Internal research funding

This section offers guidance on how to submit your application for internal UCT research funding.

/ Step 1: Submit your application and supporting documentation for consideration

• Manual application forms are submitted via email to the designated contact person listed on the application form and funding call.
• Conference travel and researcher development grant applications are submitted via UCT eRA.
• Applications for short research visits are submitted via UCT ServiceNow.

/ Step 2: Await an outcome on your application

The internal UCT research funding application process is competitive, with limited funds available. There is no guarantee of an award. Your application undergoes a review process before final award decisions are made.

Applications for internal UCT research funding are assessed for fundability and take into consideration the recommendations of the HoD or another relevant departmental/faculty representative.

Factors evaluated include:

• Research quality and merit
• The researcher’s track record
• Innovation and originality
• Feasibility and methodology
• Alignment with UCT’s institutional and research priorities
• Potential for external funding
• Research impact
• Proof that equipment/advanced computational equipment has multiple uses or can be shared and utilised collaboratively with the broader research community

The review process varies by opportunity and faculty. Some applications are managed exclusively at the faculty level and assessed against specific faculty objectives and funding requirements, such as those reviewed by the faculty’s equipment committee. Others are evaluated by university-wide committees, such as the University Equipment Committee (UEC) or University Research Committee (URC), which consider faculty and departmental priorities alongside broader institutional goals.

External research funding

This section offers guidance on how to apply for external research funding, such as from national funding bodies and international funding bodies and who to contact within the university for assistance.

/ Step 1: Check that your application is ready to submit

“Ready to submit” means your application has been internally approved via UCT eRA and finalised according to the funder’s specifications, with all the required information and documentation, either on their online platform or using their template.

Your application is be considered internally approved via UCT eRA once you have completed the following steps:

1. The tabs "Key Information" and "Resourcing, Ethics and Biosafety" have been completed.
2. The tab "Financial Information" has been populated by a departmental budget reviewer.
3. You ticked the box “Final declaration by principal investigator” on the tab "Resourcing, Ethics and Biosafety".
4. The Faculty Finance approver has signed off.
5. The final faculty approver has signed off.
6. Research Contracts & Innovation (RC&I) has fulfilled their role, if applicable.

If a proposal requires online submission via a funder portal, create a profile, complete the application on the funder portal using the information approved internally via UCT eRA, attach supporting documentation and submit it. 

Exempt from UCT eRA approval

/ Step 2: Get your application submitted

The research proposal is typically submitted to the funder via one of two ways:

• Funder portal: Register and obtain a system account to submit your application through the funder’s portal. Sometimes you, as the Principal Investigator (PI), submit directly to the funder, while in other cases, you do a pre-submission and a unit/office within UCT will action the final submission to the funder. For assistance, contact the International Grants Hub (IGH) or the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) Research Development.
• Email: Package and email proposals directly to the funder.

Note: National Institutes of Health (NIH) applications may need Research Contracts & Innovation (RC&I) involvement for registering and obtaining a systems account on the funder’s portal.

Who is responsible for proposal submissions?

Some proposals require institutional submission, i.e. submission via authorised personnel at UCT. For others, the PI who is the primary applicant must submit their proposal directly to the funder. See below for details. This is a partial list; for funders not listed, consult their specific guidelines.

Principal Investigator UCT

/ Step 3: Confirm that your application has been submitted

Confirm that your application has been submitted in time to meet the funder’s deadlines. Check funder portals or confirm with the submitting office via email.

After receiving confirmation, make sure your application status on UCT eRA is updated to "Submitted".

• If RC&I is the final submitter: RC&I updates the status to "Submitted".
• If RC&I is not involved: the PI who is the primary applicant updates the status to "Submitted"

Note: If funding is awarded, UCT is considered the grant holder and will have institutional authority over the grant regardless of who submits the proposal.

Contacts

Useful links

• eRA system > Internal approvals FAQs: Browse common topics on the UCT electronic Research Administration (eRA) system.

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