Postdoctoral research fellows: Event, resources and clarification

Dear research community

In my welcome message, I encouraged our postdoctoral community to make full use of the rich landscape of resources and opportunities available at the University of Cape Town (UCT), with the aim of ensuring that both new and returning fellows would continue to strengthen their sense of identity, belonging and intellectual purpose within the university.

Since then, I trust that you have immersed yourself in your work at the frontier of knowledge by advancing ideas that matter within and beyond the academy, and in research that deserves to be shared more widely within our academic community.

The UCT Postdoc Research Showcase is one such platform where you can present your work to an audience of peers, senior academics, supervisors and research leads across the institution. The event aims to inspire and enable connection and engagement across disciplines, and to contribute to a broader conversation under this year’s theme, “African innovation, global relevance”.

Hosted by the UCT Postdoctoral Association (PDA), in collaboration with the Researcher Development Academy, the hybrid event takes place on 13 July 2026 from 09:00 – 16:00 in the New Lecture Theatre on Upper Campus and via MS Teams.

Now in its second year, the showcase is intended to become a regular feature of the postdoctoral research fellows’ calendar, creating a sustained academic space for knowledge-sharing and a valuable opportunity for networking within the postdoc community.

Postdoctoral researchers from all UCT faculties and research institutes will showcase their research through presentations and posters. You are invited to attend.

As you continue to develop your work and academic identity, we encourage you to connect with the broader postdoctoral community at UCT through the PDA. Serving as a representative and convening body for postdoctoral researchers, the association – through its activities, communications and events – creates space for dialogue, collaboration and peer support across disciplines.

Membership is open to all UCT postdoctoral fellows. I encourage you to become an active participant in this shared intellectual community.
For more information, please contact the PDA Chair, Dr Hawwa Gabier.

Important clarification and an additional opportunity

In the April DVC Desk communication, some of the information provided under the section on the electronic research administration (eRA) system for postdoctoral fellows requires revisit and clarification. We apologise for any confusion this may have caused.

For clarity, postdoctoral research fellows may use the eRA system to:

• build and maintain your UCT online researcher profile to support research visibility, collaboration and reporting
• apply for research ethics approval
• engage in pre- and post-award grants management

Work with your supervisor or host, who can apply on your behalf to the:

• University Research Committee (URC) for page costs awards
• URC Open Access Journal Publication Fund for article processing cost awards

Submit your research publications/outputs and supporting documents to your Departmental Coordinator (DC) for the UCT Publication Count.

• Note: If you are unsure who your DC is, please consult the Faculty Principal Coordinator (FPC) list and contact your FPC for advice.

We appreciate your understanding and urge you to make use of the system within these parameters.

In closing, I encourage you to continue engaging actively with the opportunities available to you, whether by sharing your work through the Research Showcase and building connections through the PDA.

Your work remains central to UCT’s academic project. It is through your research and your intellectual collaborations and contributions that the university continues to grow as a site of knowledge production and scholarly excellence.

I look forward to engaging with many of you at the upcoming showcase.

Warm regards

Professor Thokozani Majozi
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements