Research Entities | Research Support | Services | NWU | North-West University

Research Chairs

Research Chairs	Entity Director
DST/NRF Research Chair in Astrophysics and Space Physics (SARChI)	Prof Markus Böttcher
DST/NRF Research Chair in Coal Research (SARChI)	Prof John Bunt
DST/NRF Research Chair in Biofuels and Other Clean Alternative Fuels (SARChI)	Prof Sanette Marx
DST/NRF Research Chair in Nuclear Engineering (SARChI)	Prof Jat du Toit
DST/NRF Research Chair in Early Detection and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Africa (SARChI)	Prof Ruan Kruger
DST/NRF Research Chair in Cities, Law and Environmental Sustainability (SARChI)	Prof Anel du Plessis
DST/NRF Albertina Sisulu Research Chair in Nursing Science (SARChI)	Prof Siedine Coetzee
ESKOM EPPEI Specialisation Centre for Emission Control	Proff Hein Neomagus (acting)
World Trade Organisation chair (WTO)	Prof Wilma Viviers
UNESCO Chair on Multimodal Learning and OER (Open Educational Resources)	Prof Jako Olivier

Research Centres of Excellence

Research Centres of Excellence	Entity Director
Centre of Excellence for Nutrition (CEN)	Prof Marius Smuts
Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences (PharMaCen)	Prof Lesetja Legoabe
Centre for Space Research (CSR)	Prof Christo Venter
Centre of Excellence in Carbon-Based Fuels	Prof Hein Neomagus
Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART)	Prof Carina Mels

Research Units

Research Units	Entity Director
Unit for Business Mathematics and Informatics (BMI)	Prof Magda Huisman
Research Unit for Law, Justice and Sustainability	Prof Marita Carnelley
Education and Human Rights in Diversity (Edu-HRight)	Prof Johan Botha (acting)
Enabling Optimal Expression of Individual, Social and Institutional Potential - Optentia Research Unit	Prof Ian Rothmann
Unit for Energy and Technology Systems	Dr Rojanette Coetzee
Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management (UESM)	Prof Carlos Bezuidenhout
Unit for Language and Literature in the South African Context	Prof David Scott-Macnab
Unit for Reformational Theology and the Development of the South African Society	Prof Ferdi Kruger
Tourism Research in Economic, Environs and Society (TREES)	Prof Elmarie Slabbert
Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR)	Prof Petra Bester
WorkWell: Research Unit for Economic & Management Sciences	Prof Leon de Beer
Research Unit Self-Directed Learning (SDL)	Prof Elsa Mentz

Research Focus Areas

Research Focus Areas	Entity Director
Ancient Texts: Text, Context and Reception	Prof Hans van Deventer
Chemical Resource Beneficiation (CRB)	Prof Manie Vosloo
Community-Based Educational Research (COMBER)	Prof Lesley Wood
Community Psychosocial Research (Compres)	Prof Retha Bloem
Human Metabolomics	Prof du Toit Loots
Material Science Innovation an Modelling (MaSIM)	Vacant
Occupational Hygiene and Health Research Initiative (OHHRI)	Prof Johan du Plessis (JL)
Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation (PhASRec)	Prof Hanlie Moss
Population and Health	Prof Martin Pamamuleni (acting)
Pure and Applied Analytics	Prof Louis Labuschagne
Quality in Nursing and Midwifery (NuMIQ)	Prof Karin Minnie
Social Transformation	Prof Lynnette Fourie
Trade and Development (TRADE)	Prof Zandri Dickason
Understanding & Processing Language in Complex Settings (UPSET)	Prof Gustav Butler

Research Niche Areas

Research Niche Areas	Entity Director
Applied Research in Management Cybernetics	Prof Pieter Buys
Edu-Lead	Prof Jan Heystek
Food Security and Safety	Prof Olubukola Babalola
Global Innovative Focussed Talent (GIFT)	Prof Anna Pelser
Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA)	Prof Abiodun Salawu (acting)
Lifestyle Diseases	Prof Ushotanefe Useh (acting)
Medicine Usage in South Africa (MUSA)	Prof Martie Lubbe
Multilingual Speech Technologies (MuST)	Prof Marelie Davel
Musical Arts in South Africa: Resources and Applications (MASARA)	Dr Chris van Rhyn
Technology-Enhanced Learning and Innovative Education and Training, South Africa (TELIT-SA)	Dr Verona Leendertz
Visual Narratives and Creative Outputs through Interdisciplinary and Practice-led Research (VINCO)	Dr Annemi Conradie

Hosted Research Entities (Centre, Platform, Institute)

Hosted Research Entities (Centre, Platform, Institute)	Entity Director
DST HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence in Hydrogen production, storage, reticulation and safety codes and standards	Prof Dmitri Bessarabov
DST/NWU Pre-Clinical Drug Development Platform (PCDDP)	Prof Rose Hayeshi
DTI Centre for Advanced Manufacturing (CFAM)	Prof LJ Grobler
DST Centre of Excellence in Indigenous Knowledge Systems	Dr Motheo Koitsiwe (acting)
Centre for Human Metabonomics	Prof Chris Vorster
South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLar)	Prof Langa Khumalo
SAMRC/NWU Extra Mural Unit for Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease	Prof Marlien Pieters

Commercial Research Entities