In this Act, unless the context indicates otherwise-

"Board"

means the Board referred to in section 5;

"chief executive officer"

means the person appointed as chief executive officer of the Council in terms of section 10(1);

"Council"

means the Human Sciences Research Council referred to in section 2;

"Department"

means the Department of Science and Technology;

"human sciences"

means the investigation of human life and society through systematic, rational and verifiable methods that recognise the validity of both objective and subjective data;

"Minister"

means the Minister of Science and Technology;

"prescribe"

means prescribe by regulation;

"Promotion of Administrative Justice Act"

means the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, 2000 (Act No. 3 of 2000);

"Public Finance Management Act"

means the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act No. 1 of 1999);

"research"

means the generation, preservation, augmentation and improvement of knowledge by means of scientific investigations and methods in the field of the human sciences;

"regulation"

means a regulation made in terms of section 17;

"this Act"

includes regulations.