The Research Support department ensures that all researchers have the skills and knowledge needed to be the best of the best. Prof Nnenesi Kgabi, Research Support director, gives eish! some insight into the department.

 

Support brings out the best in researchers

 

The department offers support to researchers and academics across the three campuses. There are various programmes and workshops for emerging researchers, young up-and-coming researchers and established researchers. There are also programmes that support master’s and doctoral students.

 

The department also ensures that all researchers at the NWU receive information on funding opportunities available on national and international platforms.

 

“Our support services can be summarised into four processes. They are research capacity development, quality improvement of research processes and outputs, management of research funds, and monitoring and reporting of research outputs,” says Nnenesi.

 

Structured for service

 

As the director of Research Support, Nnenesi reports directly to the deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation, Prof Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya.

 

The department currently consists of nine employees serving in three clusters: funding, monitoring and reporting and general research support. Each cluster has a coordinator, senior research officer and/or administrative assistant.

 

The department also serves in different research-related Senate or institutional committees, such as the Senate Committee for Research and Innovation, Research Data Gatekeeper Committee, Research Ethics Regulatory Committee and the Thesis and Dissertation Classification Committee.

 

Expanding its reach

 

Currently the department is based on the campus in Potchefstroom but plans have been put into place to increase visibility and widen access of support services for researchers on the other campuses.

 

The department recently acquired an office on the campus in Mafikeng where researchers will be able to liaise with Research Support on queries, requests, open grant calls, and collection of audit files from the researchers, among others.