The National Institute for Theoretical Physics (NITheP) aims to promote research and training in Theoretical Physics at all tertiary institutions in South Africa.  With a limited core staff located in the hub at the Stellenbosch Institute of Advanced Study and nodes at the Universities of Witwatersrand and KwaZulu-Natal, this can only be made possible through a network of co-workers throughout the country.

 

Against this background the management of NITheP envisages the creation of a network of associates at all tertiary institutions in the country.  The associates can be individuals that are affiliated to a South African tertiary institution, and who have an active research programme in Theoretical Physics or a closely related discipline, or it can be an institutional associate, which will typically be a well constituted organizational unit at a South African tertiary institution.  These two possibilities are not mutually exclusive.

 

Individual associates will have the benefit that they will be supported, upon submission of a research proposal, to visit one of the NITheP nodes, depending on research interest, for a period of maximally two months per year.  This support will consist of travel, accommodation and subsistence costs.  Additionally both individual and institutional associates can be supported for the organization of workshops and short research programmes that involve South African and African researchers and students.  The possibility exists that institutional associates can develop into fully fledged nodes of NITheP in the longer term.

 

Apart from individuals or institutional organizations that the NITheP management may approach to become associates, the management also invites individuals or institutional organizations to apply for associate membership.  For individuals the application must include a CV, complete publication list and statement of research interests.  For institutional association the application must include the name of the organization, a list of members, its constitution and research focus. This documentation must be sent to the director of NITheP at fgs@sun.ac.za.  As NITheP aims to establish a presence outside the hub and nodes, individuals and institutions outside these structures are particularly encouraged to apply.