Research support

Support programmes

Unisa invests in its researchers through a range of innovative research support programmes, encompassing researchers at all levels, from emerging through to established and leading researchers. 

Academic Qualification Improvement Programme (AQIP)

In increasing the number of academics with doctoral degrees, the biggest challenge facing higher education institutions, including Unisa, is funding academic staff members’ study leave. AQIP is a response to this challenge. The main goal of the programme is to enable Unisa’s permanent academic staff to pursue doctoral degrees and, to a lesser extent, master’s degrees, on a full-time basis.

Master’s and Doctoral Support Programme (MDSP)

The MDSP provides support to researchers towards the completion of their first research master’s or doctoral degree.

Comprehensive Open Distance eLearning Research Support Programme (CODeL-RSP)

The CODeL-RSP provides support to CODeL researchers towards the development and improvement of their research capacity and skills, to increase skills transfer, research quality and capacity building and to encourage professional development in CODeL research at Unisa.

Research Professors Programme

Unisa introduced the academic rank of research professor to serve as a mechanism for, among other things, increasing dedicated research and innovation participation, increasing specialised expertise and improving research outputs. Research professors are appointed in three-year cycles. 

Distinguished Researcher Support Programme (DRSP)

The DRSP is a transformative programme and contributes to the development of academic staff to reflect and nurture South African and African identity and diversity in a global context.

VisionKeepers Programme (VKP)

As the university currently faces the major challenge of attracting, developing and retaining young researchers, the goal of the VKP is to support research excellence by providing funding to emerging researchers to pursue research, produce high-quality, accredited research publications and increase the success rate of NRF rating and external grant applications by working with experienced research mentors from institutions other than Unisa.

Women in Research (WiR) Support Programme

This programme provides support to female researchers towards the development and improvement of their research capacity and skills, to increase skills transfer, research quality and capacity building and to encourage empowerment and professional development, contributing to gender equality in research at Unisa.