?Three staff members from Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU)'s Division for Research Development (DRD) won prestigious awards on Thursday (5th of September 2019) for their contribution towards research management in Southern Africa at the annual DSI/SARIMA (Department of Science and Innovation/Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association) Excellence in Research and Innovation Management Awards. These awards acknowledge and encourage growth and achievement in the field of research and innovation management as a key enabler of research and innovation outputs and impact. The winners were announced at a gala event at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West.
Cornelia Malherbe (Director: Research Contracts) received the DSI-SARIMA Award for Distinguished contribution to the Research Management Profession. This award recognises individuals who have made a specific contribution in the period under review (2018), but nominations are in respect of leaders in their respective fields who has demonstrated a broad national and international contribution to the profession over many years. Cornelia won the award for her leading role in implementing a number of critical institutional policies, regulations and tools, training of more than 300 researchers on contract management across SADC and her contribution towards the policies and procedures of the IPR Act. Cornelia also serves on various internal and external advisory and steering committees and has contributed to the improvement of compliance through business processes and integration of ICT systems to manage third stream income at SU.
Clarissa Graham (Research Ethics Co-ordinator: Human Research/Humanities) was awarded the DSI-SARIMA Award for Professional Excellence in Research Management. This award recognises individuals who have been in the Research Management or Innovation Management profession for seven years or less, and have made an increasing contribution to their organisation and the R&I Management community over that time. A specific contribution should have been made in the period under review (2018), as well as demonstration of an increasingly broad contribution to the profession.
Clarissa has been instrumental in building capacity at SU in the preparation and review of applications for research ethics clearance. In 2018, she facilitated the successful audit of the REC: Humanities by the National Health Research Ethics Council (NHREC), resulting in a renewal of the REC: Humanities registration with the NHREC, while also coordinating the reviews of more than 1000 new ethics applications. She has also played a pivotal role in the procurement, design, set-up and implementation of a new online ethics review management system, Infonetica, for Stellenbosch 肆客足球, and gives regular training to users across nine of SU's ten faculties. On national and international levels she has represented SU at a national working group drafting research data management guidelines and has undertaken a research ethics processes benchmark visit to Bristol 肆客足球 the UK.
The DSI-SARIMA Award for Early Career Excellence in Research Management went to Aslam Arnolds (Administrative Officer, Research Contracts). The award recognises individuals who are newcomers to the Research Management or Innovation Management professions. Nominees must have less than five years' experience in any of the core elements that make up a Research Management or Innovation Management function whether they were in a formal organisational office or not.
Aslam supports the administration of an average of R1bn worth of contracts managed by the Research Contracts Office annually, He ensures that contracts data entered conform to the new SU Research Contract Management system. He is responsible for administrative aspects of research contracts and contracts procedures at SU, and has developed new processes and procedures related to research contracts management, including a Conflict of Interest recording and documents management site.
In response to these achievements, Dr Therina Theron, Senior Director: Research and Innovation at the DRD, said: "As a team we are very happy and humbled to have received this acknowledgement from our professional peers. It inspires and further strengthens the DRD's commitment to offer an excellent professional support service to our research community. I am extremely proud of my colleagues!"
The DRD will also provide key leadership support to SARIMA as a professional Research and Innovation membership organisation over the next two years, with Dr Therina Theron having been elected as the new SARIMA President and Dr Natasha Mothapo as a member of the SARIMA Executive Committee for the next two years.
MORE ABOUT SARIMA
Established in 2002, the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association is a stakeholder organisation that provides a platform for the promotion and facilitation of best practice in research and innovation management in Southern Africa. It strengthens the research and innovation system to ensure the social and economic development of the Southern African region. For more information visit www.sarima.co.za.
