Research at our university got a significant boost this week with the awarding of three research chairs by the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChl) of the National Research Foundation.
The chairs were awarded in the fields of solid-state luminescent and advanced materials, higher education in human development and disease resistance in field crops. The grants for the chairs amount to R7.5 million per year for the next ten years.
Prof. Frans Swanepoel, Director: Research Development , says receiving these chairs in a highly competitive environment is a significant achievement. Our university received the same number of chairs as the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of the Witwatersrand.
The SARChl received 406 applications from 22 universities for 2011/2012. Following 25 panel meetings, 60 applicants were successful and were awarded chairs.
The UFS chairs will probably be in operation by September of this year.
Prof. Swanepoel says the SARChl’s future calls for applications will create the opportunity to increase the number of chairs at our university.