National Research Foundation Annual Report 2008 / 2009 [Part 2]

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18 NRFimpact report 2008/09The difference an individual can make is seldom more powerfully demonstratedthan in a lecture hall. A single skilled academic can shape minds and attitudesto unlock social and economic prosperity. Such academics are what the BlackResearchers/Academics Development (BRAD) programme seeks to nurture.the power of oneIn his laboratory at the University of the Western Cape, Dr Mario Williams is manipulating gases. Hedevelops materials that can separate oxygen and hydrogen from the exhaust gases released when coal isburnt underground.Inaccessible coal seams are sources of energy that cannot be developed due to the limitations ofconventional mining methods. Underground coal gasification is not a new technology, but if the efficiencyof the process can be improved, it will have a positive effect on the cost of electricity while also reducingthe environmental impacts of coal-fired power generation.Dr Williams is one of the first three PhD students to graduate under the BRAD programme. His currentresearch is at a postdoctoral level and also funded through BRAD.The BRAD philosophyThe programme aims to increase the critical mass of academics that are currently needed in the Science,Engineering and Technology sector in South Africa. Master’s and doctoral students at specific centresof excellence are eligible for the programme. The identified centres conduct research relevant to theelectricity industry as well as in areas that are of national importance, such as high-voltage research andrenewable energy.BRAD is implemented at seven higher education institutions: the universities of Western Cape, CapeTown, KwaZulu-Natal, Fort Hare, Limpopo, Stellenbosch and Witwatersrand. The NRF funds bursaries forMaster’s and doctoral students through nominations from these participating higher education institutions.Funding from the NRF amounted to R555 000 in 2007 and R610 000 in 2008. Eskom’s contributionover the same period was R1,9 million.According to Dr Thandi Mgwebi, Director of the Human Capacity Programme at the NRF, the drivingforces behind BRAD are human capacity development, mentoring and attracting high-quality researchersinto the academic sphere. “It also facilitates the inter-institutional partnerships between the NRF andindustry that are pivotal to fast-track capacity building, principally among the previously disadvantagedgroups.”
19Dr Mario Williams’ research into improving underground coal gasification couldreduce both electricity costs and environmental hazards.
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National Research Foundation Annual Report 2008 / 2009 [Part 2]

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