Annual Appeal funding priorities
| Please see the funding priorities page for a full list of projects requiring support. |
New Student Residence: Observatory Square
Growing student numbers have characterised UCT's consistent expansion during the past decade. With a staggering increase of 50% in our student population, the need to expand accommodation facilities has become urgent. A considerable number of UCT students are from beyond the Western Cape, with 20% from beyond South Africa. Ensuring that UCT continues to be the 'university of choice' for local and international students largely depends on our capacity to provide appropriate accommodation. Furthermore, many poorer students from surrounding townships are faced with extremely unstable living environments and unsafe travelling conditions, making it impossible for them to remain on campus for after-hours study. Accompanied by the challenges of insufficient mentoring and limited access to computer facilities at home, these students' academic achievement is adversely affected. Being in residence therefore becomes their most critical factor for success.
In our goal to create a secure environment for all our students, we are currently establishing Obz Square, a brand new 900-bed residence on Main Road, Observatory which is close to the renowned Groote Schuur Hospital. The total cost of this monumental project is set at R500 million. In rising to this challenge, we have secured lead grants from two major foundations in the UK, as well as donations from alumni supporters in the USA. However, we still need to have this support substantially expanded with additional gifts from you, our community of alumni and friends. Your partnership in this project will help to grow support and give you the opportunity to leave a significant legacy. Each R100 000 (US$ 15 000 or GBP 10 000), donated between a one to five year period, offers you the opportunity to name a room in the residence. Your investment is a unique gift that keeps on giving since the annual rental of the residence room becomes permanent income for the university. 10% of your donation will in turn support other existing residences.
Financial Aid
Anyone who has completed a university degree understands that sourcing funding is potentially a major barrier to success. Without money to fund this lifelong asset, forgotten dreams and unfulfilled life goals have sadly become the reality that many talented prospective students face. UCT understands the critical need to realise these dreams and breathe life into stifled ambitions but unfortunately, the need for financial assistance far outstrips what the university is able to give. While most of its financial aid comes from its general operating budget, a significant percentage needs support from private donations.
You can help to change the course of life for promising students in need by joining the university to empower even more students to realise their academic potential. Your support could help towards a full-cost undergraduate bursary, including residence fees, valued at approximately R80,000.
Being a research-led university means that we must constantly produce graduates with advanced degrees: a formidable force of young specialists who directly contribute to the growth and development of the country. Increasing the number of postgraduate students is critical to the university's objective of nurturing scholars who will boldly bring an African lens to bear on global issues. However, due to financial stress, many graduates have little option but to immediately seek employment and only a few are able to pursue advanced studies. The potential contribution that these innovative minds can bring to renewing social, political and economic systems is therefore lost.
Although UCT commits considerable resources to funding postgraduates, the need is greater than it can currently meet. Your contribution will enable the university to create additional scholarship support to fund meritorious graduates in areas of strategic importance. The cost of a postgraduate scholarship is approximately R100 000 for a Master's programme and R150 000 for a Doctoral degree.
Researcher Development Programmes
As a 'research-led' university, UCT accepts the obligation of being one of the core sites in Africa that aims to make the country competitive in the global knowledge economy and to educate its future leaders. However, to achieve this goal, the university must provide its researchers with the most appropriate forms of support, to enable them to produce at an optimal level. UCT offers a number of capacity-building initiatives designed to support researchers at emerging, established (mid-career) and advanced stages of their academic careers. The Emerging Researcher Programme (ERP) provides research development grants, seminars, workshops, consultations and other mentoring activities to young researchers and academics, with the aim of developing their research profiles. The Project for Enhancement of Research Capacity (PERC) supports mid-career academics who have progressed through the ERP and require ongoing structured support for their research. The support includes seminars and workshops on appropriate topics and individual meetings with current and retired senior academics. In addition, the university provides support to established researchers who drive large strategic projects (for example, participation in European Union Framework grants and the National Institutes of Health). The continued success of these researcher development programmes relies on donor funding to supplement that which the university and the government's skills levy are unable to provide. The grants aspect of these programmes will not be sustainable once the Carnegie Corporation funds come to an end in December 2011. The total budget for these programmes is R17,3 million over three years.