As Specialist: Research Grant Proposal Developer and Writer in SU’s Division for Research Development (DRD), Dr Renée Goretsky helps researchers turn ideas and innovation into competitive funding proposals. Adept at turning challenges into solutions and navigating pathways towards convergence, she brings the same approach to her personal life – making sure every moment counts.

What does your role at SU entail?

I am a Specialist: Research Grant Proposal Developer and Writer. I support researchers in developing and preparing competitive funding proposals, from identifying suitable funding opportunities to shaping and strengthening submissions.

This includes connecting relevant SU researchers, and where required, facilitating consortium development, coordination and management. My specific roles involve facilitating concept development, conducting gap analysis and drafting proposals for consortium input and refinement.

In some cases, I provide targeted review and substantive feedback on existing proposals. I also support budget development.

My primary focus is on large, international, multi-partner funding calls. In addition, I am working to strengthen institutional capacity in research grant development at SU and to build a community of practice for research grant support.

What does a typical day at work look like?

The only predictable part of my day is arriving at the office and making a cup of coffee.

From there, my work is highly dynamic and driven by what is needed to move proposals forward. This sometimes requires long hours during peak periods.

I take a proactive approach, creating opportunities rather than waiting for them, and focusing on how best to support researchers to develop strong, impactful proposals.

While much of my work involves fact-finding, critical thinking and writing, I see my role primarily as problem-solving – finding innovative, efficient ways to navigate complex funding landscapes and strengthen ideas within a systems-thinking framework.

I am motivated by continuous learning and challenge; growth comes from engaging deeply with complexity and pushing beyond routine tasks.

I also believe in focusing on solutions rather than constraints, recognising that change can be driven both from within and through external pressures while being mindful of where and how to direct one’s efforts most effectively.

How did your education and past experiences prepare you for this job?

My journey has been shaped by both circumstance and deliberate choices.

I initially planned to study biology (botany), complete a higher education diploma and teach high school biology and geography – one of the more accessible and stable career paths available to a ‘coloured person’ in South Africa in the early 1990s.

Although I was exposed to alternative fields, such as geology through a University of Cape Town outreach programme, structural barriers at the time limited those possibilities.

I went on to complete an MSc in Botany (freshwater algae), which led to my first professional role as Secretariat for the South African Network for Coastal and Oceanic Research. This experience laid the foundation for my work in research coordination and networks.

I was later appointed Programme Director within the National Research Foundation, where I gained experience in international research collaboration and grant management from a funder’s perspective.

Over time, I transitioned into university-based roles supporting research development at institutions including the Universities of Cape Town, Toronto, Witwatersrand and now Stellenbosch.

Alongside this, I completed a PhD in the social sciences, focusing on rural community development in partnership with a First Nations Indigenous community in Canada.

This work marked a significant intellectual and personal shift from the natural sciences into a more relational, participatory and context-sensitive approach to research.

The research was grounded in Indigenous methodologies and ways of knowing, requiring me to engage deeply with questions of ethics, power and reciprocity in knowledge production.

It was not only academically rigorous but also profoundly formative on a personal level, teaching me humility, patience and the importance of building trust over time.

Working within this community context highlighted the importance of co-creation, respect for difference and the need to situate knowledge within lived experience and place.

This experience has had a lasting influence on how I approach my work today.

My education and professional experiences have co-evolved, shaping me into someone who values respect for difference, embraces plurality and applies systems thinking to identify what is appropriate within specific contexts.

I strive to bring these principles into my current role, recognising that working across a university spanning disciplines and sectors means engaging with diverse agendas and priorities.

From a central office perspective, we hold a bird’s-eye view of these dynamics, and our role is to help navigate them, steering pathways towards convergence while acknowledging and managing necessary trade-offs.

What do you enjoy most about your role and working at SU?

What I enjoy most is the constant challenge and the fact that no two days are the same.

I work across different knowledge areas and with diverse teams, each bringing its own perspectives and ways of working. That variety keeps the work stimulating and meaningful.

There are certainly intense periods, sometimes working around the clock during major deadlines, when I wonder how sustainable it is. But then the next opportunity comes along, and the cycle continues. This speaks to how engaging and dynamic the work is.

I have experienced both highly supportive and very challenging work environments over the years, which gives me a strong appreciation for where I am now.

At SU, particularly within the DRD, the environment is supportive, enabling and collaborative. The grants team is dynamic, collegial and respectful, which makes a significant difference to how we work and what we can achieve together.

And beyond the work itself, the setting is exceptional. Driving in from Somerset West each morning, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to be in such a beautiful environment. This affords a daily moment of gratitude.

Tell us something about yourself that few people would expect.

Oh dear, just one? I have been living with type 1 diabetes since I was 12. At the time, I was told my life might be short, which gave me an early awareness of fragility.

Decades later, through self-care and advances in health innovation, I am still here – grateful, resilient and motivated to make each day count.