Vol 1 - Support Services Ufs Ac Za - University of the Free State

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The University of the Free State (UFS) re cognisesthe importance not only of generatingnew knowledge by means of researchprogrammes, but also of actively participating inthe application and utilisation of knowledge andtechnology to generate new products, processesand services. The Directorate Research Development(DRD) also recognises the po ten tial of thirdstream-funding– generated through contractresearch, the effective man age ment of intellectualproperty and the com mer ciali sation of innovativeresearch – to ensure greater financial sustainabilityin support of re search at the University. Researchcommercialisation and in creas ed cooperation withindustry has therefore been a priority within theStrategic Framework of the DRD since 2003, andthis prioritisation has led to some very promisingendeavours in these areas.Dedicated human resources, policy direc tivesand administrative and legal processes have beenput in place in support of UFS researchcommercialisation activities. Prof Gerrit van Wyk,acting Director for Entre pre neurship and SpecialProjects, has been assisting the DRD on a part-timebasis since 2005 and a candidate attorney, MsVictoria Motloung from Phatshoane Henney Inc. (aBloemfontein-based law firm), has been responsiblefor contract administration from 2006. In the sameyear, the UFS Policy for the Management ofIntellectual Property (IP) was approved forimplementation and legal re pre sen tatives werecontracted to handle UFS patents. The Universityfurther decided to create a dedicated managerialposition to spearhead research com merciali sation,Ms Victoria Motloung, candidate attorney from PhatshoaneHenney Inc., has been responsible for contract researchadministration from 2006.in nova tion and entrepreneurship, and the appointmentprocess was initiated.The University is currently engaged with manyindustrial partners through the Tech nology andHuman Resources for Industry Pro gramme (THRIP).It has also received significant third-stream fundingfrom some prominent South African andinternational companies. These include global52
Research Commercialisation andCooperation with Industryenergy company Sasol, and BioPAD, a South Africanbiotechnology company that brokers partnershipsbetween researchers, entrepreneurs, business,govern ment and other stakeholders to promote innovationand create sustainable biotechnologybusinesses.Sasol has made considerable commercial andsocial investments in the University in recent years,benefiting the UFS Department of Chemistry andthe Research Institute for Education Planning (RIEP)in particular. Sasol invested R9 million over the pastthree years in the Department of Chemistry,focusing specifically on process technology andresearch development on oxidation andhomogeneous catalysis. This strategic partnershipalso involves the secondment of a senior Sasolresearcher, Prof Ben Bezuidenhout, to theDepartment, effectively enhancing the Department’sinteraction with the chemicals industry.The investment bolstered the research capacityof the Department in a number of ways. It nowboasts with some of the most advanced chemicalresearch apparatus in Africa, including a nuclearmagnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer and asingle crystal X-ray diffractometer. With theseequipment the Department is not only able to servethe petrochemical and the pharmaceutical industriesmore effectively, but also to train a much largercorps of postgraduate students. The NMR apparatusenabled the Department to conduct contractresearch for the multinational pharmaceuticalcompany FARMOVS-PAREXEL, and to negotiateresearch agreements with international universities.Research development linked to Sasol’s investmentalso forms an integral part of the Strategic AcademicCluster on Materials and Nanosciences, focusing onpetrochemicals. Finally, the Department registereda 100% increase in published research outputs onbasic petrochemical reactions from 2005 to 2006.Sasol also funded the establishment of aTechnology Research Activity Centre (TRAC)Laboratory on the Qwaqwa Campus in 2006, inProf Ben Bezuidenhout, SASOL-seconded Research Chairin Organic Chemistry.53
Page 3 and 4:
Celebrating research development an
Page 5 and 6: Table of ContentsForeword .........
Page 7 and 8: Message from Prof Frederick FourieF
Page 9 and 10: Message from Prof Teuns VerschoorTh
Page 11 and 12: Message from Prof Frans Swanepoelma
Page 13 and 14: Future VisionA new strategic framew
Page 15 and 16: Significant Institutionalplishments
Page 17 and 18: Significant Institutional Accomplis
Page 19 and 20: Prof James duPreez, B2-ratedresearc
Page 21 and 22: students from priority groups - exh
Page 23 and 24: Table 1: Promising Emerging Researc
Page 25 and 26: There has been a similarly signific
Page 27 and 28: Minister Mosibudi Mangena (Minister
Page 29 and 30: Attending the recognition functionf
Page 31 and 32: The Strategic Academicr Initiative2
Page 33 and 34: The Strategic AcademicCluster Initi
Page 35 and 36: odies are sustained by their ecosys
Page 37 and 38: programmes are not imple mented eff
Page 39 and 40: transformation. Such transformation
Page 41 and 42: y biotic and abiotic constraints in
Page 43 and 44: Focus Areas1. Nano solid state mate
Page 45 and 46: dimensional electrophoretic analysi
Page 48 and 49: 44Internat
Page 50 and 51: Staff members at the UFS Internatio
Page 52: and expansion of research membershi
Page 55: Research Commercialisationand Coope
Page 59 and 60: Foundation (NRF), which contributes
Page 62 and 63: 58Student
Page 64 and 65: Postgraduate students are the resea
Page 66: students; post graduate topics; sup
Page 69 and 70: Outstanding Researchements65
Page 71 and 72: Outstanding Research AchievementsTh
Page 73 and 74: Prof Max Finkelstein, Senior Profes
Page 75 and 76: Prof Johan Meyer, Senior Professor
Page 77 and 78: evalua tion panel for the European
Page 79 and 80: of the Free State’s Department of
Page 81 and 82: Delivered the best presentation on
Page 83 and 84: Shaw, WDepartment of Medical Physic
Page 85 and 86: At Judge Fritz Brand’s inaugural
Page 87 and 88: At Prof Alice Pell’s inaugural le
Page 89 and 90: Research85
Page 91 and 92: Economic and Management SciencesMes
Page 94 and 95: Prof Letticia Moja (Dean: Faculty o
Page 96 and 97: leukaemia and to test new anti-canc
Page 98 and 99: It is also a priority to make funds
Page 100: esearch and development. In the fol
Page 103 and 104: LawMessage from the Dean: Prof Joha
Page 105 and 106: through the unlocking of a source t
Page 107 and 108:
103
Page 109 and 110:
Natural and Agricultural Sciencesth
Page 111 and 112:
107
Page 113 and 114:
TheologyMessage from the Dean: Prof
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Vol 1 - Support Services Ufs Ac Za - University of the Free State

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