DST - NRF Call for Proposals

CONFERENCE FUND 2018

Please direct all queries to MbasaMguye (at ; tel: 021650 7925).

UCT’s internal closing date: 09h00 on Monday 28 August 2017

The conference fund is intended to support the hosting of international conferences focused on excellent scientific research that has potential for socio‐economic impact. This funding platform makes provision for strategic, large events of an international nature, hosted in South Africa, or on behalf of South African abroad. The fund will typically support ‘global conferences’ of more than 500 participants.

ELIGIBILITY

UCT researchers are eligible to apply as the principal investigator, provided that they are:

Permanent UCT employees

OR

On contract at UCT, but on condition that their appointment at UCT is for (at least) the duration of the project applied for in the submission. The length of the contract should be stated in the application form. If the contract is not valid for the duration of the funding, then the Research Office requires that the applicant’s HoD writes a letter confirming that the contract will be extended, should the funding be awarded. This letter must be received before the application can be endorsed.

The applicant must be in possession of a PhD degree, and must be a member of the conference organising committee.

FUNDING

The conference should take place between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018. Grants are limited to a maximum of R2 million per conference (and a minimum of R350,000).

To be eligible for funding, applications have to fulfil the following conditions:

  • The proposal must have clearly defined objectives and a programme of activities;
  • The theme of the conference must be aligned to the DST-NRF priorities;
  • The conference must be co-organised with a renowned international body/society and must be open to international participation;
  • The conference programme should be designed in such a way that it fosters international collaboration;
  • The organisers must ensure that the event is openly accessible, and that participants represent the diversity of people working in the field;
  • Postgraduate students must be included as participants at the conference (e.g. through poster presentations or presenting papers);
  • Involvement of other South African scientists and collaboration with other institutions working in similar disciplines;
  • Letters of support from the hosting institutions;
  • Proof of other sources of funding and the fundraising strategy;
  • Applicants requesting support may be required to present before an evaluation panel;
  • The conference must host more than 500 participants;
  • At least 25% of participants should be from the African continent;
  • The total conference budget (including the budget requested from sources other than the NRF) should exceed R1.5 million; and
  • At least two third of the total cost of the event must be sourced elsewhere.

WHICH ACTIVITIES MAY I APPLY FOR?

During the present call, funding may only be utilised for the following activities:

  • Venue and/or equipment hire;
  • Catering – meals, lunches, tea and coffee breaks etc.;
  • Conference marketing material;
  • Evaluation reports and/or publication of conference proceedings;
  • Translation;
  • Accommodation and/or travel for non-paying delegates (keynote speakers, or participants from Africa only);
  • Bursaries/support for participants with appropriate backgrounds and/or experience that would be useful to include in order to achieve the conference objectives (limited to participants from developing countries, and specifically from Africa only); and
  • Costs for non-scientific activities e.g. cultural activities and social programmes will not qualify for consideration.

Please note that, given the competitive nature of the programme and budgetary limitations, funding is not guaranteed.

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION PROCESS

Applications must be submitted through an online application process, via

•Register / Login using your ID number and password;

•Select ‘create new application’ from the list of existing calls;

•Select ‘DST-NRF Conference Fund 2018’; and

•Complete application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.

All applications must have the following attached:

•HOD/Dean/Direct Manager Endorsement

•Letter of support from hosting institution

•Programme of Activities

Where applicable the application must be accompanied by:

  • A list of the conference organising committee (A diversified committee comprising of researchers from different institutions is highly encouraged);
  • A list of local and international invited keynote speakers;
  • CVs of the organising committee members and invited keynote speakers;
  • A draft or final version of the conference programme;
  • A letter of support/sponsorship/co-funding/part-funding from the international body;
  • Information on conference publicity (especially international) and outreach activities.

UCT’s internal closing date is 09h00 on Monday 28 August 2017.

Please be advised that the UCT Research Office may not review nor provide feedback for applications which are submitted after UCT’s internal closing date i.e. Monday 28 August (09h00).

It is of utmost importance that you consult the call guide for more information: (Click the + sign next to ‘DST-NRF Conference Fund 2018’ under Open Calls.)