News & Events

The National Research Foundation (NRF) is delighted to announce that it has maintained a Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Level 1 rating. This achievement symbolises the NRF’s commitment to the transformation of the equity profiles of the South African research

The National Research Foundation (NRF) hosted a delegation from the Ghana National Research Fund from 03 to 04 March 2026 as part of a strategic study visit to South Africa aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation

Dear Members of the Marine and Antarctic Research Community. The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, together with the National Research Foundation is scheduling two independent Research Plan workshops at the end of March 2026 to bring together representatives of

Despite significant investments in scientific research, data systems, and analytical capacity, sustainability policymaking across the Global South continues to face persistent gaps between knowledge generation and decision-making. These gaps are not primarily technical, but institutional and systemic – rooted in

Cape Town, South Africa – The Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD), a partnership between the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) under the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), has signed a Memorandum of

The Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD), a partnership of the National Research Foundation (NRF) with the International Astronomical Union (IAU) under the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), is pleased to announce that 10 African projects, part of

The British Academy and the Royal Society, in collaboration with the National Research Foundation’s Strategic Investments, Innovation and Impact directorate, hosted the Second Conference on Equitable Partnership from 03–05 February 2026 at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria. Proceedings

As part of the build-up to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address yesterday, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof Blade Nzimande, hosted close to a hundred learners and educators from Fezeka High in Gugulethu and Siyabulela

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | February 12, 2026 — Ahead of the Annual Summit of Heads of State at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa this February, Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC); the Government of Norway; the United Kingdom’s

The National Research Foundation (NRF) hosted the Societal Impact of Research Workshop on 26 January 2026, attended by Deputy Vice-Chancellors responsible for research, representatives from Universities South Africa (USAf), and research support staff from public universities across South Africa. The

CAPE TOWN / SUTHERLAND, SOUTH AFRICA – Astronomers using the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) have solved a cosmic mystery surrounding one of the most extreme stars known, WOH G64. While recent dramatic fading led many to believe the star had

This framework outlines a collaborative strategy by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) in partnership with the South African National Space Agency and other strategic partners. The strategy, which is implemented by the Nation Research Foundation (NRF), aims

The International Astronomical Union’s Office of Astronomy for Development (IAU–OAD) and the Office of Kgosana Dr Koketso Rakhudu have formalised a partnership aimed at leveraging astronomy to drive socio-economic transformation within the Royal Bafokeng Nation (RBN). The signing of the

The National Research Foundation and the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) the have officially renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), reaffirming their commitment to continued collaboration in research and innovation ecosystems. The renewed MoU builds on a strong

The Southern Africa Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC), hosted annually by Telkom, took place from 30 November to 03 December 2025 at Kogelberg Biosphere near Hermanus. This year’s theme, Africa’s Ascent: Towards a sustainable and resilient future enabled by

Science infrastructure is not just critical for the generation of new scientific knowledge and the development of researchers and scientists. Science infrastructure also has immense potential to drive socio- economic development for local communities and stimulate science tourism. Over the

The National Research Foundation (NRF) co-hosted an interactive session titled People, Planet, and Possibility: Systems Science Meets Journalism for Wellbeing with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) on 04 December 2025 at the World Conference of Science Journalists

By Dr Anton Binneman / NRF–SAASTA On the slopes of the Magaliesberg, surrounded by quiet farmland and wind-cut ridges, stands a radio telescope with a story few South Africans know; a story that stretches from the heart of the Cradle

Statement from the Future Earth Africa Hub Leadership Centre’s Consortium at the G20 Africa’s Scientific Renaissance – A vision for sustainability The National Research Foundation (NRF), in its capacity as the secretariat of the Future Earth Africa Hub in collaboration

A significant milestone in South Africa’s research and innovation landscape was reached this past week as the National Research Foundation (NRF), through the Presidential PhD Programme, and the Global Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation, and Competence Building Systems (Globelics)

The 6th National Global Change Conference, jointly hosted by the National Research Foundation (NRF); the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI); and the University of Mpumalanga (UMP); officially commenced today at UMP’s Mbombela Campus. The conference provides a national platform

The South African Environmental Observation Network (NRF-SAEON), in collaboration with the University of the Free State’s Afromontane Research Unit (ARU), has installed the highest weather station in Southern Africa in the Mont-aux-Sources area of the Maluti-Drakensberg. Positioned atop the iconic

The NRF has deepened its strategic partnerships with fellow African science funding agencies, following productive bilateral engagements with the Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ) and the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) during the 2025 GRC Sub-Saharan Africa Regional

This serves to inform you that the NRF Connect system is now open for the submission of the 2025 Progress Reports (PRs). Motivations for the Carry Forward of unspent funds should be submitted in the financials section of the Progress

The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) has been awarded a prestigious Science Diplomacy Award at the closing ceremony of the 2025 Science Forum South Africa (SFSA), held from 24–28 November at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria. The largest

The National Research Foundation (NRF), in partnership with the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Member Organization (SSARMO) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), invites eligible doctoral candidates to a strategic Masterclass designed to support strong and competitive applications to the 2026 IIASA

Panel Session Hosted at the Science Forum South Africa 2025 As part of the National Research Foundation’s participation at the 2025 Science Forum South Africa, the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), in partnership with the

On 26 November, the National Research Foundation (NRF) hosted a panel discussion entitled Presidential PhD Programme: Is Africa ready to reimagine Doctoral training for real-world impact? on the sidelines of the Science Forum South Africa that is currently underway at

On 21 November 2025, during the global engagements of the G20 Summit hosted by South Africa, the National Research Foundation (NRF), in partnership with the University of Pretoria (UP) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), convened a

The Future Earth Africa Hub, hosted by the National Research Foundation of South Africa, is pleased to announce that submissions for session proposals for the SRI2026 Africa Regional Conference are now open! Contributions from across all sectors—research, industry, government, civil

Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo, the CEO of the National Research Foundation, opened the 4th African Nuclear Physics Conference (ANPC) on Monday, 24 November 2025 at NRF-iThemba LABS in Cape Town. “This is a gathering of the storytellers of atoms. We need

At a time when African research systems are increasingly shaping global scientific conversations, the 2025 Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Academic Symposium held in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, offered a compelling demonstration of how SSA public research funders

Sub-Saharan Africa took an important step toward strengthening its voice in global research governance during the Global Research Council (GRC) Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Meeting and the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) Academic Symposium, held from 10 to 14 November 2025

As the 2025 Global Research Council (GRC) Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Meeting and Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) Academic Symposium drew to a close in Bulawayo, Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo, CEO of the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa and member

The National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa and Mitacs, Canada’s national research and innovation organisations, are pleased to announce the advancement of their collaboration through a pilot initiative under South Africa’s Presidential PhD Programme (PPP). Building on a Letter

Following the success of the first Post-Survey Workshop on Taxonomy Research in 2024, the EAF-Nansen Programme of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Norway has once again partnered with the South African Institute for Aquatic

The 2025 Global Research Council (GRC) Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Meeting and Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) Academic Symposium officially opened on 10 November 2025 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, under the theme From Regional Dialogue to Global Impact. Co-hosted by the Research

On 10 November, the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), Africa’s largest optical telescope and one of the most powerful in the world, celebrated its 20th anniversary of astronomical excellence and breakthroughs. This flagship facility for South African and global astronomy

In an effort to strengthen research collaboration for property sector transformation, the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA), in collaboration with Nelson Mandela University (NMU) and the Department of Human Settlements (DHS), hosted the Property

The National Research Foundation (NRF) congratulates Dr Thandi Mgwebi, Group Executive for Business Advancement and Global Partnerships, on her appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Walter Sisulu University (WSU). She will take up her new position from 01 January 2026. Dr Mgwebi

The National Research Foundation (NRF), with the support of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), led the Roundtable Discussion on the

Led by South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the National Research Foundation (NRF) participated in the UK-South Africa Science and Innovation Joint Committee (JC) Meeting held in

The National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA), in collaboration with Nelson Mandela University (NMU) and the Department of Human Settlements (DHS), will host the Property Sector Research Colloquium from 5 to 6 November 2025 in

South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) is co-hosting the annual O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI) gathering, taking place from 27–31 October 2025 at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. The event is set to reflect on the initiative’s impact

The National Research Foundation (NRF), in partnership with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and Fondation Botnar, co-hosted the Inaugural u’GOOD Annual Conference 2025 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from 06 to 09 October 2025. Themed Global South Takes the

Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo, CEO of the National Research Foundation (NRF), delivered a keynote address at the official opening of the HSRC/NRF Engaged Research Conference, which took place from 22 to 24 October 2025 at the Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo

On Monday, 20 October 2025, the NRF and CIHEAM-Bari, as co-task leaders under the Consortium Europe-Africa on Research and Innovation for Food Systems Transformation (CEA-FIRST) initiative, co-hosted the inaugural Funders’ Working Group Meeting of the International Research Consortium (IRC) on

The National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa is pleased to announce the culmination of its funding call under the Belmont Forum Collaborative Research Action (CRA) initiative with 10 transdisciplinary research projects selected for funding, each led by researchers based