Purpose

Block grants enable researchers to pursue their research. A URC block grant is intended as the minimum top-up necessary to enable researchers to carry out a realistic and feasible research plan.

All research-related activities for which researchers would like to receive URC support should be included in the block grant application.

Budget

The URC provides the budget for the block grant. The faculty allocation is calculated according to an outputs-based formula.

Grant allocation and distribution

Each faculty receives an annual block grant calculated in direct relation to the research outputs reported on in the previous year.

The distribution of the block grant is then managed at the faculty level. Faculty research committees (FRCs) are responsible for the management and distribution of their block grant according to a faculty-specific model approved by the URC. This is to provide maximum flexibility for aligning the use of block grants with faculty-specific strategies.

The process of grant allocation and distribution is as follows:

• The Research Office prepares data based on the research report that informs the output-based macro-allocation formula.
• The FRCs return the required data to the Research Office.
• The Research Office finalises the faculty macro-allocations and informs the FRCs.
• Applications must reach the FRCs by the deadline date.
• The FRC processes the applications (each faculty determines their own process).
• Applications are evaluated at FRC meetings.
• The FRCs process and allocated the awards.
• Block grant appeals to be submitted by the deadline date (which is set annually). A block grant appeals meeting is held to evaluate appeals submitted.

Researchers who wish to apply for URC support through a block grant are advised to contact their FRC.

Conference Travel 

The purpose of the award is to allow recipients to present the results of their recent research to a relevant audience at a conference or meeting of appropriately high academic standing. Please note: URC Conference travel funds should not be the primary source of funding for applicants as the URC is unable to fund 100% of eligible costs.

Please contact Janine Ramandh at janine.ramandh@uct.ac.za to find out more about the application process.

Please note: Due to the Global COVID-19 Pandemic and the implications this may have on travel in 2023, the URC reserves the right to withdraw the award or make necessary adjustments as guided by the status of the pandemic and travel.

Applicants may apply for a national conference once every year and an international conference once every two years.  However, subject to this, applicants cannot apply for both a national and an international conference in the same year.

Eligibility and assessment criteria

This grant is available to UCT researchers who are:

• Permanent and T2 contract academic staff;
• Permanent Professional and Administrative Support Services (PASS) staff affiliated with academic departments; 
• Contract staff appointed on academic conditions of service;
• Honorary Research Associates; Emeritus Professors; Emeritus Associate Professors; Honorary Professors; Honorary Associate Professors and Senior Research Scholars who have published in DHET-accredited (subsidy-earning) publications in the past year; or
• Permanent joint academic staff (excluding registrars).

Kindly note that T1 contract staff are unfortunately not eligible to apply for this grant.

These awards are granted on a competitive basis and will take the following into account:

• the research output of the applicant over the last three years (i.e. the applicant’s research profile); this criterion may not apply to early-stage researchers
• the status of the conference
• the quality of interaction and exposure for the applicant
• envisaged research outputs emanating from the conference presentation.

The assessment of these criteria will be based on the information provided by the applicant and the motivation and support from the applicant’s Head of Department. 

Budget

URC Conference travel funds should not be the primary source of funding for applicants as the URC is unable to fund 100% of eligible costs

• Subsistence is allowed only for the number of days of the conference. International and local rates will apply (see conference budget section for more details);
• Awards are granted for one specific conference. Should that specific conference be cancelled or the full amount allocated, not utilised for any reason, then the funds must revert to the URC.

Submission process

• All applications must be submitted via the UCT Research Portal on the electronic Research Administration (eRA) system. You can download a step-by-step guide here. To learn more about the URC Conference Travel application process please see the video here.
• Applications completed on the eRA system will require input from a Departmental Authority, typically your Head of Department (HoD), who will receive access to your application automatically once you have saved your completed version. Following HoD input, it will move through the system to the UCT Research Office. You will be able to see your completed application on the eRA system as well as what stage it is in.
• No hard copy submissions will be accepted.

Conditions

• It is NOT a requirement for the abstract to be accepted for presentation by the conference travel application submission date. Should the acceptance of the paper, including proof of registration not be available at the time of submission of the application, then a provisional/conditional award may be made pending the receipt of the acceptance of paper/poster.
• Only online applications are valid for submission i.e. the previous document template form is no longer applicable.
• Awards are not transferable, and funding can only be used towards costs associated with the conference applied for.
• Staff may not apply in successive academic years to receive funding for attendance at an international conference. So, for instance, if you applied in the 2020 academic year to receive funding for an international conference, the earliest date on which you can apply again for an international conference will be in the 2022 academic year but should not be strictly within a 24-month period.
• Awards are only made in the event that a paper or a poster is being presented;
• The applicant must ensure that the application is fully completed. Applicants are asked to be concise and to only include applicable and relevant information;
• No late applications will be accepted as the system will close automatically at 23h59 on the deadline date.

Closing Dates:

Applications for conferences happening between 1 July and 31 December 2022 – Closing date: 15 July 2022

Applications for conferences happening between 1 January 2023 and 30 June 2023 – Closing date: 30 September 2022

Contact

Email researchfunding@uct.ac.za for more information.

Please see the Current Opportunities page to see the full list of currently open calls.

Purpose

The purpose of these grants is to provide funding to faculties for prioritised pieces of large equipment not covered for funding by faculty equipment committees.

Eligibility

UCT researchers are eligible to apply if they are:

• permanent academic staff
• permanent joint academic staff (excluding registrars).

Not eligible to apply:

• honorary research associates
• emeritus professors
• emeritus associate professors
• honorary professors
• honorary associate professors
• senior research scholars.

Those who wish to have access to new equipment must form part of research groupings and may not be the principal applicant.

Submission process

Please check current opportunities page to see if this call is currently open. Alternatively please contact the Research Support Services for timelines around this call. Department/individual researchers must make applications directly to the faculty equipment committee (see Table below).

Faculty

The application, accompanied by recent quotes, must provide details on the projected lifetimes and motivations for each item. These motivations must show that the appropriate infrastructural support for the functioning of each item has been investigated.

Please submit your application via email or in hardcopy to your faculty equipment committee representative (see Table above for details).

The faculty equipment committee prioritises the requests and submits the applications to the UEC via the Research Office.

Conditions

• Applicants must be able to show that they have tried to get funding elsewhere, i.e. demonstrated fundraising effort is important. A minimum of a 10% contribution from the applicant is required. If part of the funding will be solicited from outside bodies, it is mandatory that a donor prospect clearance be obtained from the Development Office before approaching the UEC.
• The UEC will not be responsible for currency differences caused by delays in purchasing equipment.
• In the event that there is a saving due to currency differences, excess funds must be returned to the UEC.
• Copies of the invoices of the final amounts must be submitted to the Research Office.
• A report on the expenditure of this equipment award is required to be submitted to the Research Office in November of that year.

Emergency repair

On an annual basis, the UEC sets aside R250,000.00 for possible emergency repair requirements. Applications for emergency repairs are considered on an ad hoc basis by the chair.

National Equipment Programme (NEP) and the Nano National Equipment Programme (NNEP)

The National Research Foundation (NRF) runs the Research Infrastructure Support Programme which encompasses the NEP and the NNEP. Each year institutions are invited to put forward applications for this funding programme. The UEC selects the possible UCT applications which are then approved for forwarding for NEP and NNEP by the regional expensive equipment programme (REEP) committee. The faculty/department/individual is required to make a 10% contribution should the NEP/NNEP applications be successful.

REEP committee

The REEP Committee is made up of representatives from the higher education institutions in the Western Cape. The committee meets annually to approve NEP/NNEP applications for submission to the NRF.

Contact

Email researchfunding@uct.ac.za for more information.

Downloads

URC equipment application form (R&I18).

URC emergency repairs to equipment (R&I21).

For more information, please contact Jacqueline Sylvester at Jacqueline.Sylvester@uct.ac.za

Deadline: 30 July 2022

Purpose of the award

The primary aim of this grant is to assist departments in arranging research conferences and symposia with seed funding to initiate conference arrangements. The focus is on providing support for smaller research conferences that otherwise would not take place without this seed funding. This grant is not intended for research development workshops or for large regular international conferences or national society annual conferences.  

Application conditions

• Normally, given that this grant is intended to provide seed funding to initiate conference arrangements, applications must be for conferences to take place in the year following the application and these applications will be prioritised. In this case, the Committee will be considering applications for conferences taking place in 2023.  Applications will be  Applications will be dealt with on ad hoc basis The Department or Group must:
  • be able to attract international leaders to participate in the UCT conference who will  interact with academic staff and postgraduate students;
  • have a strong and productive research team in the area of the proposed conference; and
  • have a strong nucleus of productive research students of high calibre who will benefit from participation in the conference.
• The proposed conference, which may be open or closed, must further the development of research at UCT.
• The application must indicate expected research output. Please note that peer reviewed output that generates subsidy carries a higher weighting.
• The Department or Group must partly contribute to the financing of the conference (this contribution should be over and above the provision of space and routine facilities and support) or provide reasons why this is not possible, and be responsible for its organisation.
• Where there is more than one application per department, the Dean must prioritise the applications.

Eligibility

UCT researchers who are:

• Permanent and T2 contract academic staff;
• Honorary Research Associates; Emeritus Professors; Emeritus Associate Professors; Honorary Professors; Honorary Associate Professors and Senior Research Scholars who have published in accredited, subsidy-earning publications in the past year; and
• Joint permanent academic staff (excluding registrars)

Submission process

The applicant must use the correct application form (R&I16) downloaded from http://forms.uct.ac.za/forms.htm

For the latest information regarding the Open Access Journal Publication Fund (OAJPF), institutional Open Access membership and page cost grants, please click through to the dedicated Research Publication Grants page.

Visit the Accreditation and Evaluation section.

For the official call document, click here.

Next deadline: Monday, 3 April 2023

Please send all queries to Amanda Raman

Purpose 

Purpose

The aim of the grant is to initiate a new staff member's research at UCT and is awarded once only in an applicant's UCT career.

Budget

The start-up grant budget is allocated annually by the URC, and can be up to R20 000.

Eligibility

Start-up grants must be applied for within six months of the employment appointment date.

Eligible researchers:

• new permanent academic staff member in the Faculties of Health Sciences, Engineering & the Built Environment, Humanities, CHED, Law and Commerce (including joint staff but excluding registrars)

Not eligible:

• new academic staff members from the Faculty of Science are not eligible to apply because the URC provides a contribution to the faculty which manages its own start-up and launching grants internally.

Submission process

Researchers may apply to this grant by using the start-up grant application form (R&I11).

Hard copies may be posted to the Research Office, 2 Rhodes Avenue, Mowbray or e-mailed to Research Support Services (but not both). Please ensure that you receive an acknowledgement of receipt two days after the closing date.

Conditions

These grants are aimed exclusively at supporting research activities, with the exception of:

•    Conference attendance (refer Conference travel grants)
•    Publication fees (refer Publication page costs)
•    Office furniture, printers, ink cartridges, paper, stationery (consult with your department/faculty operations official)

Contact

Email researchfunding@uct.ac.za for more information.

Download

Start-up application grant application R&I11.

Purpose

This grant, funded through a bequest made by the late Mrs Vera Davie, serves to supplement funding for a UCT staff member to travel abroad for sabbatical study and research.

Budget

The bursary, managed through the URC, has a maximum value of R25 000.

Eligibility

Members of UCT staff on academic conditions of service, who will be proceeding abroad on study and research leave.

Submission Process

Please check the current opportunities page to see if this call is currently open. Alternatively please contact the Research Office for timelines around this call.

There is no application template for this funding opportunity but applications should include:

• a full curriculum vitae including a list of publications
• details of the intended programme of study and research
• a full motivation explaining the need for supplementary funding and providing the following information:
  • travel costs
  • subsistence costs
  • direct subventions applied for and received
  • any other information or variables for the Committee's attention
• the number of times an applicant has been on study and research leave, and brief details thereof.

Hard copies may be posted to the Research Office, 2 Rhodes Avenue, Mowbray or e-mailed to Research Funding (but not both). Please ensure that you receive an acknowledgement of receipt two days after the closing date.

Applicants please note: If you have not received confirmation that your application has been received within two days of the closing date, please contact the Research Office.

Conditions

• The recipient should return to his/her post at the university for a period of at least 12 months from the completion of the leave for which the award is made.
• Should the award not be used in accordance with the conditions stipulated and for the purpose approved by the committee when awarding it, a portion of the whole of it, as determined by council, would have to be repaid.

Contact

For more information contact researchfunding@uct.ac.za.

Purpose

Visiting scholars fund (VSF): to bring to UCT eminent academics from outside South Africa.

Visiting lecturers fund (VLF): to bring to UCT eminent academics based abroad, who are already in South Africa on other business as well as eminent academics who are employed at other educational institutions within South Africa.

These visiting scholars/lecturers will be expected to provide an academic stimulus by means of lectures and seminars or similar contributions within the university.

Grants contribute towards both travel and subsistence costs, for a maximum of 30 days for visiting scholars and a maximum of seven days for visiting lecturers.

Budget

The VSF and VLF budgets are allocated by the URC. Grants contribute towards both travel and subsistence costs, for a maximum of 30 days for visiting scholars and a maximum of seven days for visiting lecturers.

Eligibility

The following affiliated UCT researchers can apply:

• Permanent and T2 contract (travel must be occurring within contract period) academic staff;
• Permanent Professional Administrative Support Services (PASS) staff affiliated to an academic department;
• Honorary Research Associates/Affiliates; Emeritus Professors; Emeritus Associate Professors; Honorary Professors; Honorary Associate Professors and Senior Research Scholars who have published in accredited, subsidy-earning publications in the past year; and
• Permanent joint academic staff (excluding registrars).

Kindly note that:

• T1 contract staff are unfortunately not eligible to apply for this grant.
• Applications for a grant to host an honorary staff member already formally affiliated to UCT (Honorary Research Associates/Affiliates; Honorary Professors; Honorary Associate Professors) will not be considered by the committee.

Submission process

Please check current opportunities page to see if this call is currently open. Alternatively please contact the Research Office for timelines around this call.

Researchers may apply to this grant using the visiting lecturers fund and visiting scholars fund application form (R&I13).

E-mail applications to researchfunding@uct.ac.za and please ensure that you receive an acknowledgement of receipt within two days after submission.

Conditions

After the visit, a brief report must be submitted to the committee. Researchers can use the R&I15 visiting scholar/lecturer's report template.

Contact

Email researchfunding@uct.ac.za for more information.

Please address all queries to Robyn Udemans.

Application Deadlines 2022

For external-to-UCT funding applications (submitted between 01 July 2022 and 30 May 2023) – Friday, 01 Jul 2023

For external-to-UCT funding applications (submitted between 01 January 2023 and 31 October 2023) – Friday, 11 November 2023

Under the leadership of the DVC for Research & Internationalisation, Prof Sue Harrison, the Research Office announces the opening of the 2022 calls for the UCT Enabling Grant Seeker Excellence Awards. In the context of an unpredictable national research funding environment, the purpose of this intervention is to encourage applications to external - particularly international – funders as well as multi- inter- and transdisciplinary research collaborations.

The intention is to reopen the call next year (if funding becomes available), and researchers are therefore encouraged to seek research funding continuously from external-to-UCT sources by applying to grant funding agencies. Researchers are reminded of the International Grants Hub that provides both proposal development (grant writing support), and administrative support to academic staff seeking international research funding.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Applications for the Enabling Grant Seeker Excellence awards are encouraged from all researchers affiliated to UCT (permanent/contract/emeritus/honorary) and who will continue to be for the duration of the funding period. This includes joint Provincial Government of the Western Cape/UCT academic staff but excludes registrars.

At the time of application applicants must have submitted an external-to-UCT grant as a principal investigator or UCT lead during the timeframe specified, and meet ONE of the following criteria:

1. It is the first external grant proposal application in your academic career.
2. It is the first international consortium grant proposal application in your academic career in which you serve as the UCT lead.
3. The grant proposal includes co-investigators from two or more faculties at UCT.
4. You are not currently holding an external-to-UCT grant.
5. You are currently holding an external-to-UCT grant (as principal investigator or UCT lead) with an annual income that does not exceed R500 000 for laboratory-based/fieldwork research, or R250 000 for desktop-based research i.e., minimal running costs, and are applying for an additional grant which may or may not be related to the one held. Limits specified excludes bursaries.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Please complete the application form available here.

AWARD VALUES
The awards will be sized according to the following sliding scales, which are linked to the amount the UCT principal investigator or lead UCT researcher will bring into the University should the external-to-UCT grant application be successful:

• R100 000 UCT awards for external-to-UCT grant applications of R5m or more
• R50 000 UCT awards for external-to-UCT grant applications of less than R5m but more than R1m
• R20 000 UCT awards for external-to-UCT grant applications of less than R1m and more than R100k
• R10 000 UCT awards for external-to-UCT grant applications of less than R100k and more than R50k

NOTE

While all eligible researchers are encouraged to apply, the amount available for awards each year is limited, typically to R2.4 million. Should demand be greater than the budget allocation, preference will be given in order of priority 1 – 5 of the eligibility criteria listed in the table above and/or to first time applicants.

In the application, the researcher will be asked to detail how the UCT Enabling Grant Seeking Excellence (EGSE) award will be used in relation to the work detailed in the external-to-UCT grant. This may include supporting the time of soft-funded staff to draft the applications. Researchers are cautioned to make considered and careful submissions to external agencies as inadequate proposals to funders risks reputational damage to themselves and may affect their own future success with such funders.

In all cases, only principal investigators or the single UCT lead researcher on a collaborative grant is eligible. Team members on collaborative grants are not eligible.