The National Research Foundation (NRF) has a long history, dating back to 1984, of instituting a system of evaluating and rating researchers. Annually, researchers from universities and research councils - including international researchers - apply for evaluation by the NRF. Evaluated researchers are put in categories that depict their standing within the scientific community. These ratings are difficult to attain and are thus held in high esteem.
For information about ratings, and the criteria applied to each, visit the NRF website: http://www.nrf.ac.za/
Unisa is proud of all its NRF-rated researchers. One of the portfolio's goals is to provide the support needed for the university's researchers to attain higher ratings, as well as increase the number of NRF rated researchers in general. Not only is support seen as imperative, but numerous incentives are available to those who are rated as further encouragement in their pursuit of excellence.
Below is a list of Unisa's NRF rated researchers within the College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences with the rating they currently hold:
A B rating is given to researchers who enjoy considerable international recognition by their peers for the high quality and impact of their recent research outputs.
| Name | Department/Institute/Centre/Unit | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Prof EC Liebenberg | Geography | B2 |
A C rating is given to established researchers with a sustained recent record of productivity in the field who are recognised by their peers as having:
| Name | Department/Institute/Centre/Unit | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Prof DW Hedding | Geography | C1 |
| Prof FT Tabit | Life and Consumer Sciences | C2 |
| Prof S Gildenhuys | Life and Consumer Sciences | C2 |
| Prof CA Mbajiorgu | Agriculture and Animal Health | C2 |
| Prof T McIntyre | Life and Consumer Sciences | C2 |
| Prof HI Atagana | Life and Consumer Sciences | C2 |
| Prof AC Horn | Geography | C2 |
| Prof LR Brown | Environmental Sciences | C2 |
| Prof VM Ngole-Jeme | Environmental Sciences | C3 |
| Prof M Tekere | Environmental Sciences | C3 |
| Prof AM Tsotetsi-Khambule | Life and Consumer Sciences | C3 |
| Prof H Stoffberg | Environmental Sciences | C3 |
A Y rating is given to young researchers (40 years or younger) who have held the doctorate or equivalent qualification for less than five years at the time of application, and who are recognised as having the potential to establish themselves as researchers within a five-year period after evaluation, based on their performance and productivity of quality research outputs during their doctoral studies and/or early post-doctoral careers.
| Name | Department/Institute/Centre/Unit | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Dr V Masindi | Environmental Sciences | Y1 |
| Prof KF Mearns | Environmental Sciences | Y2 |
| Prof. M Mabelebele | Agriculture and Animal Health | Y2 |
| Prof J Wessels | Environmental Sciences | Y2 |
| Dr KK Blamey | Y2 | |
| Prof NO Mapholi | Agriculture and Animal Health | Y2 |
| Prof A du Plessis | Geography | Y2 |
| Prof AW Gunter | Geography | Y2 |
| Prof L Leonard | Environmental Sciences | Y2 |