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Postdoctoral Research Fellows are the research muscle of academia. In this career development phase of their academic lives, postdocs are engaging in independent research under the mentorship of a senior researcher here at Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票. In addition, they support research activities by assisting with graduate student supervision, teaching, applying for research grants and most importantly, publications.
Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票 is proud to host 321 Postdoctoral Research Fellows in 2020. The fellows are distributed across all faculties, with the majority in Science, Health and Medical Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences, Agrisciences and Engineering. We have an almost equal distribution of national and international postdocs, and an equal distribution by gender.
In its strategic focus towards becoming a leading research university in Africa, Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票 is invested in developing young researchers such as these who drive impactful research in South Africa, the Continent and the rest of the world.
Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, values the postdocs and has ambitious plans to grow the postdoc cohort to 500 within the next two years, in line with the 中国体育彩票 strategy and vision to have global impact.
The contribution of postdoctoral fellows to academic performance at the 中国体育彩票 is significant. Recognising this, Prof Cloete launched the Postdoc Fellow Award in 2017 to honour the top-performing postdoctoral fellows at the 中国体育彩票. Every year it has become increasingly difficult to award these. Fellows are measured on the academic track record in terms of publication numbers, conference presentations and other outputs; their grants and funds raising; academic service with regard to teaching and student supervision; peer-reviewing in the academic community; and community service.
The fellows honoured here have published, combined, over 60 manuscripts between 2017 and 2020; over 20 book chapters; raised over R15 million in research grants from funding agencies, government, industry, NGO's and foundations; and received numerous prestigious awards in recognition of their research activities. Each fellow received a certificate of recognition and a once-off sum of R10 000 recognising their exceptional effort.
Here are the Top 20 Postdoc Awardees for 2020
| ? | Host | Department |
| Dr Betrand Ayuk | Prox XG Mbhenyane | Human Nutrition |
| Dr James Baxter--Gilbert | Prof John Measey | Botany and Zoology |
| Dr Rachelle Bester | Prof HJ Maree | Genetics |
| Dr Charl Deacon | Prof Mike Samways | Conservation Ecology and Entomology |
| Dr Maaike Eken | Prof Wayne Derman | Institute of Sports and Exercise Medicine |
| Dr Wynand Goosen | Prof Michele Miller | Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics |
| Dr Tess Gridley | Prof Conrad Matthee | Botany and Zoology |
| D Dominique Leibbrandt | Prof Quinette Louw | Physiotherapy |
| Dr Tando Maduna | Prof Ben Loos | Physiological Sciences |
| Dr Marthie Momberg | Prof Dion Forster | Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology |
| Dr Andrew Ndiripo | Prof Harald Pasch | Chemistry and Polymer Science |
| Dr Henry Nkabyo | Prof Klaus Koch/Dr Robert Luckay | Chemistry |
| Dr Marietjie Pauw-Conradie | Prof Stephanus Muller | Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation |
| Dr Patricia Swart | Prof Sian Hemmings | Psychiatry |
| Dr Kim Trollope | Prof Johann G?rgens | Process engineering |
| Dr Gustav van Niekerk | Prof Anna-Mart Engelbrecht | Physiological Sciences |
| Dr Julia van Schalkwyk | Prof Michael Samways | Conservation Ecology and Entomology |
| Dr Anton Du Preez van Staden | Prof Carine Smith | Physiological Sciences |
| Dr Rouxjeane Venter | Prof Grant Theron | Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics |
| Dr Andrew Watson | Prof J Miller | Earth Sciences |
- If you would like to find out more about postdocs and postdoc opportunities at SU, please contact Dr Palesa Natasha Mothapo, Head: Postdoctoral Research Support, on mothapo@sun.ac.za
