ACADEMIC POSITIONS - HEALTH DEVICE INNOVATION

DUT HEALTH DEVICES INNOVATION INSTITUTE

SIX PERMANENT ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

DUT HEALTH DEVICES INNOVATION INSTITUTE

(2 × Professors / 2 × Associate Professors / 2 × Senior Lecturers)

With more than 34 400 students and approximately 1 700 members of staff, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) is a leading university of technology proudly located in the beautiful cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg, along the warm east coast of South Africa. Founded in April 2002 through the historic merger of the former ML Sultan Technikon and Technikon Natal, DUT has evolved into a modern, metropolitan, multi-campus university with roots tracing back to 1907.

Today, DUT is recognised nationally and internationally for its excellence in teaching and learning, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and engagement. A proud member of the International Association of Universities, DUT continues to expand its influence across South Africa and the world. In the 2025 Webometrics Rankings, DUT was ranked among the Top 6% of all universities and colleges worldwide, reflecting its academic excellence, research impact and strong global visibility.

DUT's Philosophy of Education, "Our creativity and innovation shapes adaptive graduates who transform society" reflects the institution's deep commitment to meaningful impact for societal transformation. Guided by its inspirational and aspirational ENVISION2030 strategy, which is rooted in DUT's DNA of being 'people-centred and engaged' and 'innovative and entrepreneurial' and underpinned by its bespoke Living Values Framework, DUT focuses on 'contributing to the improvement of lives and livelihoods'.

The University comprises six diverse Faculties: Accounting and Informatics; Applied Science; Arts and Design; Engineering and the Built Environment; Health Sciences; and Management Sciences. DUT also includes a Business School and the award-winning Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology (IWWT), amongst other research centres and institutes. Over the years, the University has substantially grown its research output, evidenced by the steady increase of NRF-rated researchers and the unprecedented award of seven NRF SARCHi Chairs in 2025.

At DUT, we believe in nurturing talent and empowering people to make a real difference. If you are passionate about contributing to education, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and engagement, DUT offers the ideal environment — Creative. Distinctive. Impactful.

About the Institute

The DUT Health Devices Innovation Institute (HDII) is being established as an African platform for context-appropriate MedTech translation. It will connect health sciences, engineering, design, data science, manufacturing and entrepreneurship to turn priority health needs into safe, usable, affordable, manufacturable and adoptable devices. Applications are invited from scholars who can build internationally credible research while responding to the realities of KwaZulu-Natal and other resource-constrained health systems.

The Institute research agenda

The six appointments are deliberately distributed across three priority themes:

• Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Essential Clinical Devices
• Assistive, Rehabilitation and Connected Care Technologies
• MedTech Translation, Local Manufacturing and Health-System Adoption

Common institutional expectations

All appointees must hold a relevant doctoral degree (NQF Level 10) in biomedical, mechanical, electronic, electrical, computer, chemical, materials or industrial engineering; medical/health sciences; rehabilitation sciences; data science; health economics; regulatory science; implementation science; or another field directly aligned to the advertised specialisation.

Candidates must demonstrate an interdisciplinary research identity, an ability to work with clinical and community partners, and a commitment to safety, ethics, responsible data use, quality by design and equitable access.

The posts are research-intensive academic appointments. Appointees will publish, attract funding, supervise postgraduate candidates, mentor emerging researchers, contribute to appropriate teaching and curriculum activities, and undertake engagement and innovation consistent with their rank.

Professional registration with the relevant statutory or professional body is required where the candidate's discipline or proposed scope of practice legally requires it. Clinical responsibility remains with appropriately registered health professionals and authorised partner institutions.

Position 1

Professor: Biosensors, Microfluidics, In-Vitro Diagnostics and Clinical Validation

Theme 1: Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Essential Clinical Devices

Reference Number: 30002774

Status of Position: Permanent

Reporting Line: Director: DUT Health Devices Innovation Institute

Theme-specific expertise

Biosensors, microfluidics, in-vitro diagnostics and clinical validation

Minimum requirements

• A relevant doctoral degree (NQF Level 10) in Biomedical Engineering, Medical Physics, Electrical Engineering, Clinical Laboratory Science, Biomedical Science or a closely related qualification to the theme.
• A strong record of research and/or academic leadership, with demonstrated leadership in the relevant scholarly field.
• A substantial and sustained period of distinguished academic experience in research and/or professional experience in higher education or a research environment, with recognised standing in the field.
• A minimum of ten DHET-accredited research outputs or recognised creative/innovation outputs during the preceding three years, relevant to the field.
• Evidence of substantial record of successful supervision to completion of Master's and Doctoral students.
• A sustained record of high-quality, cited research; competitive grant awards; international recognition; and leadership of substantial interdisciplinary programmes.
• Evidence of excellent teaching, postgraduate mentorship, curriculum contribution and academic citizenship appropriate to appointment at Full Professor level .
• Demonstrated success in securing competitive research funding (grants, contracts or commissioned research).
• Evidence of leading multidisciplinary teams and building national/international research collaborations.

Key responsibilities

Research Leadership

• Lead an internationally credible portfolio of affordable point-of-care and near-patient diagnostic technologies for priority infectious, maternal-child and non-communicable conditions.
• Develop, lead and grow a high-quality, externally funded research programme encompassing biosensors, microfluidics, imaging systems and essential clinical monitoring devices.
• Develop research on analytical performance, clinical validity, real-world performance, calibration, consumables, shelf life and sample pathways.
• Establish co-led clinical-validation programmes with authorised health-service partners and appropriate biostatistical support.
• Lead analytical performance verification, clinical validation, usability and real-world evidence generation for device prototypes.
• Generate peer-reviewed outputs, protectable intellectual property where appropriate, translational evidence and standards or policy contributions.
• Ensure all research proceeds through proportionate ethics, risk, regulatory and clinical evidence pathways in accordance with SAHPRA and applicable standards.

Postgraduate Supervision and Teaching

• Build competitive multi-partner grants, laboratories/platforms and postgraduate cohorts linking engineering, clinical science, data and implementation.
• Supervise doctoral and master's students across Theme 1 research streams, with a commitment to timely completions.
• Mentor junior researchers, postdoctoral fellows and research associates within the Institute.

Partnership and Funding

• Establish