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Centres of Excellence

Centres of Excellence (CoEs) is a term used to cover a broad range of well-funded research entities that are either physical or virtual centres of research excellence that concentrate existing excellence, capacity, and resources. They facilitate collaboration among researchers across disciplines and institutions, focusing on long-term projects with local relevance and international competitiveness. The aim is to elevate the pursuit of research excellence and capacity development.

Listed below are three categories of these CoEs, namely (1) DSI-NRF CoE, (2) ARUA CoE and (3) SAMRC Extramural Research Units.

  1. DSI-NRF CoEs

The Department of Science & Innovation (formerly the Department of Science and Technology) and the National Research Foundation’s Centres of Excellence (DSI-NRF CoEs) funding instrument was launched in 2004 with the establishment of seven CoEs. Since then, three additional CoEs were established between 2009 and 2013 with five new CoEs established in 2014. Wits has successfully hosted (or co-hosted) 6 of these CoEs in the past. Currently there are 3 active DSI-NRF CoE.

  • DSI-NRF CoEs (co)hosted by Wits that have reached the end of their lifecycle
CoE Human Development Logo 

Centre of Excellence in Human Development (CoE-HUMAN) (WITS)

 
 

Centre of Excellence for Integrated Mineral and Energy Resource Analysis (CoE-CIMERA)(WITS and UJ)

 

Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (CoE-MaSS) (WITS)

GENUS (DSI-NRF CoE Palaeo)

 

2. African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) CoEs hosted by Wits

3. SAMRC Extramural Research Units

The SAMRC’s Extramural Units are external research divisions commissioned to conduct research on behalf of the South Africa Medical Research Council. This research - which includes basic laboratory investigations, clinical research and public health studies - is undertaken by scientists employed by Wits University. Currently there are 6 active SAMRC Extramural Units hosted at Wits.

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