DSTI-NRF Policy Fellowship Programme Enters a New Phase

South Africa’s most pressing policy challenges, from energy security and climate resilience to health, food security and artificial intelligence, are increasingly complex and require policy decisions grounded in credible evidence. Research is already contributing to addressing these challenges. Energy modelling, for example, has informed discussions on renewable energy integration, energy security and the Just Energy Transition, while research and data are increasingly being used to guide economic, health and social policy.

Yet a persistent gap remains between the research produced by universities and science councils and its application within policy environments. The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation–National Research Foundation (DSTI-NRF) Policy Fellowship Programme is designed to help bridge this gap by placing researchers directly within government and research institutions, where they can contribute their expertise to policy development, analysis and implementation.

Following a two-year pilot, the programme is now entering its official programming phase. The pilot placed 25 postdoctoral researchers from several universities such as the University of Johannesburg, University of the Witwatersrand, the Nelson Mandela University, and the University of Venda, within government departments and entities such as the DSTI, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, and the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority, providing fellows with practical exposure to policymaking while enabling host institutions to draw on research expertise to address policy priorities.

The experience demonstrated the value of bringing researchers closer to the policy process, with fellows going on to apply their expertise in influential roles. One fellow has since joined Parliament as a researcher, while another was appointed Editor of an international journal focused on sustainable, inclusive and equitable human settlements. The next phase builds on these outcomes and lessons, with greater alignment between fellows’ expertise and institutional priorities, clearer roles and expectations, stronger mentorship, and coordinated capacity development.

The programme will focus on priority areas including energy, climate resilience, health, digital technologies, agriculture and food security, and social development. It aims not only to support immediate policy needs, but to develop a cohort of researchers capable of working effectively at the science-policy interface.

This is particularly important as South Africa seeks to translate its considerable research capacity into practical solutions. Initiatives such as the Policy Fellowship Programme, the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI), the Technology Stations Programme, and the Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP) demonstrate how investing in research, innovation, skills development and collaboration between academia, government and industry can directly support policy development, technology transfer and long-term institutional capacity.

Applications now open

The call for institutions to host the second cohort of the DSTI-NRF Policy Fellowship Programme is now open. The programme provides early-, emerging- and mid-career researchers with an opportunity to apply their expertise to real policy challenges while gaining valuable experience, professional development and cross-sectoral networks.

Applications close on 15 September 2026.

Eligible host institutions are encouraged to apply and contribute to building a stronger connection between South Africa’s research capabilities and the policy decisions that shape the country’s development. Institutions interested in hosting a Policy Fellow can submit an Expression of Interest here.

The call for researchers to apply as fellows will open in October 2026.

Learn more about the Programme here.

Other related articles:

• NRF Postdoctoral Fellows Policy Briefs
• NRF and HSRC Collaborate to Channel Academics into Policymaking
• NRF Postdocs Tap into Policy Space at AYGS Conference