Department of Research Support
The Research Support Department is an integral part of the core business of the North-West University (NWU) and plays an important support role in achieving strategic goal 2 of the institution, namely to ‘Intensify Research and Innovation’.
To ensure delivery of the best possible service, the Research Support Department continues to evaluate its performance and identify risks in order to manage and improve effectively.
Background
The main objective of the department is to offer support to researchers and academics across the three campuses of the NWU. There are various support and training programmes within the department that focus on emerging researchers, young and upcoming researchers and established researchers at the university.
A number of programmes also support master’s and doctoral students. The department also ensures that all researchers at the NWU receive information on funding opportunities that are available on national and international platforms. Our support services comprise four primary processes, namely Research Capacity Development, Quality Improvement of Research, Management of Research Funds and Management of Research Outputs Information.
These are implemented through more than 25 secondary processes, grouped into six programmes, namely Emerging Researchers (postdoctoral fellowships, workshops, training, mentorship support, research internships, etc.), Research Entities Support (applications, upgrading, internal evaluations, external evaluations, annual reports for 40 research entities), Pre-award Management (managing more than 80 funding calls from national and international funders), Post-award Management, Research Output Information Management and Research Excellence Programme (research chairs, rated researchers, research and innovation awards, etc.).
Two more programmes – Postgraduate Support and Research Visibility – were also added in 2019. Plans are underway to cluster the eight programmes into five operational sub-sections/clusters for effective management of the processes.
Research Entity Evaluation Committee (REEC)
The Research Entity Evaluation Committee (REEC) is here to provide expert advice to the Institutional Senate through the Institutional Committee for Research and Innovation on the quality of research programmes within recognised research entities and research centres of the NWU. This committee also imparts advice to institutional and campus management on research policies and procedures for the promotion of research.
Manual for postgraduate studies by the Institutional Committee for Research and Innovation (ICRI)
ICRI manual for postgraduate studies has been approved by the Senate of the NWU for use by postgraduate students of the NWU.
The manual is a binding policy document and provides guidelines regarding the different policies and processes involved in master’s degree and doctoral studies at the NWU.
We strongly advise all prospective and registered students to acquaint themselves with the different rules, processes and policies referred to in this document.
Click the link to download the ICRI manual for postgraduate studies.