The African Intellectual Property Organisation commonly known by its French acronym OAPI is governed by the Bangui Agreement of March 2, 1977.
The University of Pretoria’s (UP) Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Tawana Kupe hosted a welcome lunch today for a delegation from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) in Kenya
“We are both created and create. Why cannot our own creations also create?” mused the Honourable Judge Beach in the Federal Court of Australia’s decision in the matter of Thaler v Commissioner of Patents [2021] FCA 879.
This “INORMS RAAAP-3 HIBARMA” survey is being conducted as part of an international research project at the request of the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS).
Deadline: 31 March 2022 – This is your chance to be recognised as a Research Management Professional
March 2022
The International Professional Recognition Council (IPRC) is excited to announce the next call for applications for the Professional Recognition Programme for Research Management.
Professional recognition is awarded through the review of a portfolio of evidence by peers on the International Professional Recognition Council (IPRC) and it is granted to research managers/administrators for their professional knowledge, based on prior learning, experience, functional and transferable expertise.
I have been really interested to see what TTOs are investing in patenting offshore and where they are patenting. The Second National survey: 2014 – 2018 (South Africa) has some figures hidden in the “Selected Aggregated Granular Survey Data” section at the back of the publication on patents granted in foreign jurisdictions. My interest is driven by my concern whether from a University of Cape Town (UCT) TTO perspective as to whether we are fully capitlising on our foreign patent applications and seeing a return.
The Community of Practice (CoP), a sub-committee of SARIMA, operating in the Western Cape (WC), supports and welcome the newly appointed Chairperson, Mr Winston Beukes and Deputy-Chairperson, Mrs Clarissa Robertson taking office as of October 2021. This follows the departure of Mr Sidney Engelbrecht, the previous Chairperson who expanded his horizons internationally.
Lockdown mental health in the spotlight with first SA focussed depression screening tool
November 2021
WITS University psychology researcher, Tasneem Hassem has been awarded R100 000 in seed funding to advance the development and commercialisation of the first validated online depression screening tool suitable to the South African context. Developed over four years as part of her PhD studies in psychology, the tool offers an empathetic and unintimidating first step towards recognising, understanding and seeking help for depression.
Next deadline: 11 November 2021.
Stellenbosch University startup BioCODE developing COVID test platform for testing labs
September 2021
Stellenbosch University startup BioCODE is developing a lab management software platform for COVID test laboratories to enable big corporates to do large-scale, lab-quality COVID tests for their employees.
AxioAcademy creating virtual reality learning world for medical and therapeutic solutions
September 2021
A Stellenbosch University and Innovus spinout company is changing the way medical students’ study, thanks to a software solution that enables you to navigate a virtual reality world of learning.
The Innovation Council is looking to secure 25 qualified IP mentors for the WIPO pilot program that will focus on helping female inventors from four pilot countries to learn how to use IP tools to commercialize their inventions and/or grow their business.
The recent response of the scientific community to the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated very well, how open science can accelerate the achievement of scientific solutions for a global challenge.
In terms of the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act, 1976 (Act 15 of 1976), breeders’ of plant varieties are granted protection so that their varieties are not exploited without their permission. In this regard, if you breed a plant variety, you can register your plant variety with the Registrar for Plant Breeders’ Rights, provided that it meets all the requirements for protection – that is, it must be new, distinct, uniform and stable.
Invitation to register on the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) databse of external experts
April 2021
Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) is an entity of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) established (in terms of Act 26 of 2008) for the purposes of enabling and supporting technological innovation to deliver socio-economic benefits for South Africa and enhance its global competitiveness.
The African Academy of Sciences wants you to share your experience on the strengths and gaps that your organisation faces in the research management environment.
The TCCF is an initiative that is being driven by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) that involves 20-25 stakeholder representatives, many from different government departments, e.g. DSI, Treasury, etc. as well as SA Venture Capital Association, the CSIR and universities.
Big data is becoming big business. We already generate at least 2.5 quintillion bytes of data per day so data analytics is emerging as a major opportunity to inform strategy and decisions in every industry.
The National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) in conjunction with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the HSRC Centre for Science, Technology & Innovation Indicators (CeSTII) launched the SA Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators report on 28 August 2020.
eCommerce has boomed through Covid and it’s only getting bigger so if you want to start a business then an online store is the best option right now. To learn how to build your own online store click the link below to sign up for the free 5 Day Challenge where SA’s eCommerce Expert Warrick Kernes will show you how to build your own store over 5 days in just 30 mins per day, even if you have no prior experience.
After an open call for nominations, the members who will serve on the International Professional Recognition Council (IPRC) for the next three years were recently appointed.
Invitation to the International Research Management Staff Development Programme (IRMSDP) Webinar
July 2020
We will run a Webinar on Monday, July 20th 2020 from 2 PM to 3 PM East African Time in order to respond to any questions that you may have on the IRMSDP Call.
The African Academy of Sciences and Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA) UK are launching the International Research Management Staff Development Programme (IRMSDP) to contribute to the strand on developing individual capacity of research management staff. The programme is focusing on knowledge sharing and the development of tools and resources, created by teams consisting of research management professionals from across Africa and the UK.
The IRMI introduced a webinar series in 2020. The next webinar is scheduled for Friday 17 July 4 pm IST. The webinar will focus on international partnerships in research, as viewed through the perspectives of funders, institutional support staff and researchers. Joining as panellists are Ms Janaka Pushpanathan, Director British Council South India; Dr Naresh Sharma, Head of International Relations at IISER Pune and Professor Colin Robinson, who leads a major Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) program at the University of Kent, UK.
Funders and performers of research in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) have an interest in quality research that delivers value for money and impact. However, challenges arise at the interfacing point of a project or programme grant: one of these is appropriate research costing that meets both funder and research institutional policies or requirements. ESSENCE on Health Research, a funder-collaborative, brought 35 participants from 19 countries, to brainstorm solutions and discuss current practices as part of an update to its research costing good practice document.
Back in April, we announced the start of a ten-month study of research capacity strengthening in low- and medium-income countries (LMICs) for the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Now more than halfway through our project, we’re delighted to share the findings from a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA), a review of over 220 studies on interventions to strengthen research systems and organisations.
The Research Manager and Administrator Network Japan (RMAN-J) is hosting the 2020 meeting of the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) at the International Conference Centre in Hiroshima, Japan from 25 to 28 May 2020. The theme of the 2020 congress is “Promoting Diversity in Research and Research Management Collaborations: More Trans-National, More Trans-Disciplinary, More Trans-Sectoral”.
