An additional call for Applications for the Research Infrastructure Grants has been opened due to
additional funds becoming available for investment in 2010, in the categories listed below. All applications must be validated by the respective institution’s research administration or responsible person, before submission to the NRF.
1. Strategic Research Infrastructure Investments
In addition to NEP and NNEP, there exists a need for research infrastructure investments that support human capital development, research and innovation focussing on the fiveGrand Challenges, the Science and Technology Missions and other strategic research areas. The Strategic Research Infrastructure Programme (SRIP) has been created in order to specifically address these research infrastructure requirements that fall outside NEP and NNEP and that require investments in excess of R7 million.
This category of equipment includes instrumentation that is not only able to push the frontiers of science, but is also able to address the development of scarce skills, attract industry involvement, drive scientific and technological productivity and advance national priorities. In most cases, additional resources need to be earmarked by the institution to provide the necessary space, services, utilises, technicians, maintenance and additional support facilities such as information technology. Applications in this category must address the following requirements:
– Alignment with national priorities as defined in the National R&D Strategy and the Ten-Year Innovation Plan;
– Creating enabling research infrastructure for South African research and academic institutions to compete with leading institutions internationally;
– Demonstrated ability of the applicant and co-applicants to train postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows;
-Demonstrated ability of the applicant and co-applicants to attract research grants and contract income to sustain the proposed research;
-Existing facilities available at the applicant’s institution to support the requested research infrastructure;
– Institutional commitments for providing additional human resources and/or infrastructure, e.g. buildings and fixtures, that may be required to house the specialised equipment;

Fellowship Application Deadline: 31 January 2011

Further Fellowship Information and Application