The mandate of the National Research Foundation (NRF) stipulates that the organization supports and promotes research in the broadest sense. The annual NRF Awards function recognises South African scientists for their achievements as indicated through the NRF rating system. In addition, to the rating linked awards special awards provide a platform to honour researchers for career contributions to knowledge creation and dissemination as well as capacity development and transformation in the national research system.
In 2007, Higher Education South Africa (HESA) conducted a review of the National Research Foundation’s evaluation and rating system. Following this review, HESA acknowledged and endorsed the value that evaluation and rating add to the NRF’s research support and advancement vision.
In April 2011 an agreement on collaboration in Science and Technology between the governments of South Africa and Tanzania was signed. Towards implementation of the signed agreement, the two countries developed a Programme of Cooperation. The PoC sought to facilitate scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries by supporting researchers from universities, universities of technology, science councils and public research institutes on an equal and mutually beneficial basis.
The Government of Angola and the Republic of South Africa signed an Agreement for cooperation in science and technology in 2008. The two countries have decided to jointly support researchers from public universities and public research institutions on an equal and mutually beneficial basis in an effort to enhance scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries.
This second call for proposals is for joint research project proposals which should be submitted to the relevant authorities in both countries for evaluation (the Ministério do Ensino Superior e da Ciência e Tecnologia in Angola and the National Research Foundation in South Africa).
In 2010, the National Research Foundation (NRF) introduced the ‘Improving Academic
Qualifications of Academic Staff and Researchers’ grant to accelerate the completion of
doctoral degrees in order to increase the research and postgraduate supervisory capacity at
universities and research institutions. With the allocation of additional funding by the
Department of Science and Technology, this intervention is now being extended to a threeyear
programme spanning the 2013 to 2015 academic years.
On 27 January 2010, the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Fonds Wetenschappellijk Onderzoek (FWO) of Flanders, Belgium, agreed on a joint science and technology research agreement. The Working Group (WG) composed of representatives of both the FWO and NRF agreed on fundamental modalities and general arrangements relating to the administration of this call and of the agreement. This is a second invitation for South African researchers to submit joint proposals for the 2012 - 2013 Financial Year.
Established in December 2007 by the Swiss and South African governments to promote scientific and technological cooperation between Switzerland and South Africa, the Swiss South African Joint Research Programme (SSAJRP) rests on the principles of mutual interest, scientific excellence, and reciprocity (matching funds).
In March 2005 an agreement on collaboration in Science and Technology was signed between the governments of South Africa and Namibia. This was followed by a Programme of Cooperation (PoC) aimed at implementation of the agreement. The PoC sought to facilitate scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries by supporting researchers from universities, universities of technology, science councils and public research institutes on an equal and mutually beneficial basis.
The development and retention of high-end scientific and technological competencies is essential for
South Africa to transform into a knowledge-based economy wherein the generation of new knowledge
and scientific and technological innovations can bring about economic development, job creation and
an improvement in the quality of life of its citizens. State-of-the-art research infrastructure, linked to
the development of highly skilled knowledge-workers, is a prerequisite for the generation of globally
competitive new knowledge and technologies in the twenty first century
