NRF and DFG Strengthen Strategic Partnership as Preparations Begin for GRC 2027 in Cape Town

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 Dr Angus Paterson, NRF Acting Chief Executive Officer, and Prof Katja Becker, DFG President, with officials from both organisations participating in the meetings and related activities. Together, the NRF and DFG held a bilateral meeting; signed the SGCI-3 Partnership Implementation Agreement; hosted a dinner with collaborating sister agencies participating in the Science Granting Councils Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI); and formally began the next cycle of work towards the 2027 GRC Annual Meeting, which will be co-hosted by the NRF and DFG in Cape Town, South Africa.

Since 1999, the NRF-DFG relationship has grown into a wider institutional partnership that connects bilateral research cooperation, continental engagement through the SGCI, and joint work within the GRC. For the NRF, this relationship reflects the value of sustained international science engagement that is practical, trusted and linked to South Africa’s broader role to strengthen African research systems and contribute to global research funding discussions.

At the bilateral meeting, held on 18 May 2026, Dr Paterson and Prof Becker led their respective delegations in reflecting on the partnership and confirming the shared approach to GRC 2027 planning. The meeting also provided the setting for the signing of the DFG-NRF SGCI-3 Partnership Implementation Agreement for the period 2026 to 2030.

Reflecting on the broader significance of the NRF-DFG partnership, both institutional heads emphasised the importance of sustained cooperation; trust and shared responsibility in strengthening research systems; and support for more equitable global research partnerships.

Said Dr Paterson, “Partnerships of this nature matter because they create the conditions for research systems to learn from one another, build trust over time, and work together on questions that no single country or institution can address alone. As we move into SGCI-3 and towards GRC 2027, our focus is on ensuring that this cooperation continues to support strong public research funding institutions, meaningful collaboration with African councils, and a global conversation that recognises the value of long-term knowledge generation.”

Added Prof Becker, “The DFG values its partnership with the NRF as a relationship built on trust, shared responsibility and a commitment to strengthening research cooperation across regions. Through SGCI-3 and our joint preparations for GRC 2027, we have an important opportunity to support African science granting councils, deepen international collaboration and contribute to a global conversation on the value of curiosity-driven research.”

The SGCI-3 agreement formalises a renewed five-year commitment between the DFG and NRF to support the next phase of the SGCI. The agreement builds on previous collaboration and aims to strengthen research capacity development; promote collaborative research projects linking SGCI countries’ research communities with South African and German research communities; and enhance scientific engagement across Sub-Saharan Africa.

At the SGCI dinner hosted by the NRF and DFG on 18 May 2026, SGCI collaborating science granting councils gathered to recognise the partnership among councils. The dinner also provided an opportunity to announce the signed agreement to continue the DFG-NRF partnership into SGCI-3.

The 2026 GRC Annual Meeting also marked the formal start of the next cycle of work towards the 2027 event which the NRF and DFG will co-host in Cape Town in 2027, with the central theme of Curiosity-driven Research.

The theme responds to growing pressure on research systems to demonstrate short-term societal and economic impact, while reaffirming the value of intellectual risk-taking, discovery, and long-term knowledge generation. It also provides an opportunity for public research funders to consider how curiosity-driven research is understood across different research systems; how it can be supported and sustained; and how its value can be protected and communicated in policy environments that often prioritise immediate returns.

The 2027 meeting is being prepared through a joint NRF-DFG Task Group and a Scientific Advisory Committee. The process draws on consultations within the GRC community, including a side event presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting on Global Perspectives on Fostering Curiosity-Driven Research, co-hosted by the NRF, DFG and the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF).

Taken together, the NRF and DFG engagements in Bangkok show how the partnership brings together bilateral cooperation, continental engagement, and global research funding dialogue. For the NRF, this is an important expression of its science diplomacy approach, using platforms such as the GRC and SGCI to build relationships, support African participation, and contribute to more equitable international research partnerships as the two organisations move towards Cape Town 2027.

The Global Research Council is a global forum of heads of public research funding organisations. It provides a platform for research councils to discuss shared research and science policy issues, exchange approaches, and develop statements of principles on matters affecting research governance. The 2026 GRC Annual Meeting is co-hosted by Thailand Science Research and Innovation and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada in Bangkok, Thailand, from 18 to 22 May 2026.