Stepping-stones: the role of internal funding in supporting research careers
Bridging the gap between postgraduate and a successful research career can feel like crossing a canyon, with young researchers often falling into the abyss because of a lack of funding. To address this, the Faculty Research Committee (FRC), with the assistance of the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) Research Office, aims to strategically allocate internal funding to help young researchers launch their careers.
The team behind this work is called the Research Intelligence Unit, led by Carlette Hlungwani, who has been at FHS since 2010.
“We are committed to ‘growing our own timber’ as a faculty,” says Hlungwani. “This means focusing on strategic funding to support the research pipeline.
This support can take many forms, from small awards for best postgraduate publication to substantial funding for postdoctoral fellowships, a critical stage where many young researchers often leave academia.