South African research chairs

The Department of Science and Technology's South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) is managed by the National Research Foundation (NRF). The chairs are held by individuals. Their purpose is to strengthen the ability of our universities to produce high-quality research and nurture students.

Faculty of Commerce

• Creation of decent work and sustainable livelihood – Associate Professor Ines Meyer
• Economic growth, poverty and inequality: exploring the interactions for South Africa – Professor Haroon Bhorat
• Poverty and inequality research – Professor Murray Leibbrandt

Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment

• Bioprocess engineering – Professor Susan Harrison
• Computational mechanics – Professor Daya Reddy
• Industrial computational fluid dynamics – Professor Arnaud Malan
• Minerals beneficiation – Interim chair Professor Jochen Petersen
• Nanomaterials for catalysis – Professor Patricia Kooyman
• Reaction engineering – Professor Eric Van Steen
• Urban policy – Professor Edgar Pieterse

Faculty of Health Sciences

• Applied proteomics and chemical biology – Professor Jonathan Blackburn
• Biomedical engineering and innovation – Professor Tania Douglas
• Brain imaging – Professor Ernesta Meintjes
• Cancer biology – Professor Stefan Barth
• Clinical neuroscience research – Professor Anthony Figaji
• Dermatology and toxicology – Associate Professor Nonhlanhla Khumalo
• Bilateral Chair: Environmental health – Associate Professor Aqiel Dalvie
• Health and wealth in South Africa – Interim chair Associate Professor John Ataguba 
• Immunology of infectious diseases in Africa – Professor Frank Brombacher
• Lung infection and immunity of poverty-related diseases – Professor Graeme Meintjes
• Vaccinology – Professor Anna-Lise Williamson

Faculty of Humanities

• Archive and public culture – Professor Carolyn Hamilton
• Islam, African publics and religious values – Professor Abdulkader Tayob
• Land reform and democracy in South Africa: state and civil society dynamics – Professor Lungisile Ntsebeza
• Migration, language and social change – Professor Rajend Mesthrie

Faculty of Law

• Customary law, indigenous values and human rights – Associate Professor Elena Moore
• Intellectual property, innovation and development – Professor Caroline Ncube
• Mineral law in Africa – Professor Hanri Mostert
• Security and justice – Interim chair Professor Dee Smythe

Faculty of Sciences

• Astrophysics and space science – Professor Tom Jarrett
• Climate change – Professor Bruce Hewitson
• Drug discovery – Professor Kelly Chibale
• Environmental and social dimensions of the bio-economy – Associate Professor Rachel Wynberg
• Extragalactic multi-wavelength astronomy – Professor Claude Carignan
• Marine ecology and fisheries – Associate Professor Astrid Jarre
• Ocean modelling – Mathieu Rouault
• Physical cosmology – Associate Professor Amanda Weltman
• Scientific computing – Professor Kevin Naidoo
• Fast transients and gravitational waves counterparts – Professor Paul Groot
• Stable isotopes in archaeology and paleo-environmental studies – Professor Judith Sealy
• Systems biology studies on plant desiccation tolerance for food security – Professor Jill Farrant