Over the period 2001-2004, the University of the Witwatersrand has worked to support scholarship development in the sphere migration and urbanisation in South and Southern Africa through management of an innovative grants program, funding for which was provided by the Andrew W Mellon Foundation. This Migration & Urbanization Node initiative was one of three supported by the Foundation, the others focusing on HIV/AIDS (convened by Eleanor Preston-Whyte of the University of KwaZulu-Natal), and Poverty & Inequality (convened by Dudley Horner & Francis Wilson of the University of Cape Town).
 
The intellectual framework for the Migration and Urbanisation Node's point of departure was the appreciation that for over a century migration and urbanisation trends and patterns have had a significant influence in the SADC countries. These have been felt in health, family and household structure and at the socio-political and economic level.
 
Most grantees awarded funding during the first phase of Migration and Urbanisation Node funding are now almost midway through their grant period. Although the field of migration & urbanization research - in South Africa, regionally & internationally - is less mature than other spheres of population studies endeavour such as fertility and reproductive health, and mortality and population health, migration & urbanization is still exceptional in the extent to which it lends itself to interdisciplinary study and, particularly, use of both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
 
Notable milestones from the first phase effort include:

1. Establishing a functioning & effective grants administration, including a willing network of able protocol reviewers, along with an involved and responsive Steering Committee (Migration & Urbanisation Node Steering Committee - Phase 1: Alex Ezeh (African Population & Health Research Centre, Nairobi), Pahli Lehohla (Statistics South Africa), William Pick (MRC, South Africa), Deborah Posel (University of the Witwatersrand), Eleanor Preston-Whyte (University of KwaZulu-Natal), Shirley Robinson (National Treasury, South Africa), Stephen Tollman (University of the Witwatersrand)
2. Of thirty-one (31) proposals received, awarding ten research grants to scholars/research teams in South Africa and the region, following full competitive review, with final decisions pending on one further proposal
3. achieving a fuller 'mapping' of potential research groups in South Africa and the region, and promoting work of the Node through visits to key scientists/institutions; more recently, delivering a paper on the work of the Node to the Demographic Society of Southern Africa (DEMSA). A paper on the work of all three Nodes will be presented to the Population Association of America meeting in Boston in April 2004
4. Contributing to intellectual & organisational collaboration between the three South African Node initiatives, and the establishment of an inter-node secretariat.

The Migration and Urbanisation node moves into the second phase of funding with a wealth of experience from what has been achieved so far and with continued commitment to build research capacity in the field in Southern Africa.
 
Please click here for the summary of funded Proposals on migration and urbanisation.
 
 
 
print  |   bookmark  |   sitemap  |   help