Robyn Pickering, from the Department of Geological Sciences was one of only two people awarded a P rating, which is assigned to researchers under 35 who are considered likely to become future international leaders in their respective fields.  These awards, which focus on early-career researchers, are testament to the success of UCT’s efforts to bring more top-rated researchers up through the career pipeline.

Three researchers were awarded A ratings for the first time, based on the quality and impact of their research outputs in the recent past – according to the NRF, A-rated researchers are "unequivocally recognised by their peers as leading international scholars in their field":

• Professor Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan, Department of Biological Sciences
• Professor Bruce Hewitson, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science
• Professor Chris Reason, Department of Oceanography   

Professor Michael Feast from the Department of Astronomy and the South African Astronomical Observatory, retained his A-rating in the current cycle.

UCT is exceptionally proud of the high number of NRF-rated researchers at the institution. Nationally, we have more NRF-rated researchers than any other university; of the total number of A-rated researchers in South Africa, roughly a third are based at UCT.

These ratings are significant, as they offer a national indicator of research excellence and are an important tool for benchmarking. Researchers are rated by their peers, in their specific disciplines and based on their impact on global scholarship.

The high number of rated researchers, not only at UCT but nationally, thus reflects very well on research excellence in South Africa as a whole, showing that as a country we punch above our weight and can hold our own on the global stage.