Top postgrads and supervisors honoured

UCT's top research postgraduate students and their supervisors gathered in the Postgraduate Centre and Funding Office recently to receive Research Associateship Awards '“ annual honours that support the university's strategic objective to be a research-led institution.

Professor Danie Visser, chair of the Postgraduate Studies Funding Committee and deputy vice-chancellor for research, hosted the event and Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price presented the awards. As in previous years, the 2014 research associates work in a broad range of fields. Nomination for a research associateship award is followed by a rigorous review of each candidate's work, progress and contribution to the university's research enterprise. The awards are somewhat unique in the higher education sector in that they acknowledge both students' hard work and the support and mentorship of their supervisors.

These once-off awards also serve as a funding source that supports research and conference travel. Master's Research Associateships are worth R30 000 and Doctoral Research Associateships worth R45 000. (These may be held concurrently with standard National Research Foundation or Medical Research Council bursaries.)