SANPAD - South Africa-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development
SANPAD is a unique collaborative research programme that has been financed by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1997. SANPAD funds high quality, collaborative research by South African researchers in association with Dutch researchers.
SANPAD objectives
The general SANPAD objectives are to:
- stimulate and promote quality research;
- produce research outputs intended and useful for development purposes;
- promote co-operation between Netherlands (NL) and South African (SA) researchers, and between institutions within South Africa (SA);
- develop research capacity and a culture conducive to research, aimed particularly at researchers from historically disadvantaged communities.
SANPAD activities
To achieve the set objectives, SANPAD organises various activities:
- To finance research projects with poverty reduction as a cross-cutting theme within the proposed and/or revised themes listed below: 1. New approaches to Economic Development
2. Social and Human Development
3. Natural Resources and their Governance
4. Politics, Governance, State and Society
5. Identities, Cultures and Societies
6. Science and Technology for Social development (15% over the 5 year period)
- To enhance the Pre-doctoral Research Capacity Initiative (RCI) developed during Phase 1 and 2 and to conduct a 1-2 week long advanced RCI programme for registered PhD candidates annually.
- To undertake research support activities to promote equity and excellence in research and research capacity building in advancing the development of a knowledge society in South Africa and the selected SADC states.
- To promote regional cooperation in research and knowledge development within selected SADC states through a multilateral (NL, SA and SADC) mutually beneficial research partnership and capacity building programme.
- To promote an increase in International research outputs through collaboration with international partners.
- To promote, advance and facilitate academic and research partnerships and capacity building through the Guest Lecture programme and Staff and Student Exchange programmes.
- To promote, maintain and monitor the existing database of bilateral and multilateral research partnerships between the NL and SA, and to include the SADC and other international partners (entrance to the database).
- To increase and advance the dissemination, communication and implementation of research outputs and outcomes to the various stakeholder groups (Government, Policy makers, civil society and the research community) in SA, and the SADC.
Database Cooperating for Science
At https://sanpad.nwo.nl/ SANPAD publishes a database called Cooperating for Science. This database provides an overview of all Dutch/South African partnerships on academic research in higher education. Partnerships between Dutch researchers and researchers from other SADC countries (Zambia, Mozambique en Tanzania) is being added. More information on Dutch/Southern African partnerships can be sent to sanpad@nwo.nl.
More information & contact
For more information on SANPAD, please consult the international website www.sanpad.org.za or contact the Dutch SANPAD secretariat:
- programme coordinator, Nelke van der Lans, 00 31 (0)70 3494350 or sanpad@nwo.nl
- programme officer, Natasja Depassé, 00 31 (0)70 3494351 or sanpad@nwo.nl.
- programme assistant, Corinne Lamain, 00 31 (0)70 34940924 or sanpad@nwo.nl
