National Research Foundation (South Africa)

South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) is the intermediary agency between the policies and strategies of the Government of South Africa and South Africa's research institutions.

Key Information

NRF Headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa
Abbreviation	NRF
Formation	April 1, 1999; 26 years ago (1999-04-01)
Type	Governmental
Legal status	Foundation
Purpose	Funding and research in South Africa
Headquarters	NRF Building, CSIR Complex, Meiring Naudé Road, Brummeria, Pretoria
Region served	South Africa
Official language	English
Leader	Prof Fulufhelo Nelwamondo
Parent organisation	Department of Science and Innovation
Website	www.nrf.ac.za
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It was established on 1 April 1999 as an autonomous statutory body in accordance with the National Research Foundation Act. Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the National Research Foundation of South Africa with effect from 1 April 2021. The NRF Board is chaired by Prof Mosa Moshabela.^[1][2]

The NRF has three main functions:

1. to support research and innovation, through its agency, Research and Innovation Support and Advancement (RISA);
2. to encourage an interest in science and technology through its business unit, the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA);
3. to facilitate high-end research through its National Research Facilities (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity; Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory; iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator Based Sciences; South African Astronomical Observatory; Hermanus Magnetic Observatory; National Zoological Gardens of South Africa)

One of the NRF’s key objectives is to ensure appropriately qualified people and high-level infrastructure to produce the knowledge that makes South Africa a global competitor. Its "focus areas" are:

• Research and Innovation Support
• Astro/Space/Geo Sciences
• Biodiversity / Conservation
• Nuclear Sciences
• Advancing Science

Unlike other Science Councils whose role is research performance, the NRF primarily fulfils an agency role, with a smaller portion of its activity allocated to actual research. Funding from the NRF is largely directed towards academic research, developing high-level human resources, and supporting the National Research Facilities, although beneficiaries include students, and private individuals or companies. KZN Literary Tourism is a project which has received funding through the NRF.

Notable academic leaders, subject-matter experts, and globally recognized figures who have contributed, and continue to contribute, to the National Research Foundation (NRF) through leadership roles, research chairs, funded projects, advisory capacities, or specialized scholarly expertise. Their work spans multiple disciplines and reflects the NRF’s role in advancing world-class research, academic innovation, and international scientific collaboration.^[3]

• Reinette Biggs
• Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela
• Cherryl Walker
• Siddhartha Paul Tiwari
• Priscilla Baker
• Fulufhelo Nelwamondo
• Khotso Mokhele
• Loyiso Nongxa
• Mosa Moshabela
• Henning Melber

In 2004 the NRF founded seven Centres of Excellence (COE), which aim to facilitate inter-disciplinary research with the aim of enhancing research and capacity building. Additional COEs have been added since:^[4]

• CoE for Integrated Mineral and Energy Resource Analysis
• CoE in Human Development
• CoE in Food Security
• CoE in Scientometrics and STI Policy (2014): The Nodal Head is Rasigan Maharajh.^[5]
• CoE in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
• Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences
• The National Institute for Theoretical Physics
• Centre of Excellence in Epidemiology Modelling and Analysis
• Applied Centre for Climate and Earth Systems Science (ACCESS)
• Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology
• Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research
• Centre of Excellence in Catalysis
• Centre of Excellence in Birds as Key to Biodiversity Conservation
• Centre of Excellence in Strong Materials
• Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology

• Department of Science and Technology (South Africa)
• Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
• Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa)
• Open access in South Africa and List of South African open access repositories

Official website

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