The HSRC’s work involves multiple stakeholders, including government and state bodies, academic institutions, science councils, corporate entities, civil society funders and the broader South African public. This unit aims to bring fitting partners on board early in the research process to leverage optimal research impact. Traditionally, once-off research projects, supported by international funding agencies, government departments or civil society organisations, were concluded and handed over without meaningful engagement about research use. The changing role and meaning of the contemporary research profession call for new forms of engagement. The greater the degree of involvement of strategic stakeholders in the research enterprise, the greater the chances that new knowledge generated will be used, that important projects can be resourced over multi-year periods, and that research will have community impact. This unit also has strong links with the Department of Science and Innovation, the National Research Foundation, other science councils, African institutions, as well as international embassies, universities and research institutions.
