UCT seed awards are available for newly-rated researchers (2020 and 2021) and researchers that successfully maintain – or improve on – their current rating.
The purpose of this intervention is to assure the eligibility of our researchers for future NRF funding programmes (including SARChI) that require applicants to be NRF rated. Whilst the NRF rating system itself seems to be under consideration, our intention is to help position our researchers optimally in relation to an unpredictable national funding environment.
The eligibility criteria for UCT seed awards are the following:
Researchers that applied for, and achieved, a new NRF rating in 2020 as well as those that apply in the current round and achieve a new rating in 2021 will be eligible for a UCT seed award.
Researchers that were invited to apply for re-evaluation of their current NRF rating in 2019 or 2020 and successfully maintain – or improve on – their current rating will be eligible for a UCT seed award.
The awards will be made in response to a brief application to the Research Office and must be used to further research. An e-application form will be made available late in January 2020, with a deadline of 1 March.
The UCT seed awards – together with the amount forthcoming from the NRF based on rating outcomes – would be comparable to what rated researchers would have received from the NRF for a single year, prior to the change in funding policy.
NRF INCENTIVE FUNDING POLICY VS UCT CONTRIBUTION FOR 2020 and 2021
NEWLY RATED RESEARCHERS
Researchers who have never been rated before and whose rating starts on 1 January 2020/2021
Category
UCT Seed Funding for 2020/2021
NRF Revised (new policy) Incentive
NRF Period of incentive (new policy)
Old Incentive Funding model up until 2017
A rating
R50,000
R50,000
Once-off over the duration of the rating cycles
R100,000 p.a over 6 years
B rating
R30,000
R50,000
Once-off over the duration of the rating cycles
R80,000 p.a over 6 years
C rating
R50,000
Once-off over the duration of the rating cycle
R40,000 p.a. over 6 years
Y rating
R10,000
R30,000
Two grants over the duration of the rating cycle
R20,000 NRF & R20,000 from UCT
P rating
VC awards
R50,000
R40,000 NRF & R40,000 from UCT
RE-RATED RESEARCHERS
Researchers who had a valid rating until 31 December 2019 or allowed their rating to lapse, who re-submitted and received a valid rating starting on 1 January 2020
Category
UCT Seed Funding for 2020/2021
NRF Revised (new policy) Incentive
NRF Period of incentive (new policy)
Old Incentive Funding model up until 2017
A
R70,000
R30,000
once-off grant over duration of the rating cycle
R100,000 p.a over 6 years
B
R50,000
R30,000
once-off grant over duration of the rating cycle
R80,000 p.a over 6 years
C
R10,000
R30,000
once-off grant over duration of the rating cycle
R40,000 p.a. over 6 years
Y
R10,000
R30,000
once-off grant over duration of the rating cycle
R20,000 NRF & R20,000 institution
P
VC Awards
R30,000
Annual VC Research Leadership Grants for the duration of the rating cycle
R40,000 NRF & R40,000 institution
IMPROVED RATING IN 2020/2021
Researchers who improve their rating between main categories (i.e., Y to C/B; P to C/B/A; C to B and B to A and not between the sub categories within each of the broad categories, e.g., C3 to C2; C2 to C1; etc.)
Category
UCT Seed Funding for 2020/2021
NRF Revised Incentive
NRF Period of incentive (new policy)
Old Incentive Funding model up until 2017
A
R50,000
R50,000
Once-off grant over the duration of the rating cycle
R100,000 p.a. over 6 years
B
R30,000
R50,000
Once-off grant over the duration of the rating cycle
R80,000 p.a. over 6 years
C
R50,000
Once-off grant over the duration of the rating cycle
R40,000 p.a. over 6 years
Y
R50,000
Once-off grant over the duration of the rating cycle
R20,000 NRF & R20,000 institution
P
R30,000
R50,000
Once-off grant over the duration of the rating cycle
