News & Events

By the time you finish reading this paragraph, more than 50 people around the world will have died from hunger-related causes. Yet the world already produces enough food to feed everyone. This paradox drives Stellenbosch University researcher Luther Chipembere, who

The National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa participated in the 2025 Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) All Partners Forum and STISA-2034 Advocacy Meeting, held from 15 to 19 September 2025 in Accra, Ghana. The high-level forum served as a

The Strategic Science Missions (SSM) Unit, led by Mr Jonathan Diederiks within the Thematic Research, Support and Advancement Department at the National Research Foundation (NRF) – under the leadership of Senior Manager Dr Zolani Dyosi – successfully hosted a national

The 18th Southern African Marine Science Symposium (SAMSS 2025), held from 9 – 12 September 2025 in Cape Town, brought together over 400 delegates from across the region and beyond to explore the theme, “The triple planetary crisis – resilience

The Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA), in partnership with the National Research Foundation (NRF) and Nelson Mandela University (NMU), cordially invites you to attend the colloquium, to be hosted at Nelson Mandela University, from the 5th – 6th November 2025.

The National Research Foundation (NRF) is proud to announce that Dr Sepo Hachigonta has been elected Vice Chair of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) Council for a three-year term, beginning 01 September 2025. Dr Hachigonta is the

The National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS), a Centre of Excellence under the National Research Foundation (NRF), marked a significant milestone with the official opening of its headquarters at Stellenbosch University on Wednesday, 10 September 2025. The launch

A collective effort from all departments within the Research, Innovation, Impact Support and Advancement (RIISA)business unit of the National Research Foundation (NRF) contributed to the success of the 13th annual Research Administrators Workshop (RAW) that was held from 26 to

South Africa’s innovation in agricultural water management has been recognised on the global stage, with the national delegation claiming honours across six award categories at the 4th World Irrigation Forum (WIF4). The South African National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage

Role models are crucial to inspire interest and increase participation in STEM fields, particularly for underrepresented groups such as women and students with disabilities. The need to close the gender gap can’t be emphasised enough. The South African Astronomical Observatory’s

On Sunday, 07 September 2025, the NRF-SAAOopened its doors to the public and media for an exclusive lunar eclipse viewing experience. The event offered astronomy enthusiasts and curious visitors a front-row seat to one of Nature’s most spectacular phenomena—a blood

The National Research Foundation (NRF) invites you to attend the Presidential PhD Programme Roadshow on 22 September 2025, to be held at NRF-iThemba LABS in Cape Town. The event aims to raise national awareness and engagement around the broader vision

From 02 – 05 September 2025, the National Research Foundation held its second Next Generation and Emerging Researchers (NGER) Symposium in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal—the maiden event was held in 2024 in Boksburg, Gauteng. This year’s Symposium saw hundreds of next generation

On 25 August 2025, the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa, led by Group Executive: Business Advancement, Dr Thandi Mgwebi, hosted a high-level delegation from China’s International Science and Technology Cooperation Center (ISTCC), led by Deputy Director-General Mr DENG

The NRF participated in the high-level Japan-Africa University Exchange Meeting, held alongside the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Tokyo, Japan, on 19 August 2025. The event was hosted by the Japan Science and Technology Agency

The Science Granting Councils Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI) opened its latest Peer Learning Visit in Pretoria on Tuesday with a powerful call for funding agencies to transform the way they support research and innovation across the continent. The four-day

Since 2014, the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) has partnered with the Sasol Foundation to increase PhD graduation rates in South Africa; to increase the pool of Black science researchers among previously disadvantaged groups; and to build research capacity

The National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa participated in the Second Kenya National Research Festival, held from 18–22 August 2025 at Egerton University in Nakuru, Kenya. Under the theme Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security: Empowering communities through research, science,

Bid Number: NRF ILABS WI53/05/2025-26 Bid Description: SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF AN ELECTRONIC QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EQMS) FOR THE NUCLEAR MEDICINE DEPARTMENT, ITHEMBA LABS, CAPE TOWN. Closing Date & Time: 05 September 2025, 11:00AM Bid Box Address: Tender Box, Main

Even after three decades of democracy, South Africa continues to battle with the underrepresentation of women in academic leadership positions which perpetuates existing disparities and impedes progress towards gender equality within academia. To address this gap and foster a more

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE), in collaboration with the South African Environmental Observation Network (NRF-SAEON) and the South African Weather Service (SAWS), organised a series of climate change scenario consultation workshops from 11-13 August 2025. These

The Institute for Collider Particle Physics (ICPP) headquartered at the University of the Witwatersrand, led by Director Prof. Bruce Mellado, has been named one of the global recipients of the prestigious ODESS 2025 Prize from the Pierre Fabre Foundation in France. This highly selective competition received

We are delighted to launch the 2nd Conference on Equitable Partnerships, hosted by South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF), the Royal Society, and the British Academy on 3-5 February 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/international/equitable-partnership-in-international-collaboration/second-conference-on-equitable-partnerships-2026/ Location: CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria

The Property Practitioner Regulatory Authority (PPRA), in collaboration with Nelson Mandela University (NMU) and the National Research Foundation (NRF), invites you to submit your abstract for the 2025 Property Sector Research Colloquium, themed A Sustainable and Inclusive Property Market. This

From 06–09 August 2025, the National Research Foundation (NRF) Corporate team participated in the National Science Week (NSW) activities in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The event was hosted at the Anton Lembede Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy by the South African Agency

On receiving her award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2025 National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards, Professor Jill Farrant, from the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Cape Town, described her accolade as the biggest honour she

Johannesburg, South Africa – In celebration of Women’s Month 2025, the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Therapeutic Sciences (STHS) proudly launches Trailblazers: Beyond Therapeutics – Celebrating Women in Science at STHS, a commemorative eBooklet profiling the National Research Foundation

On receiving her award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2025 National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards, Professor Jill Farrant, from the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Cape Town, described her accolade as the biggest honour she

The 2025 National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards honoured South Africa’s top researchers and scientists at a prestigious ceremony held on 07 August 2025 at the NH Johannesburg Sandton Hotel (formerly Hilton Sandton Hotel) in Gauteng. This year’s event was held

The 2025 National Science Week (NSW), the largest annual science engagement event in South Africa, successfully kicked off at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) over the weekend with the announcement by Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande,

Nestled within the serene stillness of the Meerkat National Park, the Jas Kloof camp recently hosted an extraordinary astro-tourism training programme, where the vast skies of the Karoo met the bright minds of aspiring astronomy guides. Organised as a collaboration

The National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards will take place on 07 August 2025 at the NH Johannesburg Sandton Hotel (formerly Hilton Sandton Hotel), in Gauteng. Members of the media are invited to cover this prestigious awards ceremony held annually to

The NRF continues to position itself as a thought leader and a learning organisation through participation in global events and platforms. From 14 to 23 July 2025, the NRF participated in the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) International Conference 2025,

On 21 July 2025, the National Research Foundation (NRF) and Mintek convened a high-level brainstorming session for their recently signed strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed to foster innovation, scientific excellence, and sustainable progress in South Africa’s mining industry. The

On 21 July 2025, in Jakarta, Indonesia, the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa convened with officials from the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) to explore opportunities for mutual Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) collaboration between Sub-Saharan

The National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa participated in the 3rd Malaysia–South Africa Joint Committee Meeting on Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI), held on 18 July 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The meeting was co-hosted by the Malaysian Ministry

The National Research Foundation (NRF), in partnership with the University of Johannesburg (UJ), will host the Global Network for the Economics of Learning, Innovation, and Competence Building Systems (Globelics) International Conference 2025. Aimed at global scholars, policymakers, and innovation practitioners,

Kuala Lumpur — The International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre for South-South Cooperation under the auspices of UNESCO (ISTIC) and South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen collaboration in science, technology

On Wednesday, 25 June 2025, the National Research Foundation (NRF) hosted a delegation from the University of Venda (Univen) and Southeast University of China at the NRF’s Pretoria Campus. The visit was anchored around discussions on strategic collaboration on Doctoral

As part of ongoing efforts to bring science and research closer to communities, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) launched the Remote Operations Centre and the Visitors Centre at the South African Astronomical Observatory (NRF-SAAO), a facility of

South Africa’s flagship G20 ocean engagement platform, Ocean20 (O20), officially presented its recommendations on 26 June during the 3rd G20 Sherpa Meeting, held at Sun City under South Africa’s G20 Presidency. The Ocean20 recommendations briefing note outlined a set of

On Monday, 23 June, the astronomy community gathered around the world and at the Iziko Planetarium in Cape Town and the Wits Anglo-American Digital Dome to celebrate the unveiling of the Vera C Rubin Observatory’s first light images. The Vera

NRF-iThemba LABS is proud to host three material scientists affiliated with the University of Botswana (UB) and the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) from 17–30 June. Their immersive training visit aims to deepen their understanding of how

PRETORIA, June 25, 2025 – The National Research Foundation (NRF) and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) have announced a new partnership agreement that will establish the NRF-SAQA Scholarship Programme. This partnership aims to provide essential educational opportunities to refugees