José Frantz

Professor José Frantz is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC): Research and Innovation at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).

Before taking over as DVC: Research and Innovation, Prof Frantz held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences (2013-2017) and Deputy Dean of Research within the faculty.

Prof Frantz is a C2-rated South African National Research Foundation (NRF) researcher. Her primary research focus is in the area of health professions education and faculty development while her secondary research focus is on providing appropriate health education and health promotion to prevent chronic diseases due to lifestyle. She is committed and passionate about capacity development, something that is clearly reflected in the number of Masters and PhD students that she has supervised and her deep involvement in teaching, learning and research.

She has published more than 100 articles in both national and international journals and has presented her research at a number of national and international conferences. At present, Prof Frantz is the lead investigator in a capacity development programme between Tshwane University of Technology, Rhodes University, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, UWC and the University of Missouri in the United States. The programme is being funded to the tune of R3.8 million.

In the past she has served as one of the principal investigators of a North-South-South collaboration between Norway, Sudan, Tanzania and South Africa. This project was funded by the FK-Health Exchange Programme in Norway to the value of 4 751 500 NOK and ended in 2015. Prof Frantz has received several prestigious scholarships and bursaries from the NRF, the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), the South African Regional FAIMER Institute (SAFRI) and UWC.

In 2017 she received the South African Association of Health Educationalists (SAAHE) Distinguished Educator Award. This annual award recognises an individual who has either made a significant contribution in teaching or contributed to the development of scholarship in the discipline of health sciences education. In 2016 she was awarded the Champion of Research Capacity Development and Transformation at SA Higher Education Institutions from the NRF.