1 the state of science in south africa
I N T R O D U C T I O N
groups, institutes, units or centres.
The research system of the higher educa- Together with the national equipment
tion institutions has to a large extent been programme, and very significant foreign
moulded since the 1980s by the adop- programme funding in certain fields like
tion by the national funding agency (the
health, these interventions have been par-
National Research Foundation, NRF) of a
ticularly effective in addressing the prob-
‘rating system’ for scientists and scholars by
lems inherent in a generalised model for
means of which they are formally and pub-
academic staff of heavy teaching duties
licly classified for five years at a time into
and limited research time. Many institu-
a number of categories on the basis of
tions have in fact positioned themselves to
an extensive international multiple peer-
gain from these programmes by organising
review process. Categories ‘A’ and ‘B’ reflect
their internal research development efforts
international recognition in the respective
in focused ways that promote competitive
field, category ‘C’ steady national eminence,
advantage in gaining access to the external
and ‘P’ a bright star of the future. As might
funding.
be expected, the rating system is highly
controversial across different fields and
Finally, it should be mentioned that the
modes of practising scholarship.
‘supply-side’ subsidisation stream for pub-
lic higher education institutions generated
Strategic high-level human capital dev-
by formula on the basis of research outputs
elopment in S&T – the new priority
(about R 1.5 billion per annum each for
The most recent systemic injection into re-
search concentration has been the national
Masters- and Doctoral-level graduations,
research chairs programme sponsored
on the one hand, and for accredited pub-
by the DST and administered by the NRF.
lications, on the other) outweighs the total
About a third of the projected total of 210
flows generated by the competitive ‘de-
chairs has been established to date, com-
mand-side’ grants distributed by the NRF,
petitively providing salary and significant
MRC. WRC and other agencies, which do
support packages to incumbents across the
not for that reason, cover overhead costs.
university system for renewable periods of
Institutions have used some of this discre-
five years. Many have been ‘brain gain or re-
tionary funding to establish effective and
gain’ appointments, bringing ‘new blood’
efficient research directorates working in
into the country’s science system. The
concerted ways to build capacity and max-
smaller, but individually better resourced
imise benefits under unfolding national
national ‘centres of excellence’ programme
policy. There is much debate whether the
(which has established seven large concen-
balance between the two overall funding
trations of especially productive scholars in
streams is appropriate, but it seems that
several institutions), has been built on an productivity and quality enhancement
older and still persisting model of research have in fact been materially assisted by the
units/groups/centres set up by funding mix of autonomous and steered support of
agencies in strong or priority areas. institutional research systems.
48
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