PERKA II Stakeholders Convening – NRF strengthens continental collaboration to support emerging researchers

The Peer Learning for Emerging Researchers’ Knowledge and Advancement (PERKA) II Stakeholders Convening, held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 06-09 October 2025, brought together regional and international partners to co-create a shared vision and actionable strategies for strengthening and sustaining support for early-career researchers (ECRs) across Africa.

Hosted by the University of Pretoria who are the implementing partner and co-funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, underscored the importance of collaborative investment and ownership in Africa’s research ecosystems, and re-affirmed the significance of joint efforts in transforming lives through research and policy engagement.

At the Nairobi convening, the Building a New Generation of Academics in Africa (BANGA-Africa) project and Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) programme case studies were used to determine effective approaches to enhance impact orientation and improve the implementation of early-career researcher development initiatives.

In her welcome remarks, NRF Board Member and NRF Lifetime Achievement honouree, Professor Teboho Moja, called for greater investment in local research; closer collaboration among universities and industry; and transformative career pathways for researchers to strengthen the role and impact of research in Africa’s development. The NRF, represented by Ms Edith Shikumo from the Next Generation and Emerging Researchers unit, and Ms Refilwe Mashigo from Business Advancement, contributed insights and lessons from the implementation of the NRF-led programmes, including various Emerging Researcher funding instruments Thuthuka, Black Academics Advancement Programme etc; the NRF Ratings system that caters to ECRs at the Y and P-rated levels; and the Presidential PhD Programme, currently in implementation—national initiatives that align with PERKA’s goals of advancing research excellence and nurturing the next generation of scholars.

The session also explored practical approaches that can be adopted by government, industry, research funders, universities, and programme implementers to better support emerging researchers, including mechanisms for mentorship, mobility, funding access, and stronger linkages between research and policy impact.

Reflecting on the discussions, Ms Shikumo said “It was evident, given the discussions from the ECRs themselves, that if meaningful support systems are to be viable, they also need to incorporate their voices, perspectives and aspirations”.

The discussions and shared experiences from the convening are expected to inform ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional frameworks and create sustainable pathways for Africa’s emerging researchers to succeed in their careers.