Governance
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Overview
Good governance is fundamental to the success of the SBIMB and to the confidence and trust of its investors and scientific collaborators. The Institute ensures that good governance and responsible scientific and business principles and practices are fully integrated into its culture, values and day-to-day running. The SBIMB practices transparency and accountability for all funding received, and strives to provide high quality reporting on its activities.
The governance of the Institute, including oversight of its financial well-being, funding strategy and sustainability, is the responsibility of the Vice-Chancellor (VC), and is delegated to either the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research (DVC-R) or the Dean of an appropriate Faculty.
The SBIMB Advisory Board and Research Advisory Committee are responsible for overseeing the Institute’s leadership and activities, and steering its scientific direction.
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SBIMB Advisory Board
An Advisory Board is in place, whose role it is to advise the VC or his/her designated representative on various aspects of the institute’s leadership, some of which include:
- The appointment of the Institute Director and its Members
- The Institute’s five-year strategic plan
- The Institute’s annual research, financial and outreach plans
- The selection and monitoring of suitable key performance areas and related indicators
- The ongoing assessment of the Institute’s ethical standards to ensure that they continue to conform to international best practice in all regards
- The ongoing review and management of the Institute’s risks, performance and sustainability in the context of their inter-dependence
- The relationship of the Institute with the University and with its other stakeholders
- The effectiveness of the independent audit of the Institute that contributes to an annual integrated report of research, financial, social and environmental sustainability.
These responsibilities are discharged through well structured and appointed subcommittees, including an Audit and Risk subcommittee. The Board as a whole meets at least twice a year and performs regular self-evaluations of the impacts of its advice on the Institute’s performance.
Membership of the Advisory Board comprises a balance of ex-officio and nominated members. The term of office of each member is three years, renewable with the approval of the URC.
Current members of the Advisory Board
- Professor Shabir Madhi (Ex-officio Dean: Faculty of Health Sciences)
- Professor Lynn Morris (Ex-officio DVC: Research)
- Professor Michele Ramsay (Ex-officio SBIMB Director)
- Professor Marianne Cronje (Ex-officio representative of the Faculty of Science)
- Dr Robin Drennan (University Research Office: Nominee of the DVC)
- Professor Brett Bowman (Ex-officio URC Representative)
- Professor Amanda Krause (Ex-officio HOD Division of Human Genetics at NHLS, and School of Pathology)
- Mr Charles Gilbert (Ex-officio: HR Health Sciences)
- Mr Lukesh Sookoo (Ex-officio: Finance Health Sciences)
- Professor Eleftheria Zeggini, Director of the Institute of Translational Genomics - Helmhotz Zentrum Munchen in Neuherberg, Germany
- Doctor Colin Pillai, Founder at CP+ Associates GmbH (Switzerland) and CEO at Pharmacometrics Africa NPC (South Africa)
- Associate Professor Bavesh Kana, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, NHLS, University of the Witwatersrand, SA
- Professor Saraladevi Naicker
- Professor Alan Christoffels
- Professor Sydney Brenner, Honourary member (1927 – 2019)
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Research Advisory Committee
The Research Advisory Committee responsibilities include:
- High-level, strategic, research-related advice to the Director;
- Assistance with the recruitment of high-calibre academics through the established networks of Committee members
- Membership oversight
- Ongoing reviews of the research applications and report.
Current membership:
- Professor Eleftheria Zeggini, Director of the Institute of Translational Genomics - Helmhotz Zentrum Munchen in Neuherberg, Germany
- Professor Philip Awadalla, University of Toronto, Canada
- Professor Alan Christoffels, Director of South African National Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI)
- Professor Leon Mutesa, Professor of Human Genetics, University of Rwanda