UCT seed awards
UCT seed awards are available for newly-rated researchers (2018 and 2019) 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 2018 as well as those that apply in the current round and achieve a new rating in 2019 will be eligible for a UCT seed award.
- Researchers that were invited to apply for re-evaluation of their current NRF rating in 2018 or 2019 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 2019, 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.
Please contact Jacky Sylvester for more information.
NRF INCENTIVE FUNDING POLICY VS UCT CONTRIBUTION FOR 2019
- NEWLY RATED RESEARCHERS
Researchers who have never been rated before and whose rating starts on 1 January 2019
|
Category |
UCT Seed Funding for 2019 |
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 |
R10,000 |
R30,000 |
Two grants 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 2018 or allowed their rating to lapse, who re-submitted and received a valid rating starting on 1 January 2019
|
Category |
UCT Seed Funding for 2019 |
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 2019
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 2019 |
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 |
R40,000 NRF & R40,000 institution |