SAPECS researcher Oonsie Biggs received a prestigious P-rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) for her outstanding research on social-ecological regime shifts and their impact on ecosystem services. P-rated researchers have demonstrated the potential of becoming future international leaders in their field based on exceptional research performance and output early in their careers.
Biggs says the P-Rating is an honour, and a real boost for social-ecological sustainability research in the region.
“I hope that this award will open up new opportunities to train students and carry out collaborative research with other researchers working in this field in South Africa.”
“I believe that meeting the tremendous global sustainability and development challenges we face ultimately requires a fundamental restructuring of our societies, worldviews and values.”
A prolific researcher with a growing international profile, Biggs is currently a research associate at the Centre for Complex Systems in Transition at Stellenbosch University and research theme leader at the Stockholm Resilience Centre. She has published more than 40 papers, including articles in internationally renowned journals, and 25 invited book chapters. She is also the recipient of numerous international research fellowships and has supervised a number of masters and doctoral students.
Biggs says her dream is to draw on the skills and networks she has gained abroad to develop a world-leading social-ecological research centre in South Africa that has a tangible impact on environmental policy and practice.
Biggs adds that she plans to continue with her research in this field because it can provide critical insights to help address the sustainability challenges that society faces.
For more information about Oonsie visit her profile in Science Careers.
Watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/140628173
(Please follow this link for the original news article on the Stellenbosch University website, written by Alec Basson.)
