Announcement of Successful Proposals for the Global Research Council Sustainable Devlopment Goals Pilot Call
ANNOUNCEMENT OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION (NRF)-FIRST RAND EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION (FREF) BLACK ACADEMICS ADVANCEMENT PROGRAMME (BAAP) 2026 Read More >
wpadmin NRF in the News July 14, 2026 The National Research Foundation (NRF) is pleased to announce a new multilateral research funding call and invites eligible South African researchers to apply. The call forms part of the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), a multilateral initiative launched in 2015 to enhance the capacities of Science Granting Councils across sub-Saharan Africa to support research and evidence-informed policy making that contributes to economic and social development. Through this call, South African researchers are invited to form or join multi-country African research consortia that address the priorities of the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2034 (STISA-2034). RESEARCH THEMES Researchers are invited to submit collaborative research proposals in the following thematic areas: Agriculture – addressing food and nutritional security Health – ensuring emergency preparedness for healthy lives and promoting nutrition ICT– towards an integrated and more connected Africa Energy – access to affordable and reliable energy Environment – addressing biodiversity loss & water scarcity and building the climate resilience of economies & communities. The call supports collaborative research that advances inclusive, Africa-led science and innovation systems; generates evidence for policy and development impact; strengthens collaboration across institutions and countries; and focuses on key priority areas including health, agriculture and food systems, Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies, energy, and environment and climate resilience. WHO SHOULD APPLY? African universities, public research organizations, government research institutions and interdisciplinary teams with the capacity to manage research funding and deliver impact at scale. For South African applicants, the NRF RSA eligibility criteria include the following: Researchers/scientists (citizen and permanent residence) residing in South Africa and affiliated with a recognised South African public higher education or research institutions. Researchers from SMEs, private companies/industries, and NGOs cannot serve as the PI but can form part of the research consortium. NGO and/or industry/ SME participants are expected to meet their own participation costs in the joint project. Historically disadvantaged institutions in South Africa must form part of the project consortium. Funding: Under this call, each participating country will support its researchers based on its national criteria and priorities. For South African researchers, successful consortium members may receive funding of up to R1 500 000 over a three-year period, subject to successful project evaluation and approval in accordance with the SGCI funding framework and NRF eligibility criteria. HOW TO APPLY Researchers are encouraged to explore the call, use the matchmaking site to identify collaborators and access the application portal: https://call.sgci.africa/ APPLICATION DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 25, 2026, 23:59 EDT Enquiries: For more information and enquiries, please contact,Mr Themba Ngomane (National Research Foundation)Email: t.ngomane@risa.nrf.ac.za We encourage you to share this opportunity with colleagues and collaborators who may be interested in joining or establishing a multi-country African research consortium. Share on Facebook Share on X
