[AISWorld] postdoc possibility

[Prof. Samuel I. Lubbe]

Hi all

I am posting this on behalf of  a colleague, Prof Theuns Pelser at Pelser at ukzn.ac.za<mailto:Pelser at ukzn.ac.za>. He is the Diretcor of the Business School at the university of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. He is looking for a postdoc with good research outputs in marketing/strategy/management. See requirements below:

UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL
POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP (PDRF)
GUIDE[1]


1.       Priority



The Post-doctoral Research Fellowship (PDRF) Programme is a strategic priority for the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It is aimed at creating a vibrant research and postgraduate environment and promoting excellence in research. It is also an opportunity for newly qualified doctoral candidates to develop and hone their research and publication skills by expanding their academic credentials and contributing to the knowledge base of the University and the country as a whole.



2.       Duration and funding


2.1          The duration of a post-doctoral research fellowship is 24 months. The University reserves the right to withdraw the grant after 12 months should satisfactory progress not be evident.
2.2          Each fellowship consists of a monthly stipend, determined annually for the full academic year by the University Research Office.
2.3          For 2015, the post-doctoral research fellowship stipend has been set at R180 000 per annum, plus R20 000 towards research expenses that are accessed through the research code administered by the supervisor. This amount may be revisited from time to time by the UKZN Scholarship Committee.
2.4          Post-doctoral research fellowships are appointed in compliance with this guide, SARS requirements stipulated in the SARS-HESA document Binding Class Ruling: Higher Education South Africa (Annexure A<http://clmsresearch.ukzn.ac.za/Libraries/annexures/Annexure-A.sflb.ashx>); PWC Annexure 2.1 Policy for Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships / Post-Doctoral Research Fellows (Annexure B<http://clmsresearch.ukzn.ac.za/Libraries/annexures/Annexure-B.sflb.ashx>) and the HESA Circular 23/2014 Amended Immigration Regulations, 2014 dated 1 October 2014 (Annexure C<http://clmsresearch.ukzn.ac.za/Libraries/annexures/Annexure-C.sflb.ashx> & C1<http://clmsresearch.ukzn.ac.za/Libraries/annexures/Annexure_C1.sflb.ashx>).
2.5          A post-doctoral research fellowship may only hold one post-doctoral research fellowship at a time. Should a post-doctoral research fellow be awarded another post-doctoral research fellowship for example from the NRF or Claude Leon, the UKZN post-doctoral research fellowship may be deferred. In general it should be noted that any post-doctoral research fellow earning more than the stipulated amount for the fellowship will be liable to pay tax on the amount that is in excess of the university or any other post-doctoral award.



3.       Eligibility criteria


3.1          A post-doctoral research fellow must have obtained a doctoral degree during the last five years, unless specifically motivated and approved by the relevant College Dean of Research.
3.2          The applicant should preferably not be older than 45 years at the closing date for applications, unless specifically motivated and approved by the relevant College Dean of Research.
3.3          The post-doctoral research fellow must be based at UKZN for the duration of the fellowship. Any exceptions must be motivated and approved by the relevant College Dean of Research. Post-doctoral research fellows are entitled to 21 days' vacation leave annually.


4.       Expectations and role of the PDRF


4.1          The purpose of the post-doctoral research fellowship is to:
4.1.1      provide an opportunity to promising young researchers to enhance their research skills and expertise;
4.1.2      allow the post-doctoral research fellow an opportunity to engage in a full-time period of uninterrupted approved research under the supervision of a member of the academic staff in one of the Schools of the relevant College;
4.1.2      encourage post-doctoral research fellows to increase the publication outputs of the School; and
4.1.3      interact with other academics, postgraduate students and other post-doctoral research fellows to contribute to a vibrant research culture within the School.
4.2          Each post-doctoral fellow is required to publish or have accepted for publication, during the first year of the fellowship, at least one article (60 PUs) in a Department of Higher Education and Training accredited journal and provide proof that two additional articles have been submitted for publication and under review in such a journal. [Post-doctoral research fellows are required to acquaint themselves with the accredited journal lists available on the Research Office website.]
4.3          Due acknowledgement to the University of KwaZulu-Natal must always be made by listing UKZN as institutional affiliation where results of research work are published or presented in any form or publicly disseminated.
4.4          Participation by the post-doctoral research fellows in School and College research activities is expected.
4.5          A post-doctoral research fellow is not a staff employee of UKZN and as such not entitled to all staff employment benefits. However, they are given access to the UKZN e-mail system, the library and all its resources, as well as sporting and parking facilities. Post-doctoral research fellows must abide by all university policies, rules, procedures and codes of conduct.



5.   Applications

5.1          In compliance with SARS regulations governing "open bursaries", a call for applications will be placed on the University of KwaZulu-Natal LAN, as well as in national newspapers at least once annually. Appointments may however be made during the year depending on the availability of funding.
5.2          The prescribed form is available from the relevant College Dean of Research (CDR).
5.3          The following documents must accompany the application for a post-doctoral research fellowship:
5.3.1       Certified copy of ID/passport.
5.3.2       Full curriculum vitae, including a list of publications.
5.3.3      A research proposal, including a description of the rationale and methodology of the proposed project, the proposed publication outputs and a summary of the proposal. It is preferable that the proposal be approved by the internal supervisor (UKZN academic staff member), although this is not a mandatory requirement.
5.3.4      The supervisor's curriculum vitae (if known), including publications over the last three years. It is preferable that the supervisor should hold a doctoral degree and have a reasonable supervision and publication record.
5.3.5      Academic record if the applicant is not ex-UKZN student.
5.3.6      Three contactable referees.
5.4          Applications must be sent to the office of CDR for initial assessment.



6.       School Process


6.1          Suitable applications that meet the minimum requirements will be forwarded by the CDR to the Academic Leader Research (ALR) in the relevant School for peer review of the proposal.
6.2          The application must be recommended by the School Research and Higher Degrees Committee (SRHDC) or executively by the ALR after discussion with the Dean and Head of School, as all post-doctoral research fellowship appointments have implications and opportunities for the School. [Note however that the College wants to facilitate applications with knowledge of all concerned role players.]
6.3          The SRHDC and/or the ALR must allocate a suitable supervisor if such a supervisor has not yet been identified and allocated.
6.4          By the ALR and the DHoS signing the application, the School agrees to accept the post-doctoral research fellow and undertake to allocate suitable workspace and equipment to that fellow and to assist in the introduction and assimilation of the fellow into the School.





7.       Final College decision



The signed recommendation by the School is submitted to the CDR for the final decision to accept or reject the application. An interviewing and selection panel may be constituted to select appropriate candidates.



8.       Notification to candidates



All applicants will be advised in writing by the CDR and if successful, an acceptance letter will be sent to the post-doctoral research fellow for acceptance and signature.



9.       Foreign applicants



If a foreign applicant is accepted as a post-doctoral research fellow, a visa letter is sent to the applicant to assist him / her in obtaining the required visa / permit, medical insurance and South African bank account. It is the responsibility of the post-doctoral research fellow to obtain the necessary visa / permit for such post-doctoral research fellowship as may be applicable at the time of application. Note: This must usually be applied for in the country of residence of the applicant and not in South Africa. Foreign post-doctoral research fellows must present themselves to the UKZN International Office on arrival or shortly thereafter. Please note that finding accommodation and providing proof thereof to the College Office before taking up the position is the responsibility of the post-doctoral research fellow.



10.   Appointment letters



On arrival, the office of the CDR will assist with the appointment letter and other required forms. The post-doctoral research fellow will be issued a UKZN post-doctoral research fellow card by the University that is neither a staff card, nor a student card. The post-doctoral research fellow is subject to the UKZN disciplinary and grievance procedures.



11.   Payment of stipend



Once the post-doctoral research fellowship has been accepted and the relevant documentation signed, funds will be paid out by the University in monthly instalments, subject to satisfactory progress and compliance with this policy.



12.   Introductions to the School



12.1       The CDR will assist with the introduction of the post-doctoral research fellow to the relevant School.

12.2       The relevant ALR and Dean and Head of School will assist in the introduction and assimilation of the fellow into the School.



13.   Facilities



The School (Dean and Head of School, ALR and supervisor) is responsible for providing office space, phone and e-mail access and stationary to the post-doctoral research fellow. A computer may have to be provided if he / she does not have access to a personal computer. The post-doctoral research fellow will be given access to the physical and electronic library facilities of the University.





14.   Conditions and Restrictions



As the objective of a post-doctoral research fellowship is uninterrupted full-time research, certain conditions and restrictions apply:
14.1       A fellowship awarded for a specific project must be used for that project only. If the project changes; an application must be made for approval for an amendment of the project to the College Research Office.
14.2       The post-doctoral research fellows are not allowed to be employed to do any additional work for payment, except as provided for herein.
14.3       Although there is no obligation to do so, a post-doctoral research fellow may teach or do non-research related work for up to 12 paid hours per week at the University rate for casual workers with a PhD. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to monitor that the additional work of the fellow does not exceed the maximum number of weekly hours or distract from the purpose of the post-doctoral research fellowship.
14.4       Post-doctoral research fellows are encouraged to take on mentorship role for postgraduate students.
14.5       Post-doctoral research fellows may not register for a degree during their term of the fellowship.


15.   Additional obligations


15.1       Holders of the post-doctoral research fellowships will be required to sign an agreement with the College Research Office, embodying the provisions of this policy, and setting out performance targets.
15.2       Ethical clearance in terms of the University policy is required. The attention of all persons holding UKZN post-doctoral research fellowships are drawn to University's Ethics Policy which may be accessed through the Research Office web page.
15.3       Holders of the fellowship must inform the College Research Office if they received any bursaries, grants or emoluments from other sources during the tenure of their fellowship. The University reserves the right to reconsider the fellowship in the light of such additional awards that the fellowship holder receives.


16.   Progress Reports



Post-doctoral research fellows are required to submit bi-annual progress report to the CDR. All these reports must be signed by the supervisor. During the first year of appointment, an additional progress report must be submitted after ten months.



17.   Role of the Supervisor



The role of the supervisor includes the following:

17.1       to assist the post-doctoral research fellow with the application and finalisation of the application (if not yet completed);

17.2       to host and mentor the post-doctoral research fellow within the agreed goals and objectives;

17.3       to make the appropriate logistical support arrangements to ensure support for the productivity of the post-doctoral research fellowship, including office space, computer facilities, access to the library, etc;

17.4       to consider the progress reports prior to submission to the College; and

17.5       to ensure that all the post-doctoral research fellow's publications are timeously uploaded onto IRMA.



18.   Withdrawal and Termination



18.1       The post-doctoral research fellowship may be withdrawn at any time by UKZN if the work or conduct of the holder is considered unsatisfactory. UKZN will give 30-days' notice and the grant may be required to be paid back pro-rata for the time post-doctoral research fellowship was appointed at UKZN.

18.2       The post-doctoral research fellowship may be terminated by mutual agreement and 30-days' notice period. The grant may be required to be paid back pro-rata for the time the post-doctoral research fellow was appointed at UKZN where the post-doctoral research fellow did not meet the agreed-upon requirements.



19.   Renewal



A renewal or extension application is required two months before the end of the fellowship and is contingent on the post-doctoral research fellow having fulfilled his / her obligations and the availability of funds. The applications must have the following supporting documents:
19.1       Updated curriculum vitae.
19.2       List of publications published and those submitted for publication to Department of Higher Education and Training accredited journals (under UKZN affiliation) as well as copies of these articles.
19.3       Letter of support from the Supervisor endorsed by the Academic Leader Research or the Dean and Head of School.



The fellowship may be renewed for a third year, if four or more accredited journal articles have been published in the first two years of the award and should funding be available.


20.                    Certificate of Completion

A certificate of completion of the fellowship will be issued upon request, listing the academic achievements and stating the period of time spent at the University.




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[1] 2015 Post-doctoral Research Fellowship Guide, incorporating the UKZN and CLMS Guidelines and Practices; The Postdoc Working Group Post-Doctoral Handbook (November 2013)). Served before the RSG in October 2014. (17 November 2014.)