Note: Internal UFS closing date of 8 May 2023 was extended to 30 May 2023
 
Support for Y-rated researchers
The Research Development Grants for Y-Rated Researchers is one of the NRF instruments that develops a transformed and highly skilled science and technology community. In driving this programme, both the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the NRF recognise the need to deliberately provide dedicated support to emerging and promising researchers to hasten the process of establishing themselves as established researchers.
 
Financing support
The Research Development Grants for Y-Rated Researchers is made possible through contract funding from the DSI. Each application may request funding of not more than R300 000 for a period of three years. Financial requests must be in line with the requirements and accurately reflect the financial needs of the proposed work. Excessive budget requests are not well received by the review panels.
 
Eligibility

• Research Development Grants for Y-Rated Researchers grant holders may only hold ONE Y-rated research grant. Previous Y-rated grant holders are not eligible to apply again.
• Each new principal investigator may only submit ONE application to this call.
• Principal investigators must choose between submitting an application in this funding instrument or in the Competitive Programme for Rated Researchers (CPRR). An application submitted to this instrument will not be reviewed if there is another application submitted for CPRR funding.
• Full-time employees at an NRF-recognised research institution in South Africa who are eligible to apply and who hold a valid NRF Y-rating at the time of application, may submit an application.
• NRF-rated part-time employees on contract at an NRF-recognised research institution (as defined above) in South Africa who hold a valid Y-rating may apply, on condition that their appointment at the South African institution is (at least) for the duration of the project applied for in the application. The length of the contract should be stated in the application form. The primary employment of the individual concerned must be at that institution. A contract researcher appointed at a research institution on behalf of a third party to fulfil a very specific function for the latter does not qualify for support.
• Successful Y-rated applicants will be eligible for funding for the duration of their awarded grant, up to a maximum of three years. The grant allocation will be allowed to run for the duration of the award, even if the principal investigator loses his/her rating status during this period.
  

NB: Applicants must ensure that their curriculum vitae is updated on the NRF Connect System at https://nrfconnect.nrf.ac.za. This curriculum vitae is used in the assessment processes, and incomplete or outdated input will jeopardise the application.
 
For more information pertaining to this call, please refer to the Framework document.