NRF Rated Researchers
The NRF rating system is a key driver in the NRF’s aim to build a globally competitive science system in South Africa. It is a valuable tool for benchmarking the quality of our researchers against the best in the world. NRF ratings are allocated based on a researcher’s recent research outputs and impact as perceived by international peer reviewers. The rating system encourages researchers to publish high quality outputs in high impact journals/outlets. Rated researchers as supervisors will impart cutting-edge skills to the next generation of researchers.
The rating of individuals is based primarily on the quality and impact of their research outputs over the past eight years, taking into consideration the evaluation made by local and international peers. It identifies researchers who count among the leaders in their fields of expertise and gives recognition to those who constantly produce high quality research outputs. Several South African universities use the outcomes of the NRF evaluation and rating process to position themselves as research-intensive institutions, while others provide incentives for their staff members to acquire and maintain a rating and give special recognition to top-rated researchers.
An A-rating is given to researchers who are recognised by their peers as leading international scholars in their field, and for the high quality and impact of their recent research.
A P-rating is given to young researchers, usually younger than 35, who have the potential to become leaders in their field.
B-rated researchers enjoy considerable international recognition by their peers for the high quality and impact of their recent research.
C-rated researchers are established researchers with a sustained recent record of productivity in their field.
Y-rated researchers are 40 years of age or younger, who have held a doctorate or equivalent qualification for 5 years at the time of application, and who are recognised as having the potential to establish themselves within a 5-year period of the evaluation.
Preparing to become a rated researcher
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Professor Amidou Samie, C1-Rated holds a BSc and an MSc degree in Biochemistry and a PhD degree in Microbiology and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Pretoria. Following his PhD qualification in 2008 he was appointed as Lecturer in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Venda where he subsequently served as Senior Lecturer and currently as Associate Professor. He was the first Y rated researcher at the University of Venda in 2009 immediately after his PhD graduation and his rating has recently been re-evaluated and updated to the C1 category effective from the 1st of January 2022. He has authored or co-authored more than 130 publications in peer reviewed International Journals on topics covering Genetics, Clinical Microbiology, Parasitology, Biotechnology, Water quality and Tropical Medicine. He has also published 5 book chapters and has served as Editor for 2 Books on Tropical diseases and E. coli. He has given more than 150 Lectures at both national and international conferences and has received the Vice-Chancellor’s award for the best overall researcher at the University of Venda for 4 consecutive years. He has graduated over 20 MSc and PhD students. He has established collaborative projects with researchers from South Africa, USA, Japan, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Zambia and received research grants from several organisations including the WRC, NIH, NRF, ISID, Gates Foundation and UNESCO. He has served as an executive board member of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes, the Limpopo Health research committee, the Research Advisory forum of the University of Venda. He also serves as external examiner for PhD, MSc, and BSc honours projects from different institutions in South Africa and abroad. Professor Samie’s research has for the first time provided information on the molecular epidemiology and pathogenicity of emerging intestinal pathogens such as Cryptosporidium, microsporidia, E. histolytica, Campylobacter jejuni, Arcobacter butzlerii, Enteroaggregative E. coli and Clostridium difficile. Of particular interest to him is the study of E. histolytica which is a common cause of diarrhea among hospital attendees and HIV positive individuals. Professor Samie’s most recent research interest covers issues of pharmacogenomics and genetic susceptibility and is actively involved in the role of the Immune system’s genes on the occurrence of STIs and opportunistic infections among HIV patients. He is also interested in understanding the occurrence of steroid hormones in the environment and their potential impact on microbial diversity and Human health.
Rating: C1
Rating Category: Established researcher
Research Specialization: Molecular Parasitology and Water Related Parasitology, Childhood Diarrhea and Malnutrition, Immunomodulatory Effects of Medicinal Plants, Opportunistic Infections in HIV and AIDS, Infectious Diseases, Opportunistic Infections, HIV and AIDS – Research, Candida and HIV, Parasites
Phone:
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Prof Michael Chimonyo is a B-rated researcher (internationally recognized) and has supervised over 50 postgraduate students in a 20-year academic career. He is a sub-editor of the journal Tropical Animal Health and Production and sits on the panel to evaluate NRF ratings.
He is involved in teaching and learning of various modules that include Animal Health, Animal Production, Research Methods and Techniques. He has numerous active research collaborations across the globe.
Qualifications: Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education and Training (UFH), PhD Animal Breeding (University of Zimbabwe), MSc Animal Science, BSc Agriculture (Honours)
Rating: B2
Faculty: Science, Engineering and Agriculture
Rating category: International acclaimed researcher
Research Specialization: Characterization in Animal Genetic Resources
Research Interests: Characterization of animal genetic resources, Non-conventional feeds for livestock, Smallholder livestock production, Indigenous knowledge systems in livestock production
Phone: 015 962 8000
Email: Michael.Chimonyo@univen.ac.za
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Senior Professor GE Ekosse – NRF Rated Researcher
Professor Georges Ekosse PhD, DTech, FAAS, UNIVEN’s Director Research and Innovation, who has been a Full Professor of Applied Clay Mineralogy and Environmental Geology since 2008, has been promoted to Senior Professor in the same field of specialisation. Senior Professor Ekosse is Fellow (2009-), Governing Council Regional Representative for Southern Africa (2009-2014) and Secretary General (2014- 2017) of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) & Member of its Advisory Committee on Space, Earth and Environmental Sciences (2014-), and its Management Committee (2014- 2017); Life Member: Geological Society of Africa (GSAf), 2007- and Life Member: Association of Geoscientists for International Development (AGID); Member of the International Academy of Environmental Sciences (IAES) and Member of its Scientific Committee, 2012; Member of Soil Science Society of Southern Africa (SSSSA), 2006 -; Member, International Association for the Study of Clays (AIPEA), 2004-; and Member of the Southern Africa Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA), 2002-. He has also been Member of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
He has over 25 years of tertiary teaching and professional experience, and more than 10 years of university senior management experience. Senior Professor Ekosse has received several national and international scholarly accolades and awards. He is a National Research Foundation (NRF) C2 rated Researcher 2007-2012, 2013-2018; Adjunct Research Professor, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kakamega, Kenya, 2015 –; Deputy Chairperson of the Limpopo Research Forum (LRF) 2013-; among many other responsibilities within the Higher Education; and Science, Technology and Innovation Platforms both nationally and continentally. Prior to his appointment as Director of Research and Innovation (Responsible for Research, Innovation & Technology Transfer, and Postgraduate Studies) at UNIVEN, he was Director of Research Development, Walter Sisulu University (WSU), and the Maiden Coordinator of Geology, Mining and Minerals Programmes at University of Limpopo. He has equally held other positions in Botswana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal and USA.
Senior Professor Ekosse is very passionate in the mentoring and promotion/supervision of colleagues and postgraduate students for which he has trained many; and some have become NRF rated researchers and/or professors. Presently he is promoting four PhD and supervising six MSc students. He has attracted and managed more than 40 different research and research management grants; and is the Project Leader of the International Geosciences Program (IGCP) of the UNESCO/IUGS/IGCP project 545: Clays and Clay Minerals in Africa, 2007–; and NRF sponsored Projects on Cretaceous-Tertiary Kaolins in Africa; Trends of Recent Transformation of Landscape based on Rocks and Soils Data: Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Geography (SA-Russia); Inclusive Innovation of Indigenous Usage of Soils and Clays within Traditional Africa; Human and Enzootic Geophagia in Southern Africa; the African Clays and Clay Minerals Research Group; and TIA sponsored Project on Geophagic Infusion and Geophagic Bar. A Scholar par excellence, he has more than 300 publications which include 4 books; 10 book chapters; 142 peer reviewed journal articles; 55 refereed articles in conference/workshop proceedings; 60 conference/workshop/seminar papers; six technical reports; one article in popular magazine; five edited works; two published book reviews; five articles in non-refereed journals; and 20 posters.
The realisation of UNIVEN’s Strategic Objective 3: Advancing the Research and Innovation Mandate as stipulated in the University’s Strategic Plan for 2012 – 2016 has annually gained higher grounds of achievement under the leadership of Senior Professor Ekosse; particularly in the areas of Advancing Research and Innovation Mandate; Research Administration and Data Management; Postgraduate Studies; Technology Transfer; Linkages, Partnership, Internationalisation and Community Engagement; and Financial Sustainability. UNIVEN was allocated a total of 271.63 units for research publications output for 2015 reflecting an increase of 44.12 units from the 227.51 units awarded for 2014. In 2012 UNIVEN had only 127.85 units. The number of NRF rated researchers has increased from 14 in 2012 to 27 currently. The university has also experienced very notable growth in numbers of Professors Emeriti, Adjunct Professors, Visiting Professors and Postdoctoral Fellows. More staff and students have been supported to attend conferences than before his arrival at UNIVEN. The university is enjoying very significant increase in registered research projects which are very well executed. Research collaborations and networks have positively expanded, and geometric growth of masters and doctorate graduates recorded. Several workshops, conferences and seminars are being organised with the primary objective of implanting a very strong research culture at UNIVEN. It should also be noted that he has built the Directorate of Research and Innovation from one contract staff to its current setting of 18 wherein through proposals he crafted and received funding from DHET, NIPMO and NRF, for support of six of the positions.
Full Name: Prof Georges Ivo Ekosse Ekosse
Rating: C1
Rating category: Established Researcher
Research Specialization: Chemistry of Clay Minerals, Clay Minerals, Applied, Environmental Geology, Environmental Health, Extraction Metallurgy, Soil Mineralogy, Environmental Geochemistry
Designation: Director (Research And Innovation)
Qualification: PDIP (FOREIGN PSE INSTITUTIONS), HED (FOREIGN PSE INSTITUTIONS), MTECH (TECHNIKON OFS), MTECH (WITWATERSRAND TECHNIKON), DOC (TECHNIKON OFS), PHD (UNIVERSITY OF THE NORTH)
Telephone: 0159628000
Email: georges-Ivo.ekosse@univen.ac.za
Office: Research Centre
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Prof Yoshan Moodley, B2-Rated is a South African evolutionary biologist. He joined the University of Venda as a full professor in 2015 after working for twelve years as a scientist at several prestigious European institutions. In 2016 he was awarded his first NRF rating of C1, denoting his standing as an established researcher with international standing. Over the past five years, Moodley has consolidated his achievements in Europe, producing an outstanding series of highly impactful research in his field of evolutionary genetics. Prof Moodley recently came up for scientific re-evaluation, and it is the pleasure of the University of Venda to announce that the NRF now considers him as a scientist with considerable international standing and have awarded him a B2 rating. Among his recent research papers, for which he had a leading or significant role, feature world-renowned scientific journals like Nature, Science, Proceedings of the National Academic of Sciences of the USA and Molecular Biology and Evolution. At the same time, Prof Moodley also developed a series of excellent undergraduate and honours teaching modules in evolutionary biology, which were designed to give UNIVEN Biological Sciences graduates a deeper, more holistic appreciation of science, life, and nature. His achievements since he has been with UNIVEN have helped place the University of Venda as a leading institution for evolutionary research in the republic. We wish Professor Moodley continued success in his research.
Rating: B2
Rating category: Internationally acclaimed researcher
Research Specialization: Molecular Ecology, Evolutionary Genetics, Phylogeography, Microbial Evolution, Genomics, Population Genetics, Bioinformatics
Designation: Professor
Qualification: DPHIL (UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN)
Telephone: 015 962 8000
Email: yoshan.moodley@univen.ac.za
Office: LIFE SCIENCES Building
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Prof Mokgalaka-Fleischmann holds a DTech degree in Chemistry from Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and an MBA in Education Management from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Finland. She is a Full Professor of Chemistry and a C2-NRF rated researcher with more than 20 years’ experience in higher education as a lecturer, researcher and academic leader. She is a member of the South African Chemical Society (SACI) and a South African Council of Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) registered professional scientist.
Professor Ntebogeng Sharon Mokgalaka-Fleischmann
Her research interests include phytoremediation, a green technology that uses plants to extract, transfer, stabilise or decompose elemental pollutants from soil and ground water; profiling plant secondary metabolites, studying the impact of climate change on the phytochemistry and activity of plant extracts, removal of pollutants from water using low cost renewable natural and waste materials biosorbents, as well as analysis of trace elements in environmental samples. Professor Mokgalaka-Fleischmann has published extensively in local and international peer-reviewed accredited journals, co-authored several book chapters and graduated more than 20 Doctorate and Masters students. She has worked on various collaborative projects nationally, with AngloGold Ashanti, WITS University, CSIR, ARC, regionally with Botswana Institute of Technology, Research and Innovation and international bilaterals with the University of Bayreuth, Brandenburg University of Technology, Umeå University, Uppsala University and Lund University. Prof Mokgalaka-Fleischmann is one of the founding members of the Synchrotron Radiation Research Roadmap Implementation Committee (SRRIC) and is currently the South African chairperson for the South Africa Swedish University Forum (SASUF) Academic Advisory Committee for Climate Change, Natural Resources and Sustainability. In 2010, she was awarded the Young Researcher of the Year in the Faculty of Science followed by a merit award in 2013 for Woman Researcher of the Year.
Before joining UNIVEN, Prof Mokgalaka-Fleischmann was the acting Assistant Dean for Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Science at TUT, the Head of the Department of Chemistry, Full Professor, Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer and Lecturer. During her two-year tenure as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Texas in El Paso, USA, she also worked as a lecturer teaching General Chemistry and Instrumental Methods in Analytical Chemistry. She has also worked as a laboratory technician at Colas SA, a subsidiary of Murray and Roberts, where she developed a quality assurance method for bitumen, a petroleum product used in road surfacing as a binder.
Prof Mokgalaka-Fleischmann has served on numerous panels including the CHE national review of doctoral programmes in 2020, scientific review panels at NRF, WRC, DST, L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Regional Fellowships for Sub-Saharan Africa and Commonwealth Scholarships. She is passionate about gender inclusivity and has contributed in various panels including the Science Forum-South Africa Influencing Science in Africa through a gendered lens: A decade of progress of stagnation panel held on 10 December 2020 and the Women in STEM Howard University ADVANCE-IT (HU ADVANCE-IT)-Howard University Republic of South Africa Project (HURSAP) panel on Career pathways for Women in STEM held on 24 October 2017 in Washington, DC. USA. She is an advocate for science and has been a convener for the National Science Week (2016 to 2019) and the Faculty of Science Women in Science (WiS) project (2015 to 2020) at Tshwane University of Technology. In 2012, she organised the ENVIRONMIN international conference held in Loskop Dam,
Middleburg and in 2013, she was a member of the organising committee for the 12th International Chemistry Conference Africa (ICCA), jointly organised by TUT, UNISA and UP.
Tel: +27 15 962 8107 / 8317
Email: ntebogeng.mokgalaka@univen.ac.za
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Pascal O. Bessong is a virologist, having trained in South Africa, France, and the United States. He is an experienced professor with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education sector for more than 17 years. His research focuses on microbiological investigations for translational science and global health, using innovative approaches and technologies. Specifically, he is interested on viral and human determinants of HIV drug resistance and the sustainability of antiretrovirals towards the UNAIDS 2030 target on viral suppression. He is also interested in the interactions of gut microbiota and antimicrobial resistance, and the interactions of gut infections with growth, cognitive development, and vaccine response in young children. He has more than 15 years of experience in the establishment and maintenance of prospective, community-based birth and adult cohorts for observational biomedical investigations.
A former Head of the Department of Microbiology, University of Venda, he is the Principal Investigator of the AIDS Virus Research Laboratory; Founding Head of the HIV/AIDS & Global Health Research Programme; Visiting Scholar at the School of Medicine, University of Virginia, USA; and Director of the SAMRC-UNIVEN Unit on Antimicrobial Resistance and Global Health Research. Professor Bessong is a C1 rated scientist of the National Research Foundation (2017); an elected member of the Academy of Science of South Africa; a Registered Natural Professional Scientist; and Associate Editor of the South African Journal of Science (Cell, molecular biology, and Health). He maintains a website and blog at https://bessongthemicrobiologist.com
Professor Bessong’s has published his scientific contributions and opinions in top tier and influential journals such as Science, The Lancet HIV, PLOS Medicine, Lancet Global Health, Clinical Infectious Diseases, BMJ Global Health, The Journal of Infectious Diseases, EBiomedicine, and Bulletin of the World Health Organization. He has hosted visiting scientists on antimicrobial resistance within the framework of the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship awards, and the US National Science Foundation fellowships. He has given research seminars at institutions in South Africa, Botswana, Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United States. Professor Bessong has successfully trained more than 60 MSc/PhD students and postdoctoral fellows.
Rating: C1
Rating category: Established researcher
Research Specialization: HIV – Drug Resistance, HIV Genetic Diversity, HIV Molecular Genetics, HIV 99and AIDS Global Health, O1Opportunistic Infections, HIV/AIDS, Global Health
Faculty: Science, Engineering and Agriculture
Professor Bessong’s research profile can be viewed at:
Orcid: Pascal Bessong (0000-0003-0561-272X) – ORCID
Google scholar: Pascal O. Bessong, PhD, mASSAf – Google Scholar
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pascal-Bessong
PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=bessong
Contact:
Tel: 015 962 8301
Email: bessong@univen.ac.za
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Dr Jakub Urbaniak is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Human Sciences. He has worked for over 12 years in the higher education sector in South Africa. He specialises in Constructive Theology (in particular Black Theology of Liberation, Eco-Feminist and Queer Theologies), Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, Interfaith Dialogue (especially Buddhist-Christian Dialogue), as well as spiritual and ethical dimensions of Environmental Migration.
He has published extensively in peer reviewed and accredited journals. His research over the years focused on the intersection of decolonisation, and Christianity, African spiritualities, and the role of religion in the public sphere, especially as it pertains to violence inherent in various forms of structural racism, sexism and ecocide. Recently, he started engaging with spiritual and ethical perspectives on the global crisis of Environmental Migration.
Among his recent publications are:
1) Urbaniak, J. & Khorommbi, T. 2020. “South Africa’s Jacob Zuma and the Deployment of Christianity in the Public Sphere.” The Review of Faith & International Affairs 18(2):61-75;
2) Urbaniak, J. 2019. “Decolonisation as unlearning Christianity: Fallism and African religiosity as case studies.” Black Theology: An International Journal 17(3):223-240;
3) Urbaniak, J. 2019. “James Cone vis-à-vis African religiosity: A decolonial perspective.” HTS Teologiese Studies/ Theological Studies 75(3):1-12, a5587;
4) Urbaniak, J. 2018. “Between the Christ of deep incarnation and the African Jesus of Tinyiko Maluleke: An improvised dialogue.” Modern Theology 34(2):177-205;
5) Urbaniak, J. 2017. “Faith of an angry people: Mapping a renewed prophetic theology in South Africa.”Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 157:7-43.
Dr Urbaniak has also published a number of book chapters and reviews, and serves as a peer reviewer for several journals, local and international alike. The full list of his publications can be accessed HERE. He has supervised a number of Masters students and has started supervising on a doctoral level.
Dr Urbaniak is a C2 NRF rated researcher.
He considers himself Polish by birth and African by heart.
Links to other profiles:
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=FJDfmS8AAAAJ&hl=en
Research gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jakub-Urbaniak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakub-urbaniak-sa/
Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4375-932X
Academia: https://univen.academia.edu/JakubUrbaniak
Full names: Dr Jakub Urbaniak
Designation: Senior Lecturer
Qualifications: PhD (UBO Brest), DTh/MTh (UAM Poznan)
Phone: +2715 962 89397
Email: jakub.urbaniak@univen.ac.za
Office No: 12 (Block C-7)
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Professor Nosisi Nellie Feza, DVC: Research and Postgraduate Studies
Professor Nosisi Nellie Feza joined the University of Venda as the Deputy Vice- Chancellor: Research and Post Graduate Studies on Thursday, 01 July 2021. She brings with her more than 25 years of wealth of experience in higher education. Prior to joining the University of Venda, Professor Feza was the Campus Rector and a Full Professor at Walter Sisulu University. Her Walter Sisulu University experience was preceded by a position she held as Dean of Humanities at Central University of Technology from 2017 to 2020. She has also been the Head of the Institute of Science and Technology Education at the University of South Africa where she started as an Associate Professor and later promoted to a Full Professor. Professor Feza is an NRF C-RATED researcher.
Professor Feza provides intellectual leadership and vision for the University of Venda in the area of research, innovation, knowledge exchange and post graduate studies. She will further lead the development and implementation of the University’s overall strategy to meet its goal of pre-eminence in research, innovation, and technology transfer. This entails building a research ethos that fosters excellence, encourages novel ideas, supports young researchers, and nurtures postgraduate students in order to be a pre-eminent producer of new knowledge both locally and globally.
Some of her qualifications include Ph.D in Mathematics Education from State University of New York at Buffalo in the United states of America (USA) and M.Ed, Mathematics Education from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. She is the Recipient of Fulbright Scholarship for a PhD programme in the US, recipient of the inaugural Leroy and Margaret H. Callahan Scholarship and a recipient of a Leeds Bursar UK.
She has published Twenty-four (24) articles in peer reviewed journals, three (03) Published Reports, six (06) Published Book Chapters, one (01) Published Book and Nine (09) Published Proceedings papers.
Designation: Deputy Vice- Chancellor: Research and Post Graduate Studies
Qualifications: Ph.D in Mathematics Education from State University of New York at Buffalo in the United states of America (USA) and M.Ed, Mathematics Education from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Phone: +27 962 9388
Email: nosisi.feza@univen.ac.za
Research Ethical Clearance Applications
Call for Applications: DSI-NRF Postgraduate Student Funding for the 2023 Academic Year
Two UNIVEN Staff members are nominated for the NSTF-South 32 Awards 2021/2022
Prof Nosisi Feza positions UNIVEN for impact through participation in Early Child Development (ECD) study
South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) funds ‘Antimicrobial Resistance and Global Health Research’ at UNIVEN
An internationally acclaimed UNIVEN Scientist
The Directorate of Research and Innovation hosts a successful NRF Evaluation and Rating Preparation Workshop
