Earmarked Grants as Levers of Transformation, Innovation, and Academic Renewal in South African Higher Education

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-521-8_2How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Higher education; earmarked grants; transformation; innovation; academic renewal; Clinical Training Grant; University Capacity Development Programme; Sibusiso Bengu Development Programme; Foundation Provision Grant

Abstract

Earmarked grants have become increasingly pivotal in driving transformation, innovation, and academic renewal within the South African higher education system. Allocated by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) for specific strategic purposes, these grants are intended to redress historical inequities, strengthen institutional capacity, and stimulate innovation in teaching, learning, and research. Far from being peripheral or auxiliary, earmarked funding mechanisms such as the Sibusiso Bengu Development Programme (SB-DP), University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP), Clinical Training Grant (CTG) and the Foundation Provision Grant (FPG) are critical instruments for advancing equity, excellence, and academic renewal across the sector.

This paper explores how earmarked grants can function as levers of transformation, innovation, and academic renewal when effectively aligned with institutional strategies and national policy priorities. Drawing on sectoral trends, policy analysis, examples of institutional practice and the theory of change, the paper highlights both the enabling potential and the systemic challenges associated with earmarked grant funding. The central argument advanced is that earmarked grants should not be approached merely as compliance exercises or standalone projects. Rather, they should be embedded into institutional transformation strategies, performance management frameworks, and innovation ecosystems. The paper advocates for strengthened governance of grant processes, enhanced leadership engagement, and more deliberate alignment between grant-funded initiatives and long-term academic priorities. By repositioning earmarked grants as strategic assets, universities can unlock their capacity to drive systemic change, foster inclusive excellence, and advance their academic missions in more sustainable and impactful ways.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Theo Bhengu
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/29
TI  - Earmarked Grants as Levers of Transformation, Innovation, and Academic Renewal in South African Higher Education
BT  - Proceedings of The Focus Conference (TFC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 4
EP  - 18
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-521-8_2
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-521-8_2
ID  - Bhengu2025
ER  -