UJ maintains its commitment to become a research-focused institution through strong research performance and a vibrant research environment. This commitment is reinforced through continuous improvement in policy, refinement of research focus areas, increased research investment, research partnerships, stewardship of intellectual property and the environment, stakeholder engagement, health and safety in laboratories, human capacity development and financial resources management.
Research undertaken in these areas covers renewable energy for poor communities, solar energy, water purification using nanomaterials, research into pathological waterborne diseases, and ecotoxicological studies of inland waters and particularly the study of algae growth in the Hartbeespoort Dam and the impact of mining activities in the Oliphants River and on the West Rand.