Funding to kick-start research career
GCI Postdoc Dr Ferdinand Postma was awarded a 3-year Volkswagen Foundation grant in the postdoctoral fellowship program “Livelihood, Management, Reforms and Processes of Structural Change” earlier this year. He speaks to us about his journey thus far.
Navigating the research landscape is a herculean task, but for early researchers applying and obtaining funding is a huge stepping stone in the right direction.
For Dr Ferdinand Postma, funding has enabled him to make great strides in pursuing his research passion. “The VW grant enabled me to do transdisciplinary research on ideas around how bio-remediation can stimulate a bio-economy. It has provided me an opportunity to launch my research career with a certain amount of independence while also growing my collaborative network on both a local and international level," says Postma.
Becoming a top researcher involves more than just research. Running a project requires a number of other skills such as financial management, project management, people management etc. “A few months ago I put out a call for a Masters bursary. We have done interviews and I am looking forward to the extra responsibility that comes with being a supervisor. The bursary recipient will be my first Masters student. Being responsible for your own grant also requires you to learn about university administrative procedures. Developing all these skills are very important for any researcher in order to progress in their career. The first year of being a VW fellow taught me a lot on how to manage a research project and I am looking forward to broadening my knowledge,” says Postma.
While the funding sphere is a highly competitive area, it is important to remain positive. According to Postma, even if a grant application is not successful, one can gain invaluable experience about the process i.e. proposal writing, working with others to collaboratively write a proposal etc.
Ferdinand’s research is focuses on investigating various mine wastewater bioremediation technologies for their suitability in sustaining a biobased economy and the potential impact it could have on socio-economic development in mining communities in South Africa.