Presidential PhD Programme a Step Closer to Implementation

The National Research Foundation (NRF) has taken a major step forward in the implementation of the Presidential PhD Programme with the launch of an Expression of Interest (EoI) call to the country’s universities and other research entities interested in hosting the programme’s hubs.

Presidential PhD Programme is a partnership involving the NRF; the Presidency; the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI); the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET); and the National Skills Fund (NSF) and is based on a hub-and-spoke model to ensure effective communication and resource sharing with all participating institutions and partners. Its purpose is fourfold—to develop worldclass human capital in strategic areas; strengthen linkages among academia, industry, Government, and other stakeholders; improve graduate employability through exposure to transferable skills and innovation ecosystems; and to facilitate access to leading research environments globally to enhance knowledge transfer and local capacity building.

The hubs will primarily be responsible for the design and implementation of collaborative PhD training programmes and activities. The key founding principles of the hubs are synergy, inclusivity, multi-disciplinarity, economies of scale, sharing of resources, pursuing the principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

The hubs will not only provide intellectual leadership but also serve as coordinators and training centres to ensure uptake of the opportunities within the Presidential PhD Programme’s initiatives, in collaboration with various stakeholders, including local and international research performing institutions, universities, industry, science councils, and Government departments.

Additionally, the hubs will be responsible for the identification of strategic stakeholders and potential partners while assessing their needs and contributions; lead in the design and implementation of mentorship networks (academic, Government and industry); track mechanisms of the Doctoral students’ progression towards completion; and coordinate the nodes with brokering support from the NRF.

“We have taken a giant leap towards realising the ambitious goals of the Presidential PhD Programme,” says NRF CEO, Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo. “The hubs will be instrumental in our national drive to develop a new generation of highly skilled researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.”

The EoI call follows the Presidential Plenary on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) held in December 2023, where President Cyril Ramaphosa called for the establishment of the Presidential PhD Programme through an initial R1 billion investment, aimed at supporting PhD training both locally and abroad, linked to large-scale and established research programmes, in both the public research facilities and industry.

The programme is grounded in the goals of the National Development Plan (NDP) and the STI Decadal Plan, which call for the graduation of 5 000 PhDs per annum and having 75% of the universities’ academic and research staff qualified with PhDs by 2030.

The training programme will build critical skills aimed at social transformation with the initial areas of focus being Digital Innovation, Advanced Biotechnology, the Energy-Food-Health Sustainability Nexus and Mining Transformation.

The NRF will coordinate and mobilise support to attain the outcomes envisaged for graduate skilling in entrepreneurship, innovation, academia, policy and advocacy.

Institutions eligible to host lead hubs are NRF-recognised research institutions such as South African public universities and public research entities such as science councils, National Research Facilities and institutes. These institutions must have strong research capabilities in a specific theme aligned with the Presidential PhD Programme and also boast a proven track record in trans/interdisciplinary coordination. Institutions located on the continent and the globe can participate in the hubs programme as nodes or as partners.