The establishment of institutional repositories such as SUNScholar, SUNScholarData, SUNDigital Collections, and SUNJournals stands as a direct testament to the University’s ongoing investment in supporting and expanding OA. The Library continues to promote OA through initiatives such as staff and student training, Open Access workshops, and participation in International Open Access Week.
In recognition of the role of OA in enhancing research visibility, impact, and societal benefit, the Library and Information Service introduced the Open Access Awards at the University’s Research and Innovation Excellence Awards held on 22 October 2025. This initiative acknowledges that OA contributions often remain under-recognised, despite their importance.
2025 Open Access Award Categories and Winners
Category 1: Most Prolific OA Author (Scopus-indexed)
Awarded to the SU-affiliated researcher with the highest number of OA publications indexed in Scopus over the period 2022–2024. This was awarded to Professor Soraya Seedat, Department of Psychiatry. In her own words: I think I’m particularly encouraged by the Open Access Award, because it is really important. We ensure that all the work we produce is widely accessible, particularly to people living in a lower-income context, where they do not have ready access to scientific and medical literature. (View video of highlights of the event here)
Category 2: Highest Cited OA Output (Scopus-indexed)
Awarded for the OA publication by an SU-affiliated author, indexed in Scopus and published between 2022–2024, that received the highest number of citations. This was awarded to Dr Houriiyah Tegally, Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation.
Category 3: Most Downloaded OA Output (SUNScholar & SUNScholarData)
Awarded to the SU-affiliated author(s) whose OA output deposited in SUNScholar from 2020-2024 received the highest number of downloads. This was awarded to: Drs Jerome Joorst, Education Policy Studies, Technology Transfer/Innovation team, and Willie Smit, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering.
Prizes were sponsored by Elsevier, while the Office of the DVC: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies provided the plaques. Through the introduction of these awards, the Library aims not only to recognise and celebrate researchers who actively choose Open Access, but also to encourage broader participation in OA publishing across the University.
Strengthening the University’s leadership in advancing equitable access to research is both a social justice imperative and a contribution toward sustainable human solutions. Increased Open Access publishing enhances the visibility and impact of SU research and aligns directly with the University’s aspiration to be Africa’s top university, which is ranked within the Top 100 globally.
From left to right: John Sterley (Research Account Manager, Elsevier), Ellen Tise (Senior Director: Library and Information Services and ….
Author: Dr Siviwe Bangani