cultural norms? How can we use this insight to shift unsustainable cultural practices towards those that can regenerate the ecosystems they inhabit and support the wellbeing of present and future generations? |
| # 767. Evaluation of in-school literacy programme | Explore the impact of the programme on learners’ post-primary school experience. What are the foundations built and benefits of the programme? |
Category 2: Community Development/Social Development |
|
| # 163.1 Substance use rehabilitation | Follow-up evaluation of the impact of an out-patient substance abuse programme on client lives one to three years after exiting the programme. |
|
# 365. Training tool for foster mums |
Develop a training tool for (new) foster mothers in consultation with a cluster foster care provider. Especially consider the best way to work with troubled children |
|
# 380. Reality of homelessness |
Sketch the reality of homelessness in the Northern suburbs. Provide accurate figures re homelessness and reasons why people are on the streets – differentiated across districts. |
|
# 382. Safe space for the homeless |
Evaluation of a Safe Space for Homeless people in the Northern suburbs; study to enable replication of this pre-shelter model. |
| # 534. Do homeless shelters 'work'? | Why are homeless shelters often not seen as a desirable option in assisting the person to move from the streets. Are there any other transitional housing models which would be more effective? |
| # 538.1 Defining regenerative culture | What role does art and music, ritual and ceremony, story and mythology, and education and awareness play in shaping cultural norms? How to use this insight to shift unsustainable cultural practices towards ones that can regenerate the ecosystems they inhabit and support the wellbeing of present and future generations? . |
| # 551. Responsible giving to the homeless | Study of the “Give responsible” campaign. Giving to those begging vs supporting NPOs working toward them changing their lives: What is the solution and how best get public buy-in into that? |
| # 554. Define access to justice needs | Determine what access to justice means for victims of Domestic Violence in order to understand why victims seldom come back to finalise the protection order or for follow-up services. A deep understanding of what DV victims want will help to strengthen the court support services and advocacy approach. |
| # 570. Decision making to find work | Study job-seeking decisions of unemployed persons: What jobs to apply for? What interviews to attend? What motivates them to keep looking? How do they engage informal employment opportunities? |
| # 600. Social service needs in the South Peninsula | Compile an overview of the social services in the 'Deep South' area; detail groups addressing these needs; identify gaps re currently unmet needs. Focus on Education and/or Mental health and/or Employability programmes. |
| # 601. Socio-politics of ‘factory farming’ | Document socio-political implications of ‘factory farming’. Consider aspects like Control over food supply & its impact on SA land reform targets; OR Energy consumption of the animal agriculture sector |
| # 632. Mental health impact of sport-based therapy | Assess the impact of an innovative sport-based therapy and life skills programme on mental health outcomes of at-risk youth. Consider aspects like overall wellbeing: access to child friendly mental health; destigmatization; school drop-out rates. |
| # 637. Social justice for the homeless | Investigate the effect of lacking social justice in responses to the homeless population. Consider issues like policing, housing, substance use, employment or health |
| # 642. Assess the needs of refugees | Conduct a needs assessment for female refugees and asylum seekers receiving (food) support from an agency. What other services do the need? |
| # 645. Assess a skills development programme | Assess the skills taught in a skills development programme: how useful are they in enabling participants to find work / raise an income. |
| # 665. Use of gamification to retain at-risk learners | Explore the potential of incorporating gamification (preferably non-tech) in a programme for at-risk secondary school learners in Langa to increase retention and attendance. E.g. a development plan for the learner with playful ‘earning’ of points in order to advance through levels; competition. |
| # 667. Impact of metacognition-focused lessons | Study of learner’s current learning techniques and the potential positive impact of metacognition-focused lessons on their ability to learn. |
| # 685. The community impact of Underdog’s programme | Determine any impact of the Humane dog handling training offered to children on the wider communities where beneficiaries live (families, informal settlements and a primary school in Hout Bay). |
| # 686. Connection between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence | Explore the connections between the experience of cruelty to animals and developing violent interpersonal behaviour; and conversely learning humane dog handling and development of non-violent behaviour. Case study of Underdog’s dog handling programme. |
| # 697. Involvement in communal food gardens | How to motivate secondary school learners in informal settlements to get involved in communal food gardens. Consider the context in Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay and good practice examples in the literature. |
| # 709. Evaluation of Peer Support programme for homeless persons | Evaluate a full-time rehabilitative jobs programme for homeless people led by trained peers with lived experience of homelessness and substance use issues. Map the Peers’ experience of providing support and how beneficiaries experience the project. leaders. |
|
# 714. Nutrition choices for social pensioners |
What choices do pensioners make regarding food purchases with their limited budget? What would motivate them to make choices for meals that are more nourishing? Consider cultural differences between Woodstock and Khayelitsha. |
| # 722. From Homelessness to housing: impact on problematic substance use | Evaluate the impact of the first South African ‘housing first’ programme offering low barrier accommodation for chronic homeless individuals, focusing on how it impacts substance use. |
| # 723. Users' experience of a questionnaire on substance use | Evaluate how homeless clients experience the quarterly Substance Use reflective 1-1 questionnaire sessions in terms of developing better reflection and coping skills as well as support for clients. |
| # 726. Need for a drop-in centre for the homeless | Conduct a needs assessment for services to be offered by a drop-in centre (DIC) for homeless clients in the Cape Town CBD. Which services would be beneficial to the clients and why? Identify gaps in the current DIC model. Gauge views of business owners in the CBD and their potential support for a DIC. |
| # 728. Transitional housing versus shelter model | Determine the effectiveness of transitional housing programmes for homeless clients in comparison to the current shelter model. Consider the mental health and substance use challenges, costs, benefits, employment to contribute to rentals and ability to adopt a holistic approach. |
| #730. Mapping of youth services | Compile a comprehensive overview of the services provided by youth organisations located in the Greater Muizenberg area. What type of services do they provide and identify the gaps and needs to provide better support for youth in need |
| # 732. Survey the functioning of CoCT Ward Committees | Survey the functioning of Ward Committees in the Metro and assess the impact of recent policy changes adopted by the City of Cape Town in the compositions of Ward Committees. Consider: extent to which they represent community views and work for their community; views of community stakeholders about their effectiveness. |
| # 734. Do safe sleeping spaces work? | Does the safe sleeping space model in Cape Town as currently designed actually help people to leave the streets long term? Contrast existing "safe spaces" with those who continue living on the street. |
| # 735. Investigate a housing-first approach to homelessness for South Africa | What are the pros & cons of this approach? What is required for this to be a workable model? Could it create the unintended incentive to move onto the street with so many stuck for years in waiting lists for housing? |
| # 736. A reliable count of the number of street-based homeless people | Based on international best practice on how to count homeless people, develop an approach to do so in Cape Town. (Numbers for homelessness range from 6,000 to 14,000.) |
| # 745. Skills development for jobs | The Impact of the Mobile Career Café on increased employability and job readiness of youth in underserved areas (rural and semi-rural) |
| # 747. Impact of community kitchens on sustainable self-reliance | Evaluate the impact of the Cooking Mammas Programme in the Masiphumelele area, Cape Peninsula. What is the impact of the programme on the lives of the women managing the community kitchens? |
| # 754. Case study of a successful ‘green’ community empowerment /fynbos beneficiation project | Document the development of a successful programme to empower rural communities (food security, income generation, biomass beneficiation), and the processes involved in maintaining this. The programme includes SMMEs and co-ops, growing natural products for local use and wider markets, micro-jobbing, training; operates in Harkerville, Sedgefield and Plettenberg Bay areas |
| # 755. Contribution of biosphere reserves to secure ecological infrastructure | What is the contribution of biosphere reserves (natural habitat, its management, communities interacting with it) to comprehensive resilience? Document and compare the different approaches of the five Western Cape biosphere reserves towards securing ecological infrastructure and associated benefits for people. |
| # 756. Shifting gender norms and behaviour | Measure the impact of a male empowerment life skills programme on psycho-social well-being and allyship of men involved in sports clubs in a low socio-economic area. How can the programme best support a shift in attitudes on gender and social norms, reduce harmful behaviour towards women and children, and provide a safety net for men? |
| # 757. Empowerment of women through club sport | Develop a curriculum/programme to prepare young women from low socio-economic backgrounds, involved in playing club sport, for employment opportunities in the health and safety sector and/or careers in sport. |
| # 761. Decolonisation of Counselling Support Services | Explore a decolonised approach to supporting survivors of GBV who access a psycho-social support programme. Identify the languages that should be used to inform culturally diverse clients who access counselling support services especially originating from the Cape Flats townships. |
| # 762. Women accessing shelter services | Understanding women from peri-urban and rural contexts of the Western Cape and how they access MOSAIC shelter services located in Atlantis and Worcester. What are the barriers to accessing services? What are the contextual conditions that makes these women not report and/or help seek and use services that are easily accessible to them to change their situations? |
| # 763. Advancing gender equality | Understanding the dynamics of advancing gender equality working with men as allies and partners while confronting patriarchy and toxic masculinity in the MOSAIC SAFE-PR platforms in Paarl, Mitchells Plain and Philippi. |
| # 769. Community-based solutions for One Health/One Welfare challenges | How can a systemic approach to One Health/ One Welfare be used to guide the development of a community -driven solution to key One Health/ One Welfare challenges? |
Category 3: Economics / Commerce |
|
|
# 510. Socio-economics of learners |
Sketch the socio-economic reality of high school learners in Langa. 40% of learners are from other townships. |
| # 570. Decision making to find work | Study job-seeking decisions of unemployed persons: What jobs to apply for? What interviews to attend? What motivates them to keep looking? How do they engage informal employment opportunities? |
| # 573. Informal work as a bridge into jobs? | What proportion of the unemployed in Cape Town who have tried informal work? Why did they stop? What barriers to making it more profitable? What type is considered appealing or not? |
| # 588. Contribution of voluntary lifeguards | Assess the contribution of voluntary lifeguards to SA: drownings prevented/duty hours / the economic impact through job creation potential / calculate impact on the burden of drowning. |
| # 648. “Financially smart kids” | Conduct a longitudinal study of the impact of the “Financially smart kids” groups over time (age 10 years to matric) i.t.o. saving pocket money, budgeting for its use, saving toward post-school aims. |
| # 649. Micro-finance for rural communities | Case study of micro-finance model for vulnerable community groups to assess its potential for their ability to build mutually beneficial relationships with financial institutions, access and use finance to uplift themselves. |
| # 666. Impact of educational outcomes on earning potential | Quantify the impact metrics of selected educational outcomes of a secondary school-based Youth development programme on the economic potential of its beneficiaries. |
| # 673. Perceived value of Shark Spotters programme to beach-goers | Explore public perceptions of the value of the Shark Spotters programme and its activities to its beneficiaries, including monetary (willingness-to-pay) and non-monetary (cognitive attachment and connectedness to program and its objectives) |
| # 678. Service delivery evaluation | Evaluate Nal’ibali’s supply and distribution chain for its literacy resources via newspaper supplements, primarily distributed at Post Offices; make recommendations to reduce wastage |
| # 695. Economics of exporting live farmed animals | Cost-benefit analysis of the expanding trade in the live export of farmed animals for slaughter: benefits to the SA economy vs loss of local jobs and investment in domestic beneficiation chains |
| # 700. What vegetables to grow? | Consider input costs and efforts vs yield as well as nutritional value of produce to develop a list of ideal vegetables to grow in communal food gardens in Hout Bay. |
| # 716. “Pipeline” to develop entrepreneurs | Determine the impact, including unintended outcomes, of an entrepreneurship programme on its beneficiaries throughout the support “pipeline” from school through university and beyond |
| # 738. Entrepreneurship alumni satisfaction | Study alumni engagement and satisfaction related to their participation in the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation's entrepreneurship programme |
| # 739. Assessing an entrepreneurship programme | Evaluate the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Alumni Programme, for graduates who completed the AOGF entrepreneurship 'pipeline' and analyse its value proposition. |
| # 750. Developing locally impactful restoration-related value chains | Which products or activities derived from alien vegetation clearing and forest restoration activities can serve as the foundation for novel value chains that can promote local economies and support local community development? |
| # 751. Economic analyses of forest restoration activities and its potential for self-funding | How can restoration activities generate income and feed back into local restoration work? How can these activities be leveraged to add additional value to products derived from them (alien vegetation clearing, material processing etc)? |
| # 754. Case study of a successful ‘green’ community empowerment /fynbos beneficiation project | Document the development of a successful programme to empower rural communities (food security, income generation, biomass beneficiation), and the processes involved in maintaining this. The programme includes SMMEs and co-ops, growing natural products for local use and wider markets, micro-jobbing, training; operates in Harkerville, Sedgefield and Plettenberg Bay areas |
| # 759. Map 'green' jobs | Compile a comprehensive mapping of green development and green jobs in the private sector of Mitchell's Plain. |
| # 768. Assessing economic viability of organisation | To explore the governance that has enabled the growth of GCU over a 21-year period. What future planning is required to ensure financial sustainability? |
Category 4: Orphans/ (vulnerable) children/ parenting |
|
| # 161.2 Evaluate "First 1000 Days" programme | Assess the First 1000 days programme run by Living Hope” – measure the impact of the programme via health outcomes of the babies of participating mothers. |
| # 364.1. Training for behaviour change |
Randomised control longitudinal study to measure the impact of training programme & sustainability of behaviour change of teenage parents. |
|
# 365. Training tool for foster mums |
Develop a training tool for (new) foster mothers in consultation with a cluster foster care provider. Especially consider the best way to work with troubled children. |
|
# 459. TB in families |
Sketch the social impact of TB-infected mothers (esp DRTB) on families, children. |
| # 532. Youth living on the street | What factors push and pull youth to live on the street? Is there a generational cycle? |
| # 576. Youth substance use intervention | Assess the impact of the Icelandic family/school-based Planet youth' approach to address youth alcohol abuse in a rural community (George). |
| # 627. Early intervention for boys using substances | Evaluate the impact of an Early intervention on the use of substances for vulnerable children. The focus is on 9-11-year-old boys who tested positive to drugs at some stage but not yet addicted, and their parents and school". |
| # 643. Refugee Orphans' needs and coping | A qualitative study of refugee orphans: what are their coping mechanisms, what support do they need? |
| # 670. Parents’ engagement with school learning processes | Examine the extent to which parents engage with and understand their child’s learning processes at a secondary school in Langa. Identify reasons for the parents’ poor engagement and recommendations to better address this. |
| # 705. Child protection awareness campaigns | Develop (and possibly assist executing) content for a child protection awareness campaign in schools or other community settings. |
| # 727. Protection of youth exploited to beg for an income | Youth are often exploited by their parents or adults to source an income by begging. How can this be addressed? What protection is there for these youth? |
Category 5: Health / Public health |
|
| # 163.1 Substance use rehabilitation | Follow-up evaluation of the impact of an out-patient substance abuse programme on client lives one to three years after exiting the programme. |
|
# 459. TB in families |
Sketch the social impact of TB-infected mothers (esp DRTB) on families, children. |
|
# 489. Evaluate health awareness campaign |
Evaluate a key health awareness campaign, project or CANSA services through a Survey/ focus groups/ open to how the student would proceed with an evaluation. |
| # 498. Placement for OT students | Placement for OT students in a programme supporting homeless persons. |
| # 579. Harmful behaviour towards the ocean | What structural conditions promote positive or negative behaviour towards the ocean? How do these impact differently across neighbourhoods and social strata in Cape Town? |
|
# 617, Obesity as cancer risk factor |
Assess the extent to which South Africans understand that obesity is a risk factor for cancer; for any specific target population. |
| # 623. Medicine assisted therapies for substance use disorder | Assess the impact and/or affordability of medicine assisted therapy for people who smoke or use alcohol or drugs problematically. |
| # 626. Mental health in pregnancy | Evaluate the impact of early mental health interventions with pregnant women through a crisis pregnancy counsellor. Consider: coping with depression and suicidal ideation, prevent harming their babies physically/emotionally. |
| # 632. Mental health impact of sport-based therapy | Assess the impact of an innovative sport-based therapy and life skills programme on mental health outcomes of at-risk youth. Consider aspects like overall wellbeing; access to child friendly mental health; destigmatization; school drop-out rates. |
| # 644. Barriers to access DV service | What barriers are there for accessing available services around Domestic violence among refugees? Consider eg language |
| # 646. Substance use and refugees | Establish particular triggers for substance use among refugees, the interventions required to address their needs and barriers to access support. |
| # 661. Distributing Menstrual cups | Track what method of distribution/introduction of Menstrual cups works best for specific locations of indigent communities in the Western Cape. |
| # 662. Mcups as sex education entry point | Establish whether the introduction of Menstrual cups can be a useful way into sex education in schools. |
| # 681. Cancer and contraceptive use | Determine the reproductive health needs of women (aged 18-45) with cancer – what are their fertility intentions and family planning and contraceptive needs? |
| # 700. What vegetables to grow? | Consider input costs and efforts vs yield as well as nutritional value of produce to develop a list of ideal vegetables to grow in communal food gardens in Hout Bay. |
| # 702. Clean-up waste dumping sites | Identify suitable clean-up processes for areas in informal settlements degraded by waste left there over time. Case study: Hout Bay open area between Penzance and Imizamo Yethu informal settlement. |
| # 712. Robotics training for kids with special abilities | Determine how learning and or participating in Robotics workshops and competitions affect learners who are differently abled, e.g. ADHD, Brain Injury or Dyslexia. Ages 8 – 16 years. |
|
# 714. Nutrition choices for social pensioners |
What choices do pensioners make regarding food purchases with their limited budget? What would motivate them to make choices for meals that are more nourishing? Consider cultural differences between Woodstock and Khayelitsha. |
| # 724. Impact of COVID- 19 on CANSA services | Explore the impact of COVID-19 on all aspects of CANSA services: how services changed, adapted and new approaches emerged. The focus will be on the experiences of CANSA service providers and other key stakeholders involved in CANSA service provision. |
| # 725. Adolescents and youth living with cancer | Psychosocial and health service needs of adolescents and youth with cancer. |
| # 741. Ethnic diversity in mental health counselling | Investigate how different ethnic and cultural groups view mental healthcare counselling. Identify language used to inform a healthcare counselling programme for the culturally diverse Cape Peninsula. |
| # 743. App to assess mental healthcare | Develop a quantitative statistical data collection prototype/application to measure the effectiveness of a mental healthcare programme over time. The application will need to capture exposure to stressors, usage of treatment options, and the resultant quality of life. |
| # 744. Dietary and nutritional support | What would motivate low-income pensioners earning a social grant to make better food choices? This study is to provide nutritional support and guidelines to encourage a healthier diet which is low in sugar and carbohydrates. |
| # 746. Mcup recipients views on usage | Study of recipients of Mcups: do they use it/not? What are the factors that deter usage of Mcups? How do girls and women feel about using it? Do they want to talk about it? |
| # 769. Community-based solutions for One Health/One Welfare challenges | How can a systemic approach to One Health/ One Welfare be used to guide the development of a community -driven solution to key One Health/ One Welfare challenges? |
Category 6: Information Systems / IT |
|
| # 599. Benefits of learning robotics | Assess the benefits on children’s development through early exposure to robotics and coding. |
| # 712. Robotics training for kids with special abilities | Determine how learning and or participating in Robotics workshops and competitions affect learners who are differently abled, e.g. ADHD, Brain Injury or Dyslexia. Ages 8 – 16 years. |
| # 713. Robotics concepts and age | Are primary schoolers (8+ year olds) capable of competing in the same Robotics competitions as high schoolers (14+ year olds), i.e. are they able to grasp concepts like speed, inertia, angles, rotation, visual maps sufficiently to compete? |
| # 719. Digital product | Re-conceptualise a recent history and heritage report commissioned by OBSID into a user friendly interactive / digital product (web and mobile friendly). |
| # 740. Build a social media app | Social media application to be linked to iGen platform but built from scratch as opposed to using the existing platform. The platform language is Javascript i.e. ReactJS using TypeScript (web app). React Native using TypeScript (If building standalone mobile app), NET 6 using C# (backend) and MongoDB (database). |
Category 7: Science & Engineering |
|
| # 480. Indicators for climate resilience | Identify suitable indicators for changes in resilience to climate change, self-sufficiency and wellbeing resulting from permaculture / the SEEDing Futures programme. |
| # 538.1 Defining regenerative culture | What role does art and music, ritual and ceremony, story and mythology, and education and awareness play in shaping cultural norms? How to use this insight to shift unsustainable cultural practices towards ones that can regenerate the ecosystems they inhabit and support the wellbeing of present and future generations? |
| # 603. Environmental impacts of ‘factory farming | Document the environmental impacts of ‘factory farming’ on e.g. climate change, water pollution or loss of biodiversity; or effects conversion of plant calories and proteins. |
| # 638. Developing a children’s environment programme | Document the development of the Environment Programme of a children's rights movement and its value for the members of the movement. |
| # 639. Impact of a children’s environment programme | Assess the impact of an Environment Programme on the members of the Children's Movement and their surroundings; and the change in their attitudes and behaviour towards nature/the environment |
| # 683. “Pedestrianising” a busy Obs road | Assess the impact of “pedestrianising” (permanently or periodically) a section of Lower Main Road (LMR) Observatory on businesses, social life, and surrounding roads that will carry diverted traffic. Determine positive and negative spin offs. |
| # 690. Improved traffic flow from Obs | Assess the potential impact of two proposals (OCA vs COCT) for improving traffic flow out of Observatory on Main Road and Liesbeek Parkway. |
| # 692. Impacts of forest restoration | What are the impacts of forest restoration activities on any of these: biodiversity, soil, water, forest ecology and/or or carbon sequestration |
| # 699. Encourage responsible water use | Identify strategies to encourage responsible water use in communal food gardens; and ways to source water for these in the dry season (context in Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay). |
| # 720. Conversion to pedestrian only space in Obs | Explore the feasibility of turning a stretch of Lower Main Road, Observatory, near to the retailers / restaurants / bars into a pedestrian only space for parts of the week. Traffic impact studies to be planned and discussions to take place with stakeholders promoting this intervention based on experience of recent street closures. |
| # 748. Spatial analysis of forest loss in the Eastern Cape. | Where has indigenous forest loss occurred, and hence, where is forest restoration needed? |
| # 749. Spatial analysis of invasive tree stands in the Eastern Cape. | Where have invasive tree stands established in previously open areas adjacent to forests and how does this impact the process of forest naturalisation? How does natural regeneration vary across different invasive stands and over time? What determines the composition and spatial patterns of natural regeneration under these invasive stands? What should restoration activities aim to achieve in such invasive stands to optimally facilitate forest regeneration? |
| # 753. Genetic diversity of milkwood trees. | Investigate the genetic diversity of milkwoods within the Platbos Forest Reserve, as the only propagation observable is asexual. |
| # 754. Case study of a successful ‘green’ community empowerment /fynbos beneficiation project | Document the development of a successful programme to empower rural communities (food security, income generation, biomass beneficiation), and the processes involved in maintaining this. The programme includes SMMEs and co-ops, growing natural products for local use and wider markets, micro-jobbing, training; operates in Harkerville, Sedgefield and Plettenberg Bay areas |
| # 755. Contribution of biosphere reserves to well-being | What is the contribution of biosphere reserves (natural habitat, its management, communities interacting with it) to comprehensive resilience? Consider the well-being of the environment, community, ecology, infrastructure as well as efforts to reduce the risks to it.) |
| # 758. Sustainable use of wildlife | Does the doctrine of sustainable use still provide a coherent basis for a national biodiversity conservation strategy, especially in light of the deepening crises of climate change, income and wealth inequality, and the accelerating destruction of biodiversity. |
| # 759. Map 'green' jobs | Compile a comprehensive mapping of green development and green jobs in the private sector of Mitchell's Plain. |
Category 8: Other |
|
|
# 511. Establishing a law clinic |
What barriers do residents of Langa experience in access to legal advice? What specific legal needs are most common? |
|
# 516. Early history of Knersvlakte |
Study and document the archaeological sites and early history of the Knersvlakte. Whole or specific reserves. Funding may be made available for the study. |
| # 572. How do movements of/for the unemployed arise? | What contexts and conditions give rise to movements of/for the unemployed? Consider political, social, economic, historical contexts? |
| # 573. Informal work as a bridge into jobs? | What proportion of the unemployed in Cape Town who have tried informal work. Why did they stop? What barriers to making it more profitable? What type is considered appealing or not? |
| # 578. Children's relationship with the ocean | What are the potential longer-term impacts an extra-curricular Environmental Education program in Cape Town can have on children's knowledge about, behaviour towards and relationship with the ocean?What must be in place for this to be realised? |
|
# 580. Criminalisation resulting in Human rights violations |
Document human rights violations and lack of access to services resulting from the criminalisation of drug use and sex work in South Africa; its impact on marginalised LGBTQI+ populations. |
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# 583. The story of Triangle Project |
Document 40 years of LGBTQI+ Advocacy and Service: the story of Triangle Project. Assist with archival work and documentation. |
| # 601. Socio-politics of ‘factory farming’ | Document socio-political implications of ‘factory farming’. Consider aspects like Control over food supply & its impact on SA land reform targets; OR Energy consumption of the animal agriculture sector |
| # 604. In/humane farming methods | Compile evidence on how factory farming compromises the welfare of farmed animals in Southern Africa. |
| # 673. Perceived value of Shark Spotters programme to beach-goers | Explore public perceptions of the value of the Shark Spotters programme and its activities to its beneficiaries, including monetary (willingness-to-pay) and non-monetary (cognitive attachment and connectedness to program and its objectives). |
| # 698. Including vegetables in the diet | Identify reasons for the reluctance of residents in Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay, to include vegetables in the diet and suggest ways to overcome this. |
| # 703. Impact of the alien clearing | Assess the impact of the alien clearing efforts on the slopes around Hout Bay since 2015, in terms of the recovery of the indigenous vegetation. |
| # 704. Is alien clearing approach effective? | Determine how effective the method & chemicals used by Alien clearing teams around Hout Bay have been, considering the extent of recurrence of alien plants. |
| # 721. Statistical analysis of drowning rescues | Draw on data from Lifesaving SA to analyse statistically the rescues performed by volunteer and/or professional lifesavers in terms of: type of rescue, location, rural/urban, type of control measure resulting in the rescue, demographics of rescued persons. |
| # 731. Media representations of the Liesbeek Action Campaign | Analyse how the media have portrayed the Liesbeek Action campaign against the River Club Development and responses to the court action since January 2021. Who is getting media space and what narratives are being presented? |
| # 733. Develop content and design for potential World Heritage Site | Develop appropriate content for interpretation boards for a potential World Heritage Park/site or as part of the National Liberation Route and design their structure. Focus area: Liesbeek River, Observatory, politics of development there and the role of the Observatory Civic Association and Liesbeek Action Campaign in this. |
| # 737. A database on homelessness aligned with the POPI act | What would it take to develop a citywide database on homelessness? How would this work within the POPI act? How have other cities done this successfully and legally? |
| #770. Astronomy and Mental Health |
Measuring the impact of Astronomy on mental health and well being: development of a questionnaire of scale. |
| #772. Impact on learners' career choices | To determine whether the Young Biologist (YBs) Course of the Two Oceans Aquarium since 2004, have impacted learners career choices and behaviours. |
| #773. Impact on well-being of ocean | To determine whether a visit to the Two Oceans Aquarium inspires action for the future well-being of the ocean. |
This table was updated in July 2023
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