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Mrs Lee Da Rocha-Silva, one of South Africa's foremost researchers in alcohol and drug abuse, received the Human Sciences Research Council's highest internal award for research, the Research Excellence Award, at the HSRC's 1997 ReXcel Awards function in Pretoria on 27 November. Mrs Da Rocha-Silva, a senior researcher in the Group: Social Dynamics, specialises in research into the nature, extent and development of alcohol/drug use and into the prevention and treatment of alcohol/drug problems. She has worked in this field at the HSRC for nearly 20 years. Mrs Da Rocha-Silva was instrumental in developing the Khavan alcohol test (KAT) for South African conditions. The KAT is a method for identifying the drink-related risk factors that lead to a reduced quality of life and is a useful device for evaluating the effectiveness of programmes for dealing with alcohol-related problems. She also adapted the Jellinek-Walsh-Lederman-Khavan formula used to estimate scientifically the extent of alcohol/drug-related problems in a community. This enables policy makers to monitor the adequacy and effectiveness of prevention or treatment facilities for alcohol/drug-related problems. Furthermore, she designed the Rocha-Silva preventative model which provides a South African-oriented psychosocial framework for understanding the onset and continuation of alcohol/drug-related problems. In respect of such problems the model provides a basis for making rational decisions on what to research, how to interpret research data and what requires attention in prevention programmes. Mrs Da Rocha-Silva has published extensively and her latest research report The nature and extent of drug use and the prevalence of related problems in the RSA comprehensively reviews the vast body of related South African research over the past three decades. The report has drawn extremely favourable comments from an array of policy and decision makers in the public sector. The Multidisciplinary Research Award was presented to Mr Ian Hirschfeld, leader of the research team responsible for the development and maintenance of ongoing survey-based analyses of public attitudes with regard to national issues in the RSA. Other researchers in the team are Mrs Diana Ehlers, Profs. Vincent Maphai and Yvonne Muthien. The President's Research Award was awarded to Mrs Adel Hartley for her work on technical college education in South Africa and the situation and needs analysis on special educational needs. Four researchers shared the Emerging Researcher Award. Nonkcwe Bomela co-ordinated of the Census Research Programme run by the Centre for Science Development. Sarah Howie worked on the Third International Mathematics and Science Survey, produced publications on the project and addressed several organisations on the results. Bridget?Hughes, after receiving training in the USA, succeeded in implementing the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) programme in 60 schools in six provinces in collaboration with the national and provincial departments of Education. In addition, Bridget has succeeded in establishing a research infrastructure which is currently supporting eight environmental education/training research projects from institutions countrywide. Olga?Mabitsela conducted research for the Mandela Village housing project (with the CSIR), the fieldwork evaluation for a World Bank Project for Statistics on Living Standards and Development, and surveys and community participation activities related to the redevelopment of public hostels in Atteridgeville, Refilwe and Zithobeni. The HSRC conducts an annual year-long research training and internship programme for young black researchers. The 1997 Intern Award was awarded to Ms Santha Naicker for outstanding performance by a current intern. Dr Rolf Stumpf, President of the HSRC, was the recipient of the 1997 Strategic Innovative Leadership Award. He was rewarded for among others, the innovative leadership and vision he has demonstrated as CEO of the HSRC with regard to the transformation of the organisation, the political will and courage to facilitate the constitution of a more representative HSRC Council and for being the inspiration behind the introduction of a series of policy frameworks. He was furthermore commended for his role in improving the quality of the HSRC's research and his contribution to the national higher education debate, especially for the part he played in drafting sections of the Commission for Higher Education's Report on Higher Education in South Africa.
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