The FRD Special programme on collaborative software research and development. Draft call for proposals

Abstract

The foundation for Research Development (FRD) is evaluating the need for a new Special Programme in Computer Science. An initial meeting was held in August 1993 at the FRD to discuss the new programme. A Steering Committee was appointed with Professor A E Krzesinski of Stellenbosch as Chairperson. Several regional meetings were held in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and the PWV to discuss the parameters of the proposed programme. The result of these meetings was a Draft Call for Proposals which was discussed by the Steering Committee in January 1994 and which was further refined during February 1994. The Steering Committee and the FRD have distributed the Draft Call to as wide and audience as possible. We hope that its publication in SACJ will facilitate the further spread of knowledge about the proposed programme. The FRD wishes the programme to be collaborative, goal-directed, inter-institutional, inter-disciplinary and definitive in the sense that it will set a direction in Computer Science in South Africa for the next 5 years. The goal of the programme is to link up research, development, industry and community organisations to develop expertise and manpower in order to establish a national capability for developing innovative world-class software.