News & Events

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

On 23 June 2026, marine conservation grant-holders, project partners, students and stakeholders gathered in Cape Town for the Southwest Indian Ocean Marine Protected Areas (SIOMPA) South African Implementing Partner Meeting. The workshop, held under the theme Feedback, Fraternity and Foresight,

During the week of 29 – June to 3 July the SAEON Grasslands Node and the EFTEON Northern Drakensberg landscape tested and deployed a DJI Matrice 400 drone carrying a Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) System developed for the Biome Mapping project

NRF-iThemba LABS’ Deputy Managing Director for Research, Dr Rudolph Nchodu, participated in the 63rd  Session of the Programme Advisory Committee for Nuclear Physics (PAC YF), hosted by the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, Russia, on 18–19 June

The South African Environmental Observation Network (NRF-SAEON) Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Finance teams led an Enterprise and Supplier Development Workshop held at Mabasa Hall in Mbazwana, KwaZulu-Natal, on 23 April 2026. Xolisa Gugushe from NRF-SAEON’s SCM and  Benny Molefe

The National Research Foundation (NRF) in collaboration with black-owned auditing firm Bagaka Group hosted the Chief Audit Executive Engagement Workshop on 11 June 2026. The engagement was held at the NRF Tiyo Soga Auditorium as well as some attendees joining

South Africa’s future scientists, engineers, innovators and technology leaders are not only being developed in laboratories and classrooms—they are also finding their voices on debating stages where complex scientific issues are explored through discussion, evidence and critical thinking. As part

When science and creativity come together, extraordinary things happen. This year, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (NRF-SAASTA) challenged South African TVET and University students to do just

The inaugural National Science Month (NSM) launch, which took place on 4 July 2026 at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Gauteng Science and Technology Park, ushered in a new chapter in public science engagement. Hosted by the Department of

The National Research Foundation (NRF) congratulates Board Member Professor Glenda Gray, who this week travelled to London to be formally admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society, the United Kingdom’s national academy of sciences. Prof Gray was elected to

The National Research Foundation (NRF) congratulates its Board Chairperson, Professor Ari Sitas, for receiving the South African Sociological Association (SASA) Lifetime Award last night. Prof Sitas received the award at the SASA 31st Annual Congress, held at the University of

South Africa’s ability to harness research for sustainable socio-economic development depends heavily on transforming its innovation ecosystem. Speaking at the “Unlocking Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Presidential PhD Programme” session during the Sustainability Research and Innovation (SRI) Africa Regional Conference

More than 300 researchers, government and civil society experts, funders, entrepreneurs and innovators from across Africa will gather in Cape Town from 24 to 26 June 2026 for the Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress Africa Regional Conference (SRI2026). The conference

As South Africa commemorates its 50th Youth Month, the National Research Foundation (NRF) is shining a spotlight on the remarkable achievements of young researchers who are advance knowledge, address societal challenges, and contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive future.

The National Research Foundation (NRF) is proud to announce that Dr Lara Atkinson, a researcher at the South African Environmental Observation Network (NRF-SAEON), was nominated as a global expert to co-author a subchapter of the Third World Ocean Assessment (WOA

As South Africa intensifies its efforts to strengthen energy security, promote sustainability, and reduce carbon emissions, the National Research Foundation (NRF) is playing a critical role in the development of the skills and partnerships essential for a just and inclusive

The Internal Audit function of the National Research Foundation (NRF) joined internal audit leaders and practitioners from across the African continent at the 12th African Federation of Institutes of Internal Auditors (AFIIA) Conference, held at the Cape Town International Convention

This session explores how urgent, evidence-based climate science and enhanced youth agency can drive more inclusive and transformative climate action. It brings together perspectives on climate evidence, youth leadership, and participatory approaches to show how young people are shaping responses

The NRF has played a leading global role in the advancement of responsible research evaluation following the successful launch of two major international tools at the 14th Global Research Council (GRC) Annual Meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand. The GRC Responsible

The BRICS Pilot Flagship Projects call is now open on NRF Connect under the Research Grants category. Submission deadlines are as follows: For enquiries, please contact: Mr. Walter BaloyiProfessional Officer: Multi-lateral Research ProgrammesRIISA: International Grants and PartnershipsTel: +27 (0)12 481

The NRF and the German Research Foundation (DFG) have reaffirmed their long-standing strategic partnership through a series of engagements held on the margins of the 2026 Global Research Council (GRC) Annual Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. The engagements were led by

Nominations for the NRF Awards’ Special Award Categories are now open. The awards celebrate the hard work of individual researchers and benefit the awardees’ institutions by growing their status among their local and international peers. If you know of an

African Science Granting Councils this week engaged in several strategic convenings on the sidelines of the 2026 Global Research Council (GRC) Annual Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. The engagements, held between 17 and 19 May 2026, focused on strengthening the visibility,

Every year during Youth Month, the NRF invites profile submissions to celebrate young researchers who have a current or past affiliation with the NRF; its national research facilities (NRF-SAAO, NRF-iThemba LABS, NRF-SAIAB, NRF-SAEON, and NRF-SARAO); NRF-SAASTA; Centres of Excellence; and

The National Research Foundation (NRF) congratulates Board Member and Research Chair Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, along with Research Chairs Prof Priscilla Baker and Prof Keertan Dheda, on being awarded National Orders by President Cyril Ramaphosa. All three are Research Chairs under

The National Research Foundation (NRF) is participating in the 2026 Global Research Council (GRC) Annual Meeting, taking place in Bangkok, Thailand, from 18 to 22 May 2026. As part of the engagements at the event, Dr Ndivhuwo Luruli, Chief Strategist

The calls below are now open on the NRF Connect system under the Research Grants category: BRICS Multilateral Joint Call Trans-Atlantic Platform (T-AP) Call on Preparing for Tomorrow For enquiries, please contact:Mr. Walter BaloyiProfessional Officer: Multilateral Research ProgrammesRIISA: International Grants

The Global Research Council’s (GRC) Responsible Research Assessment (RRA) Working Group, together with Science Europe and DORA, has published A Practical Guide to Implementing Responsible Research Assessment at Research Funding Organizations. The guide, available here at https://sfdora.org/resource/rfo-practical-guide/, provides practical recommendations

The National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR) are pleased to pre-announce an upcoming joint call for research proposals under the Bilateral Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation. This programme aims to

The National Research Foundation’s (NRF) participation in the Science Europe Session on the Africa–Europe Collaboration Platform at the AERAP 2026 Forum placed a strong emphasis on the advancement of more equitable, Africa-led models of research collaboration between Africa and Europe.

The Norway–South Africa Research Funding Opportunity Conference will take place at the National Research Foundation in Pretoria from 04 to 05 June 2026. It will showcase progress and insights from 10 joint projects funded by the NRF and the Research

The South African Environmental Observation Network (NRF-SAEON) contributed to the preparation and integration of South African flux data into the FLUXNET Shuttle (https://data.fluxnet.org), a powerful tool that gathers flux data from regional eddy covariance networks in North America, South America,

The National Research Foundation (NRF) participated in the 13th Africa–Europe Science Collaboration Forum (AERAP), held from 20–22 April 2026 in Brussels. The Forum took stock of and advanced Africa–Europe science, technology, and innovation partnership programmes and instruments. Bringing together policymakers,

The Science Futures Career Day is designed to expose postgraduate students and early-career researchers to a wide spectrum of career opportunities across the scientific ecosystem, extending beyond traditional academic pathways. While rooted in scientific training, the event adopts an interdisciplinary,