annual performance plan 2015/16 - 2017/18 app 2015_final_20... · annual performance plan 2015/16 -...

Annual Performance Plan 2015/16 - 2017/18

There is no greater feeling... in business than building a product which impacts people’s lives in a profound way. When we look around at the thousands of people who have attended Summit gatherings, it makes us smile to see the new friendships, business partnerships and philanthropic initiatives that each event produces.Elliott Bisnow

It is hereby certified that this Annual Performance Plan:• Was developed by the management of the National Research Foundation (NRF)

under the guidance of the NRF Board;

• Takes into account all the relevant policies, legislation and other mandates for which the NRF is responsible; and

• Accurately reflects the strategic outcome oriented goals and objectives which the NRF will endeavour to achieve over the period 2015-2018 (with a particular focus on 2015-2016) covered by the plan.

-----------------------------------------------Mr Bishen SinghChief Financial Officer

-----------------------------------------------Dr Beverley DamonseActing Chief Executive Office

----------------------------------------------- Prof Loyiso NongxaNRF Board Chairman(Accounting Authority of the NRF)

----------------------------------------------- The Honourable Mrs Naledi Pandor Minister of Science and Technology (Executive Authority of the NRF)

2 NRF Annual Performance Plan 2015-20182

PART A • 1 CHAIRMAN`S STATEMENT

Chairperson’s Statement

Prof Loyiso Nongxa - NRF Board Chairman

Introduction

It is my pleasure to present the Annual Performance Plan of the National Research Foundation for the period 2015 – 2018 incorporating the new NRF Strategy 2020.

New Journey

The NRF stands on the threshold of a new era as we introduce a new Board and a new 5 year strategic plan. The strategy builds on the successes of the NRF Vision 2015 strategy and aligns to the legislative mandate of the organisation; the National Development Plan 2030; and, its implementation

through the 14 National Priorities set out in the MTSF (2014 – 2019).

Financial Status

Through the DST the NRF will receive an estimated R 2,789bn in the 2015/16 financial year. The Performance Plan outlines the strategic application of these funds towards the delivery of the NRF mandate and strategic objectives.

In implementing its new strategy, the NRF will focus its efforts on increasing the human capacity investment while driving transformation both

through the application of stringent allocation criteria as well as through focussed interventions at institutional level to improve the quality of applications received.

Strategic Relationships

The relationships with the following key stakeholders will be carefully fostered:• The Ministry of Science and Technology and

the officials of the Department• The Department of Higher Education and

Training• The Higher Education Institutions

NRF Annual Performance Plan 2015-2018 3

• Science councils• Private sector• Global Funding Agencies.

Mitigation of Risk

In keeping with the practices of the previous Board the NRF Board will continue to employ an adopted risk based management approach to the prioritisation of interventions in order to effectively address organisational challenges.

The most significant concerns for the future include:• The stagnant core baseline funding of the

organisation;• Securing SKA funding to cost-to-completion

and phasing in of operations;• Increasing focus and investments in

transformation; and• Ensuring the implementation of cost

containment measures.

The Years Ahead

The year ahead will hold a number of changes:• The new Board has been appointed; • The current CEO has resigned effective

31 January 2015. The recruitment process for his replacement has commenced; and

• The new Strategic plan will take effect.

Acknowledgements / Appreciation

I would like to sincerely thank the Minister, The

Honourable Naledi Pandor for her unwavering leadership, support and willingness to openly engage with the NRF Board and Executive Committee. I would also like to acknowledge the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology for their regular and constructive engagements with the NRF.

On behalf of the previous Board and the new Board I would like to thank the outgoing CEO Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, for his exceptional service to the organisation and his dedicated leadership. The Corporate Executive Committee is thanked for their outstanding management of the organisation and for their meaningful and pro-active engagement with the Board.

I would also like to thank my fellow Board members for their conscientious attention to Board matters and for bringing their diverse expertise to bear on the challenges confronting the organisation.

Conclusion

The NRF Board is pleased to report that the NRF has duly planned their application of the funding expected over the next few years and developed a strategy to drive the NRF core value proposition of positively influencing the lives of South Africans through investment in the knowledge economy. Over the next few years the NRF aims to: • Address transformation across the system

as a priority;• Set in motion steady growth in the grant

funding made available to the research community;

• Stabilise the critical infrastructure requirements at National Research Facilities and inject significant strategic infrastructure upgrades into those environments;

• Strengthen the recently established Astronomy sub-Agency,

• Manage the construction of MeerKAT; and• Continue to entrench good governance as a

strategic asset of the NRF.


PART A • 1 CHAIRMAN`S STATEMENT

Isandulelo Sikasihlalo

le mali ekufezeni lokho i-NRF egunyazelwe khona nezinhloso zamasu ayo.

I-NRF izogxila emizamweni yayo yokuthuthukisa amakhono abantu nokufuqa izinguquko ngokusebenzisa imigomo eqinile yokwaba nangokungenelela ezingeni lesikhungo ngenhloso yokwenza ngcono izicelo ezamukelwe.

Ubudlelwano ngokwamasu

Kuzogqugquzelwa ngokucophelela ubudlelwano nalaba babambiqhaza abalandelayo:• UMnyango kaNgqongqoshe Wezesayensi

Nobuchwepheshe nezikhulu zoMnyango• UMnyango Wezemfundo Ephakeme

Nokuqeqeshwa• IZikhungo Zezemfundo Ephakeme• Imikhandlu yezesayensi• Umkhakha ozimele• Izinkampani zamazwe omhlaba ezixhasa

ngezimali.

Ukunciphisa amathuba okulahlekelwa

Ukuhambisana nokwakwenziwa yiBhodi eseliphelelwe yisikhathi salo, iBhodi elisha le-NRF lizoqhubeka nokusebenzisa indlela yalo yokulawula egxile ekulawuleni amathuba okulahlekelwa, lihlele ukungenelela kwalo ngenhloso yokubhekana

ngempumelelo nezinselelo zesikhungo.

Okumele kunakwe kakhulu esikhathini esizayo kungaba yilokhu okulandelayo:• Ukusimamisa imali okuxhaswa ngayo

lesi sikhungo ngokuhlelela izidingo kwangaphakathi ngokubaluleka kwazo

• Ukugcina ukusiza i-SKA ngemali kusesimeni esisimeme

• Ukwenyusa izinga lokugxila ezinguqukweni nasekuxhaseni ngemali

• Ukuqinisekisa ukusetshenziswa kwezindlela zokulawula izindleko.

Eminyakeni ezayo

Unyaka ozayo uzoba nezinguquko eziningi:• IBhodi elisha seliqokiwe • Isikhulu esiphezulu esikhona manje sesulile

kanti sizosishiya lesi sikhungo ngomhla zingama-31 kuMasingana 2015. Inqubo yokuthungatha ozongena esikhundleni saso isiqalile.

• Uhlelo olusha lwamasu esikhungo luzoqala ukusebenza.

Ukubonga

Ngibonga ngiyanconcoza kuNgqongqoshe, uMhlonishwa uNkk Naledi Pandor ngobuholi bakhe

Isingeniso

Kuyintokozo kimi ukunethulela uhlelo lonyaka lokusebenza kwesikhungo sikazwelonke sezocwaningo i-National Research Foundation (i-NRF) lonyaka wezi-2015 kuya kowezi–2018, olunamasu amasha alesi sikhungo abizwa ngokuthi i-NRF Strategy 2020.

Uhambo olusha

Isikhungo i-NRF sisesikhathini esisha njengoba sethula iBhodi elisha nohlelo olusha lweminyaka emihlanu lwamasu okufeza izinhloso zaso. La masu asuselwa empumelelweni yamasu onyaka wezi-2015 abizwa ngokuthi yi-NRF Vision 2015 strategy, okungamasu ahambisana negunya lalesi sikhungo elisemthethweni; nohlelo lukazwelonke lwezentuthuko olubizwa ngokuthi yi-National Development Plan 2030; nangokusetshenziswa kwawo ngokwamaphuzu ayi-14 aseqhulwini njengokuhlelwa kwawo ohlakeni lwamasu esikhathi esimaphakathi abizwa ngokuthi i-MTSF (2014 – 2019).

Isimo ngokwezimali

Isikhungo i-NRF sizokwamukela, ngokoMnyango Wezesayensi Nobuchwepheshe, imali elinganiselwa ku- xxxxbn ngonyaka wezimali. Lolu hlelo lokusebenza kwe-NRF lubeka amasu okusebenzisa


obuqotho nokuseseka kwakhe nokuvuma kwakhe ukuzibandakanya neBhodi le-NRF nekomidi leziphathimandla. Ngithanda nokubonga ikomidi lezesayensi nobuchwepheshe ngokuzibandakanya ne-NRF ngendlela eyakhaya.

Egameni lekomidi leBhodi elisha neseliphelelwe yisikhathi salo ngithanda ukubonga isikhulu esiphezulu esiphumayo uDkt Albert van Jaarsveld, ngomsebenzi wakhe omuhle kakhulu esikhungweni nangokusihola ngokuzinikela okukhulu. Ikomidi leziphathimandla liyanconywa ngokuphatha kwalo lesi sikhungo ngobukhulu ubungcweti nangokuzibandakanya kwalo neBhodi, likwenza kusenesikhathi nangokuqonda.

Ngibonga ozakwethu eBhodini ngokunaka kwabo izindaba zeBhodi ngokuzinikela nangokusebenzisa ubungoti babo obehlukene ekubhekaneni nezinselelo zesikhungo.

Elokuphetha

Bhodi le-NRF liyathokoza ukubika ukuthi i-NRF isikuhlelele ukusebenzisa imali eyilindele eminyakeni embalwa ezayo, kanti isinawo namasu okuqhuba isiphakamiso esibalulekile sesikhungo i-NRF sokuba nethonya empilweni yezakhamizi zakuleli ngokufaka imali emnothweni wolwazi. Nazi izinhloso ze-NRF ezihlelele iminyaka embalwa ezayo:

• Ukuqala ukukhulisa okungenazihibe imali enikezwa abacwaningi;

• Ukusimamisa izidingo ezisemqoka zengqalasizinda ezindaweni zezocwaningo kuzwelonke nokuthuthukisa ingqalasizinda esemqoka kulezo zindawo;

• Ukuqinisa inkampani esanda kusungulwa yezesayensi yezinkanyezi,

• Ukulawula ukwakhiwa kwe-MeerKAT; • Nokuqhubeka nokuqinisa ukuphatha

okuhle, i-NRF ekubona njengesu layo emsebenzini wayo.


peeletšo ka go bokgoni bja batho le go tšwetša

pele phetogo ka go diriša bobedi dinyakwa tša

kabo tše di beetšwego mellwane gammogo le

go ditsenogare tše di nepišitšego maemong a

dihlongwa go kaonafatša boleng bja dikgopelo tše

di amogelwago.

Dikamano tša Togamaano

Dikamano le bakgathatema ba ba latelago ba

bohlokwa di tla tšwetšwa pele ka tlhokomelo:

• Kantoro ya Tona ya Kgoro ya Mahlale le

Theknolotši le bahlankedi ba Kgoro

• Kgoro ya Thuto le Tlhahlo tša Godingwana

• Dihlongwa tša Thuto ya Godingwana

• Makgotla a tša Mahlale

• Lefapha la phraebete

• Ditheo tša Lefaseng tša Thušo ya Mašeleng.

Phokotšo ya Kotsi

Ka go latela ditiro tša Boto ye e fetilego, Boto ya

NRF e tla tšwela pele go šomiša mokgwa wa taolo

ya dikotsi wo o tšerwego go Boto ye e fetilego go

dira gore ditsenogare di tle pele ka nepo ya go rarolla

mathata a mokgatlo gabotse.

Ditlhobaboroko tše bohlokwa kudu tša ka moso di

akaretša:

• Go bea sekeng thušo ya ditšhelete ya motheo

ya mokgatlo ka go beakanya leswa dilo tše di tlago pele ka gare ga mokgatlo

• Go bea thušo ya ditšhelete ya Lenaneo la Theleskoupu ya Kakaretšo ya Sekwerekhilometara (SKA) maemong a go ya go ile

• Go oketša nepišo le dipeeletšo ka phetošetšong

• Go netefatša gore go ba le phethagatšo ya magato a phokotšo ya ditshenyegelo.

Mengwaga ye e Tlago

Ngwaga wo o tlago o tla ba le diphetošo tše mmalwa:• Boto ye mpsha e thwetšwe • Mohlankedimogolophethiši wa bjale o lebogile

modiro gomme o tla tloga ka mokgatlong go thoma ka la 31 Janeware 2015. Tshepedišo ya go thwala yo a tlago tšea legato la gagwe e thomile.

• Leano le leswa la togamaano le tla thoma go šoma.

Ditebogo / Malebo

Ke rata go leboga kudu Tona, Mohlomphegi Mdi Naledi Pandor ka boetapele bja gagwe bja go se fele maatla, thekgo le go nyaka go rerišana pepeneneng le Boto ya NRF le Komitiphethiši. Ke rata gape go leboga Komiti ya Palamente ya Kgoro ya Mahlale le

Ketapele Ka Modulasetulo

Matseno

Ke ka lethabo go nna go hlagiša Leanotšhomo la Ngwaga ka Ngwaga la Setheo sa Dinyakišišo sa Bosetšhaba (NRF) la lebaka la nako ya mengwaga ya 2015 – 2018 leo le akaretšago Togamaano ye mpsha ya NRF ya 2020.

Leeto le Leswa

NRF e mollwaneng wa nako e mpsha ka ge re tsebagatša Boto ye mpsha le leano le leswa la togamaano la mengwaga ye 5. Togamaano ye e aga go dikatlego tša Nepo ya NRF ya 2015 gomme e sepelelana le thomelo ya melao ya mokgatlo wo; Leanotlhabollo la Bosetšhaba la 2030; le, phethagatšo ya lona ka go šomiša Dilo tše 14 tše di Tlago pele tša Bosetšhaba tše di hlagišitšwego ka go Tlhako ya Togamaano ya Lebaka la Magareng (MTSF) (2014 – 2019).

Maemo a Ditšhelete

Ka go šoma le Kgoro ya Mahlale le Theknolotši (DST) NRF e tla hwetša tšhelete ye e akantšwego ya diranta tše dipilione tše xxxx ka ngwaga. Leanotšhomo le le akaretša phethagatšo ya togamaano ya ditšhelete tše ka nepo ya go phethagatša thomelo ya NRF le maikemišetšo a togamaano.

NRF e tla lebiša maitapišo a yona go go oketša


e abelwago setšhaba sa dinyakišišo;

• Go bea sekeng dinyakwa tše bohlokwa

tša mananeokgoparara ka Makaleng a

Dinyakišišo tša Bosetšhaba le go hloma

dikaonafatšo tše bohlokwa tša togamaano ya

mananeokgoparara ka ditikologong tšeo;

• Go maatlafatša Setheo sa ka fasana sa

Dithutamahlale tša Lefaufau seo se sa

tšwago go hlongwa,

• Go laola go agwa ga MeerKAT; le

• Go tšwela pele go maatlafatša pušo

e kaone bjalo ka selo se bohlokwa sa

togamaano sa NRF.

Theknolotši ka go rerišana le NRF kgafetšakgafetša le ka mokgwa wa go agiša.

Legatong la Boto ye e fetilego le Boto ye Mpsha ke rata go leboga Mohlankedimogolophethiši yo a rolago modiro Ngaka Albert van Jaarsveld, ka ga mošomo wa gagwe wo mokaonekaone go mokgatlo wo le boetapele bja gagwe bja boikgafo. Komitiphethiši ya Khamphani e a lebogwa ka ga taolo ya yona ye e kgahlišago kudu go mokgatlo ka ge e be e rerišana ga bohlokwa le ka boithomelo le Boto.

Ke rata go leboga bašomi ka nna ba maloko a Boto ge ba bile le šedi e kgolo mererong ya Boto le ge ba tlišitše tsebo ya bona ye e farologanego go leka go rarolla mathata ao mokgatlo o lebanego le ona.

Mafetšo

Boto ye mpsha ya NRF e thabile go bega gore NRF e beakantše go dira kgopelo ya yona ya thušo ya ditšhelete ye e emetšwego mo mengwageng ye e latelago ye mmalwa ebile e hlomile leano la go tšwetša pele ditšhišinyo tše bohlokwa tša motheo tša NRF tša go huetša maphelo a MaAfrika Borwa ka mokgwa o mokaone ka go beeletša ka ekonoming ya tsebo. Mo mengwageng ye e latelago ye mmalwa NRF e ikemišeditše go: • Go thomiša ka kgolo ye e diregago

gannyanegannyane ka thušong ya ditšhelete ye


1 CHAIRPERSON`S STATEMENT 2

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 8

PART A: STRATEGIC OVERVIEW 10

3 SITUATION ANALYSIS 12

3.1 Contributors to the NRF mandate 12

3.2 NRF Vision 13

3.3 NRF Mission 13

3.4 NRF Values 13

3.5 Strategic outcomes 14

3.6 Strategic objectives 14

3.7 Strategy Implementation 16

4 LEGISLATIVE AND OTHER MANDATES 18

4.1 Service Delivery Environment 21

4.2 Prominent Partners in the Delivery Environment 22

4.3 Policies Impacting the Delivery Environment 22

4.4 Risks in the Delivery Environment 30

4.5 Organisational Environment 30

5 FINANCIAL OVERVIEW:

(BUDGET 2015/16 AND MTEF ESTIMATES) 33

5.1 Budget and sources of income 33

5.2 Three-year projection of the NRF 2015/16–2017/18

MTEF allocation 34

5.3 NRF investment principles 34

5.4 Savings and efficiency measures 35

5.5 Detailed budgets 35

5.6 Abridged projected financial statements

(2015/16–2017/18) 38

5.7 NRF long-term infrastructure plan 39

PART B: PROGRAMME PLANS 40

6 PROGRAMME 1 44

6.1 Situation Analysis 44

6.2 Contributions to strategic objectives 46

7 PROGRAMME 2 62


7.2 Contributions to strategic objectives 62

Content


8 PROGRAMME 3 - RISA 74


8.2. Sources of Funding 78

8.3 Contributions to Strategic Objectives 78

8.4 Special projects 110

9 NATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITIES 111

10 PROGRAMME 4: NATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITIES:

NUCLEAR, BIODIVERSITY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND

CONSERVATION SCIENCES 114


10.2 Contribution to Strategic Objectives 115

11 PROGRAMME 05: National Research

Facilities: Astro Geosciences 126


11.2 Contribution to Strategic Objectives 127

CONTENT

12 PART C: KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 137

12.1. NRF performance indicators 137

12.1.1.NRF performance indicators according to

strategic goals 137

13 NRF SUPPORTING POLICY FRAMEWORK 142

13.1. The NRF Supporting Policy Framework 142

13.2. Applicable sustainability best practice codes

and standards 143

14 CONTACTS 144

14.1 Corporate Executive Committee 144

14.2 Corporate Services 144

14.3 RISA 144

14.4 National Research Facilities 145

15 LIST OF ACRONYMS 146


PART A • STRATEGIC OVERVIEW

Figure 1: NRF Vision 2015

System Goals Strategic Goals

Part A: Strategic Overview

The NRF is mandated to fulfil a dual role within the National System of Innovation (NSI). Primarily, the organisation fulfils an agency role by interpreting and implementing national policy and by supporting

Vibrant national science system

Leading edge research,

technology and innovation

platforms

World-class science bench-

marking and grant systems

Representative research and

technical workforce

in SA

Internationally competitive

science, technology

and innovation system

A prosperous and sustainable

African landscape

platforms through the sustainable support of the National Research Facilities. As research and innovation performers, the National Research Facilities of the NRF contribute to the national research priorities, scarce skills development, and creation of global partnerships.

The development of the new strategy, NRF Strategy 2020 has presented the opportunity for the NRF to review its past performance and explore a realignment of goals and objectives in support of the national priorities as set out in the National Development Plan 2030 and Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) 2014 to 2019. The Vision 2015 strategy, which was implemented from April 2009 to March 2015, had the following goals as set out in Figure 1.

The NRF is an independent statutory body established through the National Research Foundation Act (Act No. 23 of 1998). As a government mandated research and science development agency the NRF funds research, the development of high-end Human Capacity and critical research infrastructure to promote knowledge production across all disciplinary fields. The goal of the NRF is to create innovative funding instruments, advance research career development, increase public science engagement and to establish leading-edge research platforms that will transform the scientific landscape and inspire a representative research community to aspire to global competitiveness. The NRF promotes South African research interests across the country and internationally, and together with research institutions, business, industry and international partners we build bridges between research communities for mutual benefit.

research through its grant making, infrastructure provisioning and science engagement activities.

In addition, the NRF provides innovative science



305Research outputs:

Peer-reviewed articles from the National facilities

VISIO

N 2

015 TARGET

250

Organisational performance against the Vision 2015 key performance indicators was exceptional in certain areas with the majority of the targets being achieved prior to 2015 as set out in Figure 2. However, the organisation takes cognisance of the challenge that still remains around meeting the transformation targets.

In the new NRF Strategy 2020, the organisation places renewed emphasis on the agency function of the NRF and its role as a policy implementer within the National System of Innovation (NSI). Playing a critical integration role across the public entities within the Science and Technology sector, the NRF as the granting agency of government has the ability to catalyse focussed societally beneficial research and development in support of knowledge generation, human capacity development, and innovation.

The NRF Strategy 2020 is based on four core tenets:• Transformation;• Excellence;• Service Culture; and • Sustainability.

These tenets are interwoven into the implementation plan of each strategic objective and performance will be tracked over the period to ensure success.

2 959Rated Researchers

VISIO

N 2

015 TARGET

2 500

30%Proportion of Female rated Researchers

VISIO

N 2

015 TARGET

35%

2 268Doctoral students

supported

VISIO

N 2

015 TARGET

2 000

24%Proportion of Black rated Researchers

VISIO

N 2

015 TARGET

25%

99,8%Completion rate of

applications for NRF rating

VISIO

N 2

015 TARGET95%

Figure 2: Performance against Vision 2015 targets


3 Situation Analysis

The NRF receives its mandate from the National Research Foundation Act, No 23 of 1998. According to Section 3 of the Act, the objective of the NRF is to:

3.1 Contributors to the NRF mandate

Over the last 20 years, South Africa’s democracy has been forged on the principles of a non-racial, non-sexist, united, and prosperous nation where societal norms are based on fundamental human rights, equality, and unity in diversity. The fifth democratic government is mandated to deepen transformation and implement the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030. As an agency of government, the NRF mandate aligns with the Constitutional commitment to “improve the quality of life of all citizens and free

Figure 3: Summary of strategic initiatives that impact the NRF mandate

NATIONAL STRATEGIES

THEMATIC DEPARTMENTAL STRATEGIES

The R&D Strategy

The Ten Year Innovation

Plan

National Development

Plan 2030

Medium Term Strategic

Framework 2014 to 2019

the potential of each person”. The NRF executes its mandate in the context of the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) which is Government’s strategic plan for the period 2014 to 2019.

In this first year of a 5 year implementation of the new ‘NRF Strategy 2020’, the NRF builds on the fundamental principle of contributing to a better life for all the citizens of the Republic of South Africa.

The Sou

th A

fric

an Strategy for Paleo

sciences

Ind

igen

ou

s Knowledge System

s

Nat

iona

l Space Strategy

Nanosc

ienc

e an

d nanotechnology Strategy

The

Bio Economy Strateg

y

“…promote and support research through funding, human resource development and the provision of the necessary facilities in order to facilitate the creation of knowledge, innovation and development in all fields of science and technology including indigenous knowledge, and thereby contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of all the people of the Republic.”



The NRF strategy efficiently leverages off all resources at the organisations disposal to ensure research support and excellence within a transformed knowledge economy underpinned by a sustainable environment for the benefit of both the present and future generations of South Africans.

3.2 NRF Vision

In its role as a policy implementation agency, the NRF creates pertinent linkages and galvanises elements of the National Systems of Innovation to respond to the national priorities and international agendas in the interest of benefitting society and ensuring a better life for all the people of the republic. The NRF vision statement is as follows:

3.3 NRF Mission

The population of South Africa accounts for less than 1% of the global population at around 0.85%. Our contribution to the global R&D spend is in the region of 0.1% with the South Africa contributing 0.61% to global ISI publications. As a policy implementer and funding agency, the NRF is uniquely positioned to influence publicly funded research across the sectors and hence drive the

growth of the knowledge economy. With this in mind, the organisational mission is as follows:

3.4 NRF Values

To support the achievement of its objectives, the NRF has adopted a set of values which are shown in Figure 4.

Passion for

Excellence

Account-ability

Ethics and Integrity

People -Centred

NRFValues

World-class

Service

Respect

Figure 4: Values of the NRF

...Catalysing knowledge production for societal benefit.

...To contribute to the knowledge economy in South Africa by attaining at least 1% of global research and development (R&D) output by 2020.


3.5 Strategic outcomes

The NRF strategic outcomes are created to support the legislative mandate, mission, and vision of the organisation. Figure 5 below sets out the suite

Figure 5: Strategic outcomes

3.6 Strategic objectives

In setting out the high level strategic outcomes in support of the NRF mandate, it is necessary to ensure that the outcomes are achieved through the careful development and alignment of appropriate implementation objectives and related plans. Table 1 presents the suite of high-level strategic objectives that will culminate in the achievement of the strategic outcomes.

The NRF is a diverse and complex business system that leverages off the interconnectivity of its various components. In order to demonstrate the linkage between the various strategic objectives and their contribution to the 6 outcomes, a system of colours has been adopted. Table 1 provides a detailed definition per strategic objective and indicates the strategic outcomes that are aligned to the objective.

An internationally

competitive and transformative

research system

Leading-edge research and infrastructure

platforms

A vibrant and globally connected

national system of innovation

A representative research and

technical workforce

Strategic outcome

orientated goals

Scientifically literate and

engaged society

World-class benchmarking

and grant making systems

of strategic outcomes that are focused on impact across the National System of Innovation and are directly linked to the strategic objectives of the NRF.



Table 1: Strategic objectives

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1Promote globally competitive research and innovation

Objective StatementDriving research competitiveness through the support of high quality research and innovation as well as the generation of knowledge and the development of human capacity, in critical areas.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2Enhance strategic international engagements

Objective StatementPromote system wide international engagement and collaboration in order to support emerging knowledge fields and provide local researchers with access to innovative research infrastructure.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3Establish and maintain research infrastructure and platforms

Objective StatementProviding and facilitating access to world class equipment and infrastructure through the acquisition of high end equipment and the support of National Research Facilities.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 4 Grow NRF influence, impact and reputation

Objective Statement Contribute to building the NRF brand through the provision of consistently excellent customer centric service offerings.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 5 Provide cost effective shared service

Objective StatementDesign and implement customised enabling support systems in order to provide the appropriate level of combined assurance to the Board of the NRF.


STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 6 Improve talent management

Objective Statement Strive to attract, retain and continuously develop a vibrant; skilled and representative staff cohort.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 7Entrench science engagement

Objective StatementPromotion of a vibrant national research culture through the implementation of effective science awareness, science education and science communication activities.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 8Provide best practice systems in support of grant making, reviews and evaluations

Objective StatementThe support of research and innovation through the provision of world-class grant making, rating and evaluation systems while striving to double the investment in research to R8bn over the 5 years

3.7 Strategy Implementation

The NRF strategy is in essence a system of value creation that is constructed around the vision statement of the organisation. The organisation has adopted the strategy implementation wheel (“The Strategist” Cynthia A Montgomery) shown in Figure 6 as a means of illustrating the interconnectedness and mutually reinforcing components of the strategy.

The strategy is constructed around the NRF vision which considers the NRF mandate and role within the system. In recognition of the organisations unwavering commitment to Transformation; Excellence; Service Culture and Sustainability, these

4 tenets are core components of the strategy and are entrenched in every aspect of the strategy implementation plan.

The strategic outcomes are achieved as a consequence of implementing the mutually reinforcing strategic objectives. The strategic outcomes embody the legislative mandate of the NRF and align to one or more of the strategic objectives. Ultimately, an efficiently executed strategy that remains flexible to some degree in order to accommodate systemic changes will culminate in the achievement of the strategic outcomes at the end of the 5 year cycle.

The strategic objectives and their related implementation plans were selected in order to support the achievement of the strategic outcomes.

Su

stainability

Excellence

Catalysing knowledge

production for societal benefit

Su

stainability

Transforma ti on

Excellence

Service Cultu

re



Each strategic objective aligns to one or more of the national priorities as set out in MTSF (2014-2019). The success of the implementation plans hinge on the core tenets of Transformation; Excellence; Service Culture and Sustainability and the system of performance indicators as well as the selection or business intelligence indicators that support the process of tracking progress, in the context of the strategy. Figure 6 below is a representation of the complete strategy wheel from implementation of strategic objectives to the alignment with strategic outcomes. All the interconnected elements of the strategy wheel centre on the vision and core tenets of the NRF.

Figure 6: Strategy Wheel – Strategic objectives and activities

Catalysing knowledge

production for societal benefit

Su

stainability

Transformati on

Excellence

Service Cultu

re

Enhance Strategic International Engagements• Promote system wide

international engagement• Facilitate international research platform access

• Provide science infrastructure in priority areas

• Incubate, nurture and strategically locate research platforms

• Develop human capacity in priority research areas

• Provide system intelligence that informs strategy and Policy

• Communication of science and research achievements

• Build NRF brand through partner-ships and service excellence

• Leverage off the NRF reputation through

public/private partnerships

• Promote good governance as a set strategic asset

• Provide leading-edge ICT systems

• Provide effective combined assurance

• Identify, recruit and develop talent to achieve targeted outcomes

• Cultivate a learning organisation based on the NRF values

• Facilitate academia-NRF exchanges

• Cultivate science awareness• Implement effective science

engagement initiatives• Promote a vibrant research

culture

• Pursue best practice grant making, evaluation and rating systems

• Increase and provide support for next generation, emerging and established researchers to grow the PhD pipeline

• Support multidisci-plinary research and innovation

Promote globally competitive

research & innovation

Establish and maintain research infrastructure

and platforms

Grow NRF influence, impact and reputation

Provide cost effective shared services

Improve talent management

Entrench science engagement

Provide best practice systems in support of grant making,

reviews and evaluations

An internati onally competi ti ve and transformati ve research system

and Infrastructure platf orms

Scienti fi cally literate

and

gran

t mak

ing s

yste

ms Leading-edge research

and engaged society

Wor

ld-c

lass

ben

chm

arkin

g

A representati ve research and technical workforce

A re

pres

enta

ti ve r

esea

rch

and technical workforce A representati ve research and technical workforce

A vibrant and globally connecte

d nati o

nal s

yste

m o

f inn

ovati

on

A vi

bran

t and

glob

ally c

onne

cte

d nati onal sy

stem of innovati on A vibrant and globally connected nati onal system of innovati on

A vibrant and globally connected nati onal system of innovati on

A

representati ve researc

h and

tech

nical

wor

kfor

ce


4 Legislative and other Mandates

In analysing the legislative mandate of the organisation against the National Development Plan 2030 and its implementation through the 14 National Priorities set out in the MTSF (2014 –

Table 2: NRF Alignment to the 14 priority outcomes of the MTSF

No MTSF Priority Outcomes Strategic Objectives #

Responding NRF Programme

Specific Initiatives

1. Quality basic education

7

Programme 2: Science Engage-ment

The NRF contributes to teacher & learner development through the science engagement programme by improving learner and educator performance in SET-based programmes. Projects include: • Science camps; science, technology, engineering, mathematics and

innovation (STEMI) Olympiads and competitions; educator development programmes; primary school science interventions; and programmes in association with the DST Dinaledi adopted schools.

• Increasing learner and student exposure to SET-based careers through role-modelling campaigns; undergraduate support; and the National Youth Volunteer Service.

2. A long and healthy life for all South Africans

1 Programme 3: RISAProgramme 4 & 5

Through focused initiatives like SARChI and the Centre of Excellence, the NRF addresses the issues around health related to TB, HIV and other epidemics. Additional to these long term investments is the support for Nursing post-doctoral development in collaboration with IRISH AID and SANTRUST.

8

3

3. All people in South Africa are and feel safe

4. Decent employment through inclu-sive growth

5 Programme 1: Corporate

The NRF adheres to fair and transparent procurement and employment practic-es, and subscribes to the BBBEE Act.6

5. A skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path

1 Programme 3: RISA

The NRF excellence pipeline is aimed at supporting the creation of highly skilled individuals in relevant disciplines. The pipeline starts with investment in honours and masters level students and continues support through PhD studies and throughout the career of a researcher.

8

6

Programme 1: CorporateProgramme 4 & 5

2019), the organisation has aligned the strategic objectives to contribute to the priority outcomes of the National Development Plan. Table 2 below is an indication of the alignment of the NRF

strategic objectives to the 14 priority outcomes. The table includes a high level summary of activities that contribute to the national priorities in each instance.






6. An efficient, competitive and re-sponsive economic infrastructure network

1 Programme3,4 & 5

The NRF makes an indirect contribution to the key target of increasing electric-ity generation through research in alternative and renewable energy solutions. Specific programmes include:• Energy Human Capacity Development and Knowledge Generation

(EHCD&KG) Programme• Energy Research Programme (ERP)

8

7. Vibrant, equitable, sustainable rural communities contributing towards food security for all

1 Programme 3: RISAProgramme 4

Through the research agenda set by the NRF, the business contributes to the field of food security through research and innovation including a soon to be established centre of excellence dedicated to this area of research.8

8. Sustainable human settlements and improved quality of household life

1 Programme 3: RISAProgramme 4

The NRF is currently creating a community of practice around human settle-ments.

8

9. Responsive, accountable, effective and efficient local government

10. Protect and enhance our envi-ronmental assets and natural resources

1Programme 3: RISAProgramme 4

Through the adoption of the Ten Year Innovation Plan and the R&D Strategy, the NRF contributes to the disciplines of climate change, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability by providing national research platforms as well as research funding. The NRF participates in the following areas:• Palaeoscience Strategy• Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS)• Global Change• Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive

Land Management (SASSCAL)• Multi-Wavelength Astronomy Project• Marine Research on Southern Oceans, Other Islands and Antarctica• Participation in the Belmont Forum

2

3

8

11. Create a better South Africa and contribute to a better Africa and a better world

4Programme 1: Corporate

By fostering international research partnerships and scientific collaboration on the African continent and globally, the NRF plays an indirect role in creating a better South Africa and Africa. The NRF is currently party to 12 inter-agency agreements.

2Programme 3 & 4





12. An efficient, effective and develop-ment-oriented public service

13. A comprehensive, responsive and sustainable social protection system

14. A diverse, socially cohesive society with a common national identity 7

Programme 2: Science Engage-ment

The NRF contributes indirectly through the effective generation, communication and dissemination of knowledge.

4Programme 1: Corporate



4.1 Service Delivery Environment

The responsibilities of the NRF in the National System of Innovation (NSI) are outlined in the White Paper on Science and Technology, Preparing for the 21st Century (1996).

In terms of the NRF Act (Act No. 23 of 1998), the organisation plays a dual role in the NSI.

As a value-adding agency, the NRF translates the policies and strategies of government and facilitates implementation within the research-performing institutions. In this capacity, the NRF funds and guides the system according to the relevant policies implemented within its sphere of influence. The National Research Facilities within the NRF are research performers that conduct and facilitate research, while providing infrastructure

Level 1: High-level policy

Government Advisory: CHE, NACI, ASSAf

Level 2: Ministry

DST DHET the dti DE and DMR

NDA DoH DAFF DWA National Treasury

Other Departments

Level 3: Agency

NRF DC SANERI MRC WRC

TIA/BRICs SEDA

Level 4: Research and Innovation Performers

NRF HEIs SABS Mintek ARC MRC Weather Service

Business Enterprises

HSRCCouncil for Geoscience MCM

CSIR NERSA SANBI

AISA

Figure 7: The South African science landscape (amended from OECD, 2007)

* For list of acronyms, refer to page 146

platforms for research in areas of priority and/or where South Africa has a knowledge and /or geographic advantage.

Figure 7 is a schematic of the structure of the NSI and outlines some of the major role-players, as adapted from the OECD mapping of the system in 2007.


4.2 Prominent Partners in the Delivery Environment

The NRF has a sphere of influence that transcends the public sector and includes private and international institutions. This network of partnerships that support the mandate and strategy of the NRF are summarised in Figure 8 and represents the prominent partnerships that are key to successful delivery of the NRF mandate.

Presidency Department of Science and Technology Other Public Sector Partners Private Sector Partners

At the apex of government, the Presidency coordinates the implementation of a national strategic agenda and enhances the integrity of the state.The NRF is working with the Department for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in order to evaluate the dti’s technology programmes including THRIP, SPII and STP.

The NRF is aligned with the planned policy initiatives of the DST, in terms of human capital development; global and African collaboration; research and development; innovation; andinfrastructure development.

Around 300 private companies are co-funding partners in THRIP and other projects.

At least 5 key energy sector companies are partners in programmes related to energy supply security.

Some of the NRF partners are: AREVA, Eskom and Harmony Gold.

4.3 Policies Impacting the Delivery Environment

As an agency of Government, the NRF executes its mandate on two levels. As a policy-implementing agency, the NRF positively influences the delivery environment through the following planned policy initiative jointly undertaken with the Department of Science and Technology.

4.3.1 The scaling up the R&D enterprise funding framework

This framework charts an investment path for achieving the national science and socio-economic ambitions aligned to MTSF priority 5: a skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path. The framework is largely dependent on its resourcing and an interventionist strategy supported by all the stakeholders

Department of Trade and Industry

Department of Higher Education and Training

Department of Environmental Affairs

Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Other Institutions• Higher Education Institutions (HEIs);• Science Councils;• Council on Higher Education

(CHE); and• Higher Education South

Africa (HESA).

Figure 8: Prominent partners in the delivery environment



across the system. The framework centres on a significant increase in the investment in human capacity development at the high-end skills levels and looks at tripling the size of the active scientific workforce in the country. This expansion will make it possible to generate 1% of global R&D output (based on 2011 figures), to produce in the region of 6 000 PhDs per annum, and to adjust the graduate pipeline that will be needed to achieve these goals.

In order to meet these ambitious objectives by 2020, the following investments were proposed:a. Creating and supporting 198 Research Chairs

across all levels of development; b. Supporting 30 Centres of Excellence (CoEs);c. Declaring 7 more National Research Facilities

(NFs) to reach a total of 13; andd. Supporting 65 new, broad collaborative

science programmes that will require inter-institutional and regional African research interaction by South African scientists.

Collectively, these investments create platforms for developing a new generation of talented postgraduate students and researchers at higher education institutions across South Africa, and will enhance the quantity and quality of supervisory capacity in the country. Ultimately this strategy can be expanded to meet the NDP 2030 target of 100 PhDs per million of population by 2030.

4.3.2 The South African research infrastructure roadmap

Research Infrastructure (RI) includes facilities, resources and services used by the scientific community across all disciplines for conducting cutting edge research for the generation, exchange and preservation of knowledge. The research infrastructure road map is a point of departure and will inform the investment strategy that contributes to MTSF priority 6: an efficient, competitive and responsive economic infrastructure network.

Based on criteria set by the DST and through extensive stakeholder engagement, the road map identifies six science and technology domains. The road map also identifies a common set of services that would support all RIs irrespective of domain. These are:a. E-infrastructure: This is essential infrastructure

to support data exchange, cooperative work, and remote access. This will require high speed bandwidth based on fibre optics as well as broadband mobile access networks.

b. Data platforms: The trend towards “data-driven science” implies that many of the research teams will base their scientific activity on the processing of collected data. Data management services have therefore become essential ingredients to ensure the competitiveness of research groups.

c. Research oriented services are specific sets of services linked to the RI to support not only data management but also the development of scientific instruments, capabilities for product development (moving from prototypes labs to industrial prototypes) and other general-purpose infrastructures.

Further engagement is required to review and implement the roadmap recommendations that will impact the national policy environment.

4.3.3 National Research Institutes (NRI) in the South African National System of Innovation

NRIs are envisaged to be science-performing organisations, and will entail substantial investments in staff, instrumentation facilities, and cutting-edge research momentum that will form the centre of gravity for a large number of internationally recognised scientific leaders and collaborators (~100 scientists). This model will ensure that South Africa achieves scientific eminence in the specific area of research. An NRI would therefore entail an internationally competitive research intervention in the South African research system of extraordinary scale and impact but which can make a significant socio-economic and strategic impact. The NRIs will look at employing a large group of research staff that will still be supported by leading-edge


facilities equipment and infrastructure. In order to create such an environment, considerable funding support will be required at the level of R100 – R200m per annum for an extensive period (~20 years).

The notion of a South African National Research Institute will articulate well with the existing high-end science funding instruments offered by the DST-NRF. Depending on the thematic areas covered by the NRIs, this initiative has the potential to contribute to a range of MTSF priorities.

4.3.4 Strategy for Human Capacity Development for research, innovation, and scholarships

The DST strategy for Human Capacity Development considers the challenges in significantly increasing the national research base. Key among the challenges are the relatively low numbers of masters and doctoral graduates produced per annum, the areas of production of these graduates which need to be aligned with priority areas for innovation, and the high drop-out rates at all levels leading to a doctoral qualification. The supervisory capacity within the system is also identified as a limiting factor.

The strategy identifies a set of inter-connected strategic objectives that addresses the issues of attracting honours students into careers in

research by offering bursaries or grants that are comparable to an adequate salary and result in a better quality of life. The strategy further aims to increase the productivity of researchers and research supervisors and foster international partnerships in order to support expanded and improved research and innovation. This initiative addresses MTSF priorities 4 and 5: decent employment through inclusive growth; and a skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path.

4.3.5 The DST Science Engagement Framework

Modern nations place great emphasis on scientific literacy, as this is seen as a foundation for the productive application of science and technology in national development. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has, over time, established numerous programmes to improve public understanding of science, scientific literacy and science engagement. This framework document provides an overarching strategic context to advance science engagement in South Africa. It is intended to encourage, and improve the coordination of, science promotion, communication and engagement activities across the Department, its entities, universities, other Government departments and science councils, museums, and partners outside the public sector. The South Africa Agency for Science and

Technology Advancement (SAASTA) will be the Department’s main agent in rolling out this science engagement strategy.

4.3.6 Facilitation and implementation of strategy and policy initiatives

4.3.6.1 The National Research and Development Strategy (NRDS)

The NRF considers NRDS, published in 2002, as a critical component of the delivery environment as it led to the creation of an effective government Science and Technology system and outlined key governance and institutional responsibilities by setting a clear distinction of roles between the line departments in government (like health and agriculture) with respect to Science and Technology, which is required to play an integrative role.

The NRDS also articulated the need for a competitive research funding system to be built on international best practice as well as the benefits and need for knowledge generation and innovation.

The strategy identifies Human Capacity development as essential, and the need to transform the system through the upliftment of designated groups is prioritised. The strategy advocates excellence and entrenches the pursuit of excellence in global terms. The NRF legislated



mandate hinges on the priorities of the R&D Strategy.

The NRDS emphasised the importance of knowledge areas where South Africa has an obvious or potential geographical advantage and/or where South Africa has a clear and established advantage in a knowledge area. To that end, the NRF created an investment strategy aligned with the ethos of the NRDS. The NRF leverages the local geographic and knowledge advantages through the following initiatives:• Human palaeontology supported through the

African Origins Programme (AOP);

• Antarctic research supported through the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP); and

• Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), supported through the DST/NRF IKS programme specifically in the areas of food and health, education and curriculum development.

The organisation further invests in the area of Biodiversity through the SARChI programme by establishing corresponding research chairs and through the establishment of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in Invasion Biology, Birds

NZG Biobank

South African Biosystematics Initiative (SABI)

African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme

(ACEP)

International Barcode of Life Project (iBOL)

Figure 9: Biodiversity programmes and collaborations

Collaboration with the South

African Network for Coastal and

Oceanic Research (SANCOR).

as Key Indicators of Biodiversity, and the Tree Health programme.

The following National Research Facilities play an active role in this area:• South African Institute for Aquatic

Biodiversity (SAIAB);• South African Environmental Observation

Network (SAEON); and• National Zoological Gardens (NZG).

Further contributions are made through participation in the programmes and collaborations set out in Figure 9.


Figure 10: Investment trends and budget estimates 2012-2018: Geographic and Knowledge Advantages (excl. Astronomy)

140

100

160

120

60

40

80

20

0

Palaeosciences Antarctic researchIndigenous Knowledge

Systems (IKS)Biodiversity

2011/12 Actual 8.2 12.8 8.9 83.7

2012/13 Actual 9.0 15.0 10.8 90.6

2013/14 Actual 18.6 10.7 11.9 93.8

2014/15 Estimate 27.4 15.8 17.4 136.4

2015/16 Budget 27.6 18.0 15.1 130.0

2016/17 Budget 27.8 18.0 15.3 130.0

2017/18 Budget 28.4 18.0 15.9 130.5

Rm

Figure 10 is a summary of the investment trends aligned with the NRDS.



Figure 11: Investment trends and budget estimates 2011-2018: Astronomy (excl. SKA SA)

140

100

120

60

40

80

20

0

SALTSAAO Excluding

SALTAstronomy

Research Chairs

National Astronomy and Space Science

Programme (NASSP)

HCD for Multi-Wavelength

Astronomy (MWLA)Total

2011/12 Actual 19.1 62.2 6.8 6.1 2.4 96.5

2012/13 Actual 18.1 54.6 8.3 6.9 2.2 90.1

2013/14 Actual 20.1 61.2 19.7 5.7 1.4 108.0

2014/15 Estimate 20.9 78.2 20.6 6.5 1.7 128.0

2015/16 Budget 25.9 65.8 17.5 11.7 3.3 124.3

2016/17 Budget 25.9 49.4 17.5 18.7 3.3 114.9

2017/18 Budget 26.9 47.9 17.5 22.7 3.3 117.9

Rm

Over the MTEF period, the investment in astronomy (excluding SKA) will be R357m. Figure 11 is an indication of the level of investment in astronomy, excluding the SKA SA project, since the 2011/12 financial year.


Over the 4 years ending 31 March 2014, the total investment in the geographic and knowledge advantage areas (excluding astronomy) was R374m with an additional R221m committed in 2014/15. Over the MTEF period, a further R569m will be invested at approximately R190m per year.

Due to the geographic location and climatic conditions of the Karoo, in the Northern Cape, South Africa is considered an ideal astronomy destination. Since Astronomy is a significant component of the research landscape, the Minister of Science and Technology requested that the NRF create a sub-Agency exclusively for Astronomy. In response to the instruction, Programme 5 of the NRF was developed and includes the two National Research Facilities SAAO and HartRAO, as well as the SKA SA project. In line with the NRDS, the NRF will continue to invest in astronomy through the following initiatives:• National Astronomy and Space Science

Programme (NASSP);• Astronomy research chairs as part of the

South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI);

• Investments in astronomy infrastructure.

Figure 12 indicates the investment in the SKA SA project. Between 2011/12 and 2014/15, an investment of R1,328bn was made in the SKA SA project. Over the MTEF period R1,247bn will be invested.

4.3.6.2 Ten-Year Innovation Plan of 2007

The Ten-Year Innovation Plan (TYIP) was introduced in 2008 with the objective of driving South Africa’s society towards that of a Knowledge Economy by using science and technology to enhance economic growth and socio-economic development. The key component is the exploitation of geographic and knowledge advantage areas unique to South Africa to address the grand challenges. South Africa’s grand challenges in science and technology are identified as Bio-economy, Space

Rm

600

700

800

500

400

300

200

100

2011/12Actual

2012/13Actual

2013/14Actual

2014/15Estimate

2015/16Budget

2016/17Budget

2017/18Budget

0

Figure 12: Investment trends and budget estimates 2011-2018: SKA SA

185.7

345.4 326.2 331.7

548.9

483.6

219.6

Science and Technology, Energy Security, Global Change, and Human and Social Dynamics. A number of strategic initiatives emanated from the TYIP, including the Bio-economy Strategy, the National Space Strategy and others as listed in Figure 3.

The annual investment in the grand challenges (excluding space science and technology) has grown at an average rate of 25% year on year, from R421.3m in 2011/12 to R1,011bn in 2014/15. Over the MTEF period, an additional R2.766bn will be invested in this area.



Figure 13: NRF Investments in priority areas identified in the DST Ten-Year Innovation Plan

100

140

60

160

40

80

180

20

0

Bio-economy Energy Security Global Change Human and social dynamics

2011/12 Actual 41.1 12.1 57.0 36.9

2012/13 Actual 40.6 35.0 99.7 60.8

2013/14 Actual 41.6 69.7 92.0 88.1

2014/15 Estimate 50.3 99.7 110.5 154.5

2015/16 Budget 51.3 91.1 105.8 147.6

2016/17 Budget 53.4 92.5 107.2 144.4

2017/18 Budget 55.5 93.5 107.0 145.6

Rm

A summary of the NRF’s investment trends and commitments over the MTEF period (excluding space science and technology) are indicated in Figure 13.


4.4 Risks in the Delivery Environment

Some risks in the delivery environment that could impact on the delivery of the NRF include:• Lack of coordination with various institutions

and departments in the sector, which could impact delivery against the government outcomes;

• Shortage of appropriate human resources to feed into the higher education and research environment;

• Insufficient funds leveraged for research, research capacity development and research infrastructure provision;

• Inability to attract and retain excellence in research and innovation at South African universities; and

• Ineffectiveness in driving transformation while growing a knowledge economy.

Although not under the direct control of the NRF, these risks are closely monitored and, where feasible, the system is positively influenced by the management of the NRF.

4.5 Organisational Environment

The Corporate Environment provides a platform for the entire NRF to drive improved stakeholder relations, institutional governance, and compliance requirements. The NRF corporate values underpin all the operations of the organisation. The NRF is committed to interacting with its stakeholders in a manner that is ethical, professional and service orientated. In response to the changing landscape of service delivery, the NRF has adopted a client-centric approach to ensure that the relationship with stakeholders is not one-sided and allows for robust interaction and partnership building.

Internal practices are based on these values to create a work environment that fosters personal development and integrity, builds teamwork and recognises and rewards performance. This principle is encapsulated in the NRF values depicted in Figure 4 namely passion for excellence, world-class service, respect, people centricity, ethics and integrity, and accountability.

Operating standards are continually refined and audited to ensure that the organisation has reliable information for decision-making. All standards are aligned with the PFMA, ministerial guidelines and treasury regulations.

4.5.1 Organisational structure

The organisation is clustered into five programmes in order to support the achievement of its objectives. Figure 14 is a representation of the clustering of the functional divisions within the organisation into focused programmes. Each programme makes a unique contribution to the strategic objectives of the organisation and supports the ultimate achievement of the mandate of the NRF. The programmes will be discussed in more detail in Part B of this report.



CEO

SAASTA

Science Engagement

Science Communication

Corporate RelationsHuman Resources

Legal Services

PR

OG

RA

MM

E 1

DEPUTY CEO:NATIONAL RESEARCH

FACILITIES

Biodiversity EnvironmentConservation

Nuclear

iThemba LABSSAIAB

NZG

SAEON

PR

OG

RA

MM

E 4

DEPUTY CEO:ASTRO

GEOSCIENCES

Astro Geosciences

SAAO

HartRAO

SKA SA Project

PR

OG

RA

MM

E 5

PR

OG

RA

MM

E 2

RE

GMSA

IRC

HICD

ARIC

KRD

RCCE

IEPDPR

OG

RA

MM

E 3

DEPUTY CEO: RESEARCH AND

INNOVATION SUPPORT AND ADVANCEMENT

(RISA)

NRF BOARDFigure 14: NRF organisational structure per programme

* For explanations of acronyms, please refer to the list of acronyms on

page 146.

CORPORATESECRETARY

GROUP EXECUTIVE: SCIENCE

ENGAGEMENT AND CORPORATERELATIONS

Science Awareness

Science Education

SAASTA

GROUP EXECUTIVE: FINANCE AND BUSINESS SYSTEMS

Governance

Information Communication Technology

Knowledge Management Corporate

Corporate Finance

Supply Chain Management

GROUP EXECUTIVE: HUMAN RESOURCES AND LEGAL SERVICES


4.5.2 Accountability structure of the NRF

The accountability structures of the NRF include systems via which the NRF is directed, controlled, and held accountable. These systems are determined by legislative policies based on the NRF Act (Act No. 23 of 1998), the Public Finance Management Amendment Act (PFMA) (Act No. 29 of 1999), the National Treasury Reporting Framework, the DST Governance Framework for Public Entities and the South African Companies Act (Act No. 71 of 2008). In addition, the NRF also applies leading governance practices by adhering to the requirements of the King Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa (King III).

Parliament, through the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee (PPC) on Science and Technology, maintains high-level oversight of the entity, while the Executive Authority (the Minister of Science and Technology) and the Accounting Authority of the NRF (the NRF Board) are accountable for the entity. Figure 13 is an indication of the accounting structure of the entity.

The governance structures of the organisation specify a system of policies and procedures that support the achievement of objectives and reflect the context of the regulatory, stakeholder and social environments. The NRF aims to entrench a culture of openness, ethical behaviour and accountability, thereby enhancing public trust and stakeholder engagement.

Figure 15: NRF accountability structure

ParliamentPPC on

Science and Technology

Accounting Authority Board of the NRF

ExecutiveAuthority

Minister of Science and Technology

Accounting Officer

Chief ExecutiveOfficer of the NRF

CorporateExecutive

Committee

NRF Management



5 Financial Overview: (Budget 2015/16 and MTEF Estimates)

The appropriation in terms of the Estimates of National Expenditure (ENE) forms approximately 90% of the NRF funding, yet the discretionary element is less than 25%, as the NRF receives government funding for various programmes and projects on a contractual basis, primarily from the DST.

5.1 Budget and sources of income

The NRF funding is primarily in three forms, namely: baseline MTEF allocation, ring-fenced MTEF funds as designated by the DST, and designated funds for specific projects and programmes from the DST and other government departments and entities. Designated funds represent close to 75% of the total income with only 3% of income being self-generated, from sales of goods and services, entrance fees and interest.

Figure 16 compares the various sources of funding. The major increase in the MTEF ring-fenced allocation in 2015/16 is due to new funding received for Human Capacity Development for R 357m for student bursaries and research grants, as well as an additional R 119m for the SA Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI). The apparent decline in Contract Income during 2015/16 is due to the funding methodology changing from contract based funding to ring-fenced MTEF funding.

The MTEF baseline allocation received by the NRF is utilised primarily to fund the programmes and operational activities of the NRF. The NRF baseline funding level for 2015/16 is set to increase by

3,8% from the previous year. This is below the current inflationary levels and will require the NRF to pursue various austerity measures as outlined in section 1.4.

3 500

4 000

4 500

3 000

2 500

2 000

1 500

1 000

500

02011/12 Actual

2012/13 Actual

2013/14 Actual

2014/15 Estimate

2015/16 Budget

2016/17 Budget

2017/18 Budget

MTEF allocation - Baseline

779 776 816 851 886 883 926

MTEF allocation - Ring-fenced

300 288 700 1 373 1 903 1 848 1 730

Designated & Other 1 054 1 248 1 644 1 489 1 404 1 251 1 086

Rm

Figure 16: Comparison of sources of funding 2011/12–2017/18


5.2 Three-year projection of the NRF 2015/16–2017/18 MTEF allocation

The three-year MTEF baseline allocation to the NRF is indicated as a single line item, yet the allocation letter from DST ring-fences most of the allocation. The NRF baseline figure below is therefore the only

Programme NRF allocation from DST

2015/16 2016/17 2017/18

Rm Rm Rm

3 RISA 461 179 448 627 470 746

4 & 5 National Research Facilities 312 283 327 897 344 292

2 Science Advancement 21 319 22 385 23 504

4 SAEON 10 574 11 103 11 658

1 Corporate services 80 545 72 794 75 764

Total NRF baseline 885 901 882 806 925 964

Year-on-year baseline movement 3,8% -0,3% 4,9%

3 & 4 Ring-fenced allocation: Global Change Grand Challenge 67 816 71 305 71 305

5 Ring-fenced allocation: Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project 694 071 697 541 732 055

3 Ring-fenced allocation: Scientific Equipment 179 447 197 445 -

4 & 5 Ring-fenced allocation: National Research Facilities 110 000 - -

3 Ring-fenced allocation: Human Capacity Development 357 354 375 222 394 298

3 Ring-fenced allocation: Astronomy 13 999 14 069 14 773

3 Ring-fenced allocation: SA Research Chairs Initiative 470 446 482 243 506 875

3 Ring-fenced allocation: IKS Research Fund 10 000 10 000 10 530

Total MTEF allocation 2 789 034 2 730 631 2 655 800

Table 3: Three-year projection of the NRF MTEF baseline allocation

figure that provides for the accounting authority and executive authority to approve activities according to the priorities for such funding outlined in the Annual Performance Plan.

Table 3 shows the baseline allocation split, as approved by the NRF Board.

5.3 NRF investment principles

The demand for research funding far outstrips funding, which requires the NRF to continually make prudent and efficient investment choices. The NRF formulated the following eight principles to guide its investment across the range of its interventions, functions, facilities and programmes:• Competitive funding applies to all funding

applications;• A balanced strategy-driven approach

is followed, rather than a demand-pull approach;

• Investments are subject to rigorous merit-based peer reviews and rating of the research outputs of individuals;

• PhD is a critical systems driver; • The NRF promotes cross-fertilisation and

rotation of expertise and talent between itself and other entities in the NSI;

• The NRF strives to allocate resources appropriately throughout the organisation for efficient delivery of services and strategic goals;

• Core principles of fairness, transparency and accountability apply to all investment processes; and

• Contributing to the transformation of society in terms of race, gender and disability is considered at all times in order to redress systemic social and economic inequalities.



5.4 Savings and efficiency measures

The NRF applies innovative practices to manage the financing gap and minimise overheads and the budgets include such practices. These include automation through workflow; decreased travel through use of video-conferencing; a decentralised administrative structure; cost-charging sharing models for infrastructure (for example the South African Large Telescope); increased insourcing as a cost-effective procurement modality; retention strategies to reduce the very high costs of new staff who anticipate market related salaries; leveraging economies of scale through demand management; decreased reliance on consultants through mentoring programmes as well as the ongoing refurbishment of high value infrastructure assets; and own manufacture of rare replacement parts compared to the prohibitively high cost of periodic replacement.

5.5 Detailed budgets

Detailed NRF budgets have been prepared, taking into account all sources of income and with due regard for efficiency savings, which have been factored in across all business divisions and will be closely monitored over the MTEF period. The detailed budgets for 2015/16 are presented in Table 4.

Corporate overheads <3% over the MTEF

period.

NRF hasreceived a clean audit report for the second year

in a row.


BUDGET 2015/16

Corporate

Science Advance-

ment RISA

NATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITIES ASTRONOMY SUB-AGENCY

TOTAL 2015/16

Consolidat-ed budget

(excl. internal

transfers) 2015/16

Change Budget 2014/15

vs. Budget 2015/16

BUDGET 2014/15

ACTUAL2013/14

Dep CEO: Facilities iTHEMBA SAIAB NZG SAEON SKA SAAO HartRAO

R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000 % R'000 R'000

Projected unspent funds/(deficit) at beginning of year (25 985) - 5 513 690 - 479 - 153 - (355) 52 (19 453) (19 453) 4 363 (11 283)

MTEF allocation - Baseline 80 545 21 319 461 179 9 230 155 191 16 578 59 728 10 574 - 46 889 24 668 885 901 885 901 4,1% 851 186 816 204

MTEF allocation - Ring-fenced - - 1 194 801 - - - - 14 261 694 071 - - 1 903 133 1 903 133 38.7% 1 372 596 700 126

Ring-fenced funds carried forward - - (79 614) - - - - - 175 163 - - 95 549 95 549 -67.8% 296 621 (103 451)

Designated income - 68 550 957 739 - 47 225 8 606 796 1 387 75 097 28 078 594 1 188 072 1 188 072 9.4% 1 086 211 1 623 531

Interest received 3 603 3 853 13 036 - 2 229 892 1 300 429 5 000 420 674 31 436 31 436 22% 25 686 53 499

Internal Income 18 363 16 252 272 800 - 22 022 17 061 8 702 9 158 - 30 930 19 805 415 093 - 381 177 459 641

NZG Entrance fees - - - - - - 39 692 - - - - 39 692 39 692 9.7% 36 173 30 376

NZG Retail and other sales - 600 9 983 - 10 880 13 19 098 - - 2 060 - 42 634 42 634 12.1% 38 041 25 405

Other income - 947 - - 4 396 13 434 - - 586 64 6 440 6 440 6.6% 6 041 14 960

Total income 76 526 111 521 2 835 437 9 920 241 943 43 642 129 750 35 962 949 331 108 608 45 857 4 588 497 4 173 404 12.0% 4 098 094 3 609 009

Grants and bursaries - (33 789) (2 283 082) - (1 902) (2 891) - (420) (58 716) - - (2 380 800) (2 380 800) -13.3% (2 101 527) (1 863 349)

Infrastructure maintenance, programme and operating expenses (31 903) (34 623) (83 129) (3 145) (89 986) (17 276) (49 278) (9 627) (285 766) (31 375) (10 946) (647 054) (647 054) -21.8% (531 152) (425 708)

Internal expenses (3 000) (17 000) 371 148 - (6 538) (1 557) (946) (245) (8 600) (5 083) (977) (415 094) - (381 177) (459 641)

Salaries (49 184) (25 025) (97 010) (6 640) (133 056) (1 8691) (81 316) (22 994) (154 224) (60 659) (17 640) (666 439) (666 439) -8.3% (615 321) (482 872)

Total expenditure (84 087) (110 437) (2 834 369) (9 785) (231 482) (40 415) (131 541) (33 286) (507 306) (97 117) (29 563) (4 109 387) (3 632 025) -13.2% (3 629 177) (3 231 570)

Net unspent funds/(deficit) for the year (7 561) 1 084 1 068 135 10 461 3 227 (1 791) 2 676 442 025 11 491 16 294 49 110 479 111 468 917 377 439

Transfer from SALT fund - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 735

Transfer to Infrastructure Development fund (10 000) (10 000) (10 000) (20 988) (9 945)

Add back net PRMB buy-out 17 734 17 734 17 734

Capital expenditure (173) (2 638) (6 494) (135) (30 187) (6 845) (456) (4 329) (477 139) (17 638) (19 849) (565 884) (565 884) -11,8% (506 161) (424 499)

Non-cash flow items - depreciation - 1 554 5 426 - 19 726 3 618 2 247 1 653 35 114 6 147 3 555 79 040 79 040 35,7% 58 232 58 634

Unspent funds/(deficit) at end of the year - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 363

Table 4: Abridged financial statement for the year ending 31 March 2016 (including THRIP)



EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2016 PER PROGRAMME

CATEGORY

Programme 1 Programme 2 Programme 3 Programme 4 Programme 5

Total CorporateScience

Engagement RISA

Nuclear, Biodiversity,

Environmental & Conservation

Sciences Astro

Geoscience

R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000

Grants and bursaries - 34 075 2 283 082 5 202 58 441 2 380 800

Programme and operating expenses 31 903 48 397 83 129 159 884 323 740 647 053

Internal expenses 3 000 17 013 371 148 9 273 14 659 415 093

Salaries 49 184 61 042 97 010 232 499 226 705 666 440

Net capital expenditure 173 1 150 1 068 14 641 469 813 486 845

Total expenditure 84 260 161 677 2 835 437 421 499 1 093 358 4 596 231

Table 5: Projected expenditure per programme for the year ending 31 March 2016 (including THRIP)

Figure 17: Total expenditure (including Capital) 2015/16

Corporate

Science Engagement

RISA

Biodiversity & Nuclear Sciences

Astro/Geoscience

2% 3%

62%

9%

24%


STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

CATEGORY

2015/16 2016/17 2017/18

R'000 R'000 R'000 Government grant - Baseline 885 901 882 805 925 964 Government grant - Ring-fenced 1 998 682 1 929 018 1 697 837 Designated income 1 188 072 1 046 815 992 329 Interest received 31 436 32 759 31 060 Other income 88 766 90 057 94 701 Total income 4 192 857 3 981 454 3 741 891 Grants and bursaries 2 380 800 2 387 488 2 225 398 Infrastructure maintenance, programme and operating expenses 647 054 586 727 545 075 Human capacity of National facilities, Programmes and Operations 666 439 707 790 743 905 Total expenditure 3 694 293 3 682 005 3 514 378 Income set aside for capital acquisitions 498 564 299 449 227 513 Less: Net capital expenditure (486 845) (287 448) (217 600) Net budgeted unspent funds for the year * 11 719 12 002 9 913 Transfer to Infrastructure Development Fund -10 000 -3 383 -2 000 Closing Accumulated Funds 1 179 8 619 7 913

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

CATEGORY

2015/16 2016/17 2017/18

R'000 R'000 R'000 Property, plant & equipment and Intangible assets 2 050 185 2 337 633 2 555 233 Inventory 6 500 6 500 6 300 Receivables & Prepayments 780 832 736 418 700 000 Cash & Investments 428 319 382 316 379 915 Total assets 3 265 836 3 462 867 3 641 448 Accumulated fund & SALT fund 12 181 20 800 28 713 Capital fund & Infrastructure development fund 2 109 725 2 400 556 2 620 156 Income received in advance 1 063 724 962 406 914 009 Payables & Provisions 80 206 79 105 78 570 Total liabilities 3 265 836 3 462 867 3 641 448

Table 6: Abridged projected financial statements (2015/16–2017/18)

* Contract funds for 2016-2018 only based on confirmed contracts. ** Excludes Science Promotion allocation, which is reflected as designated income.

5.6 Abridged Projected Financial Statements (2015/16–2017/18) Table 6 provides a summary of the projected financial statements for the period 2015/16 – 2017/18 aligned with the annual plans.



5.7. NRF Long-term infrastructure plan

An account of the NRF infrastructure and other capital plans is provided in Table 7.

Additional infrastructure and capital plans The additional infrastructure and capital plans is dependant on the approval of additional funding by National Treasury. The additional plans will only be initiated and implemented once the MTEF submission has been done and approval thereof received.

NoBusiness Division Description Outputs

Estimated project costs Project duration 2013/14

2014/15 2015/16

2016/17 2017/18 Additional infrastructure/

capital R'000 Start Finish R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000 R'000

1. NationalResearch Facilities

Upgrade and replacement of scientific equipment

Access to state-of-the-art research equipment and facilities

N/A

Bas

ed o

n on

goin

g re

view

and

ava

ilabi

lity

of fu

nds

67 827 83 121 79 439 79 158 12 712

A Strategic Research Infrastructure plan for the National Research Facilities has been developed, for which an amount of approximately R 600 million is required. R 110 million has been allocated for 2015/16 in the MTEF for National Research Facilities’ equipment.

2. SAASTA Computer and office equipment

Enhanced working environment to enable delivery on various contract projects N/A 979 1 645 2 638 2 434 2 857

Pending a national strategy on science advancement, the SAASTA Johannesburg Observatory site may require R 60 million to upgrade.

3. RISA Computer, office equipment and building refurbishment

Enhanced working environment and improved efficiency

N/A 2 845 5 523 6 494 6 440 6 384

4. Corporate Computer, office equipment and building construction

Enhanced working environment and improved efficiency

N/A 2 095 2 297 173 145 145

Expansion of office buildings to save on existing leasing costs and increase limited office space.

5. SKA project

Construction of KAT7 and MeerKAT comprising of 64 radio antennae

World-class telescope for many years based on mission driven innovation enabling South Africa to undertake cutting-edge research into deep space 3 700 000 2002/03 2017/18 350 753 413 575 477 139 284 309 284 966

424 499 506 161 565 884 372 486 307 064

Table 7: Long-term infrastructure and other capital plans (2015/16–2017/18)

40

Part BPROGRAMME PLANS

41

PROGRAMME 02Science Engagement

PROGRAMME 01Corporate

PROGRAMME 05National Research Facilities - Astro Geosciences

PROGRAMME 04National Research Facilities - Nuclear, Biodiversity, Environmental & Conservation sciences

PROGRAMME 03Research and Innovation Support and Advancement (RISA)

0502

0403

01

42

The Management Development Programme (MDP) was launched in 2013 in partnership with the University of Stellenbosch. This programme is customised to meet the unique management challenges of the NRF in operating within the public sector. The main objective of the programme is to empower and capacitate NRF managers with the skills and knowledge required to deliver more effectively on the strategic and operational objectives of the organisation.

The MDP is set at the NQF Level 6, focussing on senior manager development, while the New Managers Development Programme (NMDP) is set at NQF Level 5, focussing on junior managers. The programme has shown success in the past two years of its implementation in the organisation. Some of the best students for the programme are: Ms Marna van Rooyen (Team Leader: LBS), Mr Gerhard Moolman (Manager: Business Intelligence), Ms Sue van Rensburg (Coordinator: SAEON’s Grasslands-Forests-Wetlands Node) and Mr Kevin Govender (Director: Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD)).

Building the leaders of tomorrow

Marna van Rooyen:Best student 2013/14 NMDP

Sue van Rensburg:Best student 2014/15 NMDP

Kevin Govender:Best student 2014/15 MDP

Gerhard Moolman:Best student 2013/14 MDP

PART B • PROGRAMME 1

43

01PROGRAMME 01Corporate

6.1 Situation Analysis

The Corporate Programme is a cross-cutting support function that is responsible for the provision of enabling systems, activities and structures that support the organisation’s efficiency. The key objective of Programme 1 as a support function is to set the policy and tone for good governance, statutory compliance and the transfer of business best practice across the organisation, thereby contributing to the achievement of organisational objectives in a cost effective and transparent manner. The activities of programme 1 support MTSF priorities 4, 5 and 14: decent employment through inclusive growth; a skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path; and a diverse, socially cohesive society with a common national identity.

Figure 18 indicates the functional groups that contribute to the delivery of the services offered by Programme 1.

Figure 18: Programme 1

NRF CEO

Human Resources and Legal Services

Corporate Relations

Finance and Business Systems

Human Resources

CorporateRelationsGovernance

LegalServices

Information Communication

Technology

KnowledgeManagement

Corporate

CorporateFinance

Supply ChainManagement

PROGRAMME 1

6 Programme 1: Corporate




Figure 19: Structure of Finance and Business Systems sub-programme

GovernanceInformation

CommunicationTechnology

(ICT)

Knowledge Management

Corporate

CorporateFinance

Supply ChainManagement

6.1.1 Finance and business systems

The objective of the Finance and Business Systems sub-programme is to ensure that the NRF has the appropriate business systems and supporting infrastructure to ensure that the organisation meets its mandate in an efficient and effective manner. The unit champions compliance and provides relevant systems and support to the organisation (see Figure 19).

6.1.2 Human resources and legal services

The Human Resources and Legal Services functions provide the NRF with comprehensive

human resource management and legal services, and give policy direction and strategy execution guidelines in these areas. Furthermore, the division leads, promotes and coordinates organisation-wide activities to enhance the NRF’s productivity and interactions with internal and relevant external stakeholders.

As a corporate function, the scope of the directorate cuts across all NRF divisions, business units and National Facilities, and includes the Office of the CEO and related corporate support functions. In discharging its mandate, the function is supported and assisted by NRF divisions and business units executing enabling functions such as ICT and finance.

6.1.3 Corporate communications

The ultimate success of the NRF in contributing to building a knowledge economy rests on the organisation’s ability to position science and technology positively in the hearts and minds of all South Africans, and in encouraging all South Africans to conceive of a prosperous South Africa that is underpinned by scientific excellence and performance; a country that derives enduring and equitable benefits from science and technology.

Corporate Relations facilitates both internal and external communications and brand building and is a key enabler of the science engagement strategy.

6.2 Contributions to Strategic Objectives

As a cross cutting support function, programme 1 contributes to the achievement of certain strategic objectives that deal largely with the creation and support of enabling business systems, either

6.2.1 Programme 1 - Strategic Objective 4

Table 8 outlines strategic objective 4 in more detail including the contribution made to the MTSF priorities.

Table 8: Programme 1: KPIs against budget (2014/15–2017/18) – Strategic Objective 4


OBJECTIVE STATEMENT Contribute to building the NRF brand through the provision of consistently excellent customer centric service offerings.

CRITICAL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES

• Provide system intelligence that informs strategy and policy;• Communication of science and research achievements (incl Mzansi for Science);• Build NRF brand through partnerships and service excellence; and• Leverage off the NRF reputation through strategic public private partnerships.

LINKS TO MTSF NRF Objective 4 links to:• MTSF Priorities 11 and 14.

INDICATORS Actual 2012 Actual 2013 Actual 2014 Target 2015 Proj. 2016 Proj. 2017 Proj. 2018

Multimedia coverage items 0 53 51 66 82 102 110

Customer satisfaction rating (NRF)* TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

* Baseline for customer satisfaction survey being established; and Mid-term survey is being developed.

BUDGET Actual 2012 Actual 2013 Actual 2014 Target 2015 Proj. 2016 Proj. 2017 Proj. 2018

Corporate Relations 4.579 5.089 6.058 6.015 6.352 6.703 7.038

through policy and procedure or the use of specific ICT systems to facilitate compliance, workflow, control in line with legislation etc. Considering that programme 1 is underpinned by the ethos of the constitution with respect to compliance i.e. fair and transparent business processes supported by appropriately trained staff, the

programme contributes to MTSF priority 4: decent employment through inclusive growth. Through the communication and engagement mandate of the corporate communications component of programme 1, the programme also aligns with MTSF priority 14: a diverse, socially cohesive society with a common national identity.



In order to contribute successfully to objective 4, the programme must:

• Provide system intelligence that informs strategy and policy;

• Communication of science and research achievements;

• Build NRF brand through partnerships and service excellence; and

• Leverage off the NRF reputation through strategic public private partnerships largely through activities carried out by RISA and through the Science Engagment portfolio.

• Provide system intelligence that informs strategy and policy

Evidence based decision making is a key component of the business processes of the NRF, with the Business Intelligence unit playing a central role in internal decision support, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation. The unit also support external data requests from the Department of Science and technology (DST) and other stakeholders.

Business Intelligence (BI)The BI unit supports the organisation and external stakeholders through:• The development and measurement of specific

indicators, in order to track organisational performance in the form of outputs, outcomes and impacts;

• The collection and preparation of business data for use by stakeholders; and

• The presentation of data in support of decision makin g by NRF management and the DST in their planning, reporting and communications.

Over the MTEF period, the business intelligence unit of the NRF will continue to roll out the Business Intelligence System (BIS) at a business unit level. The unit will also initiate phase 2 of the BIS development strategy which will improve the efficiency and efficacy of this key support function. The BIS is identified as a strategic priority as it is a contributor to the overall data quality and reliability. This is of paramount importance given that the NRF data and data analysis capability supports policy level decision making within the system.

In support of NRF Strategy 2020, a tracking system will be developed in order to accurately track student through their careers. It is envisaged that this system will allow for the measurement of outcomes and impacts of NRF/DST funding.

• Communication of science and research achievements

A key system wide initiative to support the science and society mandate is the Mzansi for Science Communications campaign designed to communicate the importance of science

and technology in building and maintaining a successful future for South Africa. Over the MTEF period and specifically the 2015/16 financial year, the NRF Science Engagement Programme will work closely with the corporate relations unit and the DST to develop a strategy and policy around these exciting developments.

STRATEGIC OUTCOME: A VIBRANT AND GLOBALLY CONNECTED NATIONAL SYSTEM OF INNOVATION


STRATEGIC OUTCOME:A VIBRANT AND GLOBALLY CONNECTED NATIONAL SYSTEM OF INNOVATION

Figure 20: Corporate relations

Building the NRF brand within the National System

of Innovation (NSI)

Facilitating Stakeholder engagements and

relationship building

Promoting a positive organisational culture

• Profile the NRF• Facilitate NRF media

coverage and exposure• Manage national,

organisational or unit level marketing campaigns

• Provide support for communication content and product development (including management of the corporate website) across NRF business entities

• Facilitate key NRF corporate stakeholder engagements

• Manage NRF corporate exhibitions

• Facilitate strategic partnerships on behalf of NRF business units

• Implement externally focused CSR projects

• Implement the NRF Science for Society lecture series (and other public lectures)

• Implement innovative stakeholder research interventions (e.g. customer surveys)

• Manage and deliver the Management Development and Information Forum (MDIF)

• Implement internally focused corporate social responsibility (CSR) Projects

• Support the RISA Renewal campaign

• Standardise communication-related practices and policies across NRF business units

Over the MTEF period, the Corporate Relations unit will:• Facilitate stakeholder engagement which

involves identification and management of relationships with key stakeholders, the design and creation of content, informed by the Business Intelligence unit, in its various forms (i.e. electronic, paper-based, etc.), and ensuring that content conforms to standard NRF corporate language and style.

• Play a consultative role to NRF business units and National Research Facilities in the use of the NRF brand, providing inputs and guidelines on the usage of logos and the overall brand essence.

• In terms of its outputs, provide design and content creation services for a variety of areas, including traditional paper-based methods such as brochures, advertisements, leaflets, posters etc., as well as electronic media such as e-mail and web-based communications. These outputs are initiated according to the specific needs and projects of the various stakeholders.

Ultimately, Corporate Relations seeks to ensure that the brand message, purpose and corporate image of the NRF are presented positively and in an informative way to its stakeholders.

• Building NRF brand through partnerships and service excellence

The Corporate Relations function will also respond to the needs expressed in the strategic plans of the NRF by providing the suite of services set out in Figure 20.

48


NRF Annual Performance Plan 2015-201848


Table 9 outlines strategic objective 5 in more detail including the contributions made to the MTSF priorities.

Table 9: Programme 1: KPIs against budget (2014/15–2017/18) - Strategic Objective 5

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 5 Provide Cost effective Shared Services

OBJECTIVE STATEMENT Design and implement customised enabling support systems based on compliance.


• Promote good governance as a strategic asset;• Provide leading-edge ICT systems; and• Provide effective combined assurance.

LINKS TO MTSF NRF Objective 5 links to: • MTSF Priority 4 – Decent employment through inclusive growth through the promotion of governance and compliance

as a strategic asset, and drives compliance with respect to Broad Based Black Empowerment and the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP).


Unqualified audit report & number of Internal & external audit findings

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

Investment in ICT platforms (Rm) 57.930 53.233 66.816 77.496 72.234 52.400 52.986

Corporate overheads: calculated as a percentage of total expenditure

1.90% 1.80% 1.90% <3% <3% <3% <3%

BUDGET (Rm) Actual 2012 Actual 2013 Actual 2014 Target 2015 Proj. 2016 Proj. 2017 Proj. 2018

NRF Corporate 73.479 49.498 57.868 85.311* 82.993 76.483 77.234


In order to contribute successfully to objective 5, the programme must: • Promote good governance as a strategic asset• Provide leading-edge ICT systems• Provide effective combined assurance



• Promote good governance as a strategic asset

a. Governance The Governance directorate is responsible

for the establishment and support of internal structures and processes within the control environment of the business to enable the officers and directors of the organisation to discharge their duties effectively. The method of combined assurance, the directorate provides the Corporate Executive Committee with an overarching view of the organisation.

• Alignment to best practices/standards The governance environment is driven

by combinations of applicable laws and non- binding rules. The most significant influence on the governance environment is derived from the King Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa (King III), which is endorsed by the NRF Board and Executive, not only to drive compliance with legislation, regulations and best practice, but also to focus on non- binding rules, codes and standards that determine best practise. Refer to section 13.2 for a

summary of the key best practice codes applicable to the NRF’s operations and mandate.

• Governance Activities The Governance directorate consists of

a number of functional units that create an enabling structure against which the business measures its compliance in terms of regulations and best practice Figure 21 is a summary of the functional units within the Governance directorate.

Figure 21: Governance activities

Governance Internal Audit Risk & Sustainability Business Intelligence Planning and Reporting

• A strategic asset of the business, and supports and enables the compliance environment.

• Internal audit follows a co-sourced model

• As a key contributor to the combined assurance process, Internal Audit ensures independence and adherence to auditing standards.

• The NRF subscribes to a risk based internal audit strategy

• Enterprise risk management is a key component of the business process

• The continuous assessment of risks supports both the internal audit and combined assurance processes

• Through the measurement of specific indicators, the unit tracks the performance of the organisation and supports performance management across a range of levels.

• The unit also provides a decision support function to management.

• This unit monitors the compliance environment of the NRF and ensures that the organisation is aware of shifts.

• The unit also meets all the statutory reporting obligations of the business.

50



• Providing Leading Edge ICT Systems

a. Information Communication Technology The primary goal of the ICT division is to provide

world-class Information Technology services and support to all NRF divisions across the country, including RISA, SAASTA, National Research Facilities and the International Council for Science (ICSU) Regional Office for Africa based in Pretoria.

Figure 22: ICT activities

Software Development Infrastructure Service Desk Compliance

• Core business applications are maintained and/or developed internally in order to reduce dependency on third-party providers.

• Planning and delivery is carried out in accordance with the Infrastructure Lifecycle Analysis.

• The visualisation environment allows flexibility to scale up or down depending on business requirements.

• The support function is continually monitored in order to improve and enhance service delivery and turnaround times.

• Targets are evaluated and adjusted on an annual basis.

• The governance framework requires that the systems and services provided are in line with the standards, codes and best practice of the ICT industry

• Alignment to best practices/ standards The NRF actively participates in the national

ICT standardisation programmes through its membership of the relevant committees of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). Long-term strategies include the implementation of a robust governance framework and regular assessments in line with the King III report. The details of proposed initiatives are highlighted below.

• ICT Activities The ICT Directorate of the NRF consists of

a number of key functions that contribute to the overall efficiency and sustainability of the ICT systems that support the business while complying with best practice.

Figure 22 provides an overview of the ICT activities per functional area.



• Provide Effective Combined Assurance

a. Knowledge Management Corporate In South Africa, the statutory framework for

sound records and documents management for governmental bodies complies with the principles of good governance as laid down by Section 195 of the Constitution. Therefore, the role of knowledge management in the NRF is a cross-cutting compliance function

aimed at developing, supporting and maintaining a knowledge-based organisation by facilitating knowledge generation, access to and utilisation of data and information in strategic and operational decision making. The unit is also responsible for ensuring that the NRF is aligned to best practices dictated by national and international codes and protocols including statutory compliance with relevant national legislation.

• Alignment to best practices/standards The Knowledge Management portfolio is

governed by the international and national Library and Information Professional Services standards and code of ethics. The knowledge management processes are aligned with and subscribe to various global standards and internationally accepted best practice.

• KMC Activities KMC activities centre on the following

activities as set out in Figure 23.

Figure 23: Knowledge Management Corporate activities

Records and Document Management Services

Library and InformationServices

Data, Content and Curation Management Services

Bibliometrics and Scientometrics Services

• File Plan• Registry Services• PAIA procedure• Records management

governance• Legislation• Compliance• Electronic Records and

Document Management System

• Collection management• Collection development• e-Resources Acquisitions• Cataloguing• Classification• Information searches• Lending services

• Data Archiving and management:- South African Data Archive- World Data System

• Digitisation • Current Research Information

Systems:- Current and Completed

Research projects- National Electronic Thesis

and Dissertation Portal- Professional Associations- Data Resources in Africa- Research expertise

administration on NRF systems

• Research evaluation using citation databases and analytical tools:- Country analysis- Institutional Audits/Reviews- Funding Instruments- Departmental Research

Assessment- Rating and Evaluation of

Researchers

52




b. Corporate Finance The mandate of the Corporate Finance

directorate includes the management and control, both direct and indirect, of the financial processes of the organisation through Business Systems, Management Accounting, Policy Development, Financial Change Management, Statutory Reporting, Workflow Development and Financial Control. The Corporate Finance unit contributes to the goal of ensuring that resources are prudently and optimally utilised and directed with accountability. The unit

Figure 24: Corporate Finance activities

Systems ComplianceCost-effective administration (through

automation process)

• Ongoing maintenance• Systems support to all business units

• Unqualified external audit with no significant issues should be raised in the audit report.

• Quarterly financial reporting• Annual budgeting and projections• Heritage Assets GRAP statement

implemented.• Annual financial preparation in line• Consultancy reduction plan approved by

31st March 2016.

• Local travel workflow

engages in considerable day-to-day activities as is customary for back-functionality, such as ongoing accounting, secretariat co-ordination, quality assurance, advice, payments processing, issuance of policies and guidelines, procurement processes, managing the audit process and training development and forums.

• Alignment to best practices/ standards Financial reporting constantly engages with

various groups of auditors e.g. external,

internal, DST, National Treasury, BBBEE and forensic auditors, who attempt to change the nature of the financial control function to ensure that the system in place adequately mitigates the financial risks, as well as applying an appropriate level of automation to mitigate the risk of scarce skills.

• Corporate Finance Activities The high level activities of the directorate

have been classified under the objectives highlighted in Figure 24 below, recognising possible overlap, as:


c. Supply Chain Management (SCM) SCM has been identified as a strategic priority. To this end, enterprise-wide management of demand has huge potential to reduce costs. In order to analyse and action such enterprise-wide savings, as well as the increasing compliance need, the size of Corporate SCM has been increased. Such costs however are an order of magnitude lower when compared to the savings

anticipated by arranging national contracts for a number of key expenditure types.

• Alignment to best practices/ standards Strategically, the SCM function is to be part

of strategic planning processes to ensure that appropriate procurement modalities are embedded in the strategic plan as part of recommended National Treasury best practices. Tactically, the SCM function

initiates legislative processes after adopting a risk managed and change management approach, appropriate to the timing and nature of implementation.

• Corporate SCM Activities The high level activities of the directorate

have been classified under the objectives highlighted in Figure 25 below, recognising possible overlap, as:

Figure 25: SCM activities

Systems ComplianceCost-effective administration (through

automation process)

• Development of supporting SCM systems as required

• Ongoing maintenance• Systems support to all business units

• Procurement plan handed into National Treasury by 31 April 2015

• BBBEE certificate obtained for NRF• Demand management (National

procurement contracting)

• Accredited supplier database (new supplier module) implanted in beta phase (2014) and actual thereafter

• Tender procurement workflow• E-procurement workflow process

54




25Bids adjudicated

by the Bid Adjudication

Committee (BAC) in 2014/15.

90Bids planned for 2015/16.

Budgeted Capital

Expenditure for 2015/16 is R486 845m.



Table 10 outlines strategic objective 6 in more detail including the contributions made to the MTSF priorities.



OBJECTIVE STATEMENT Strive to attract, retain and train a vibrant; skilled and representative staff cohort.


• Identify, recruit and develop talent to achieve targeted outcomes;• Cultivate a learning organisation based on the NRF values;• Facilitate academia-NRF exchanges.



Proportion of South Africans from designated groups in senior technical and managerial positions

Black % 43% 43% 44% 46% 46% 47% 47%

Black Number 207 218 241 253 276 291 294

Female % 31% 32% 31% 33% 34% 35% 36%

Female Number 155 157 170 182 198 211 225

% staff turnover 8.4% 8.4% 9.6% 5.3% 6% 6% 6%

Number of staff with post-graduate qualifications (Masters and PhD)

333 333 376 371 380 385 390

*Number of staff in the exchange programme

TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

Investment in staff training and professional membership fees (Rm) 7.44 9.35 9.13 13.88 12.14 8.60 8.31


BUDGET (Rm) Actual 2012 Actual 2013 Actual 2014 Target 2015 Proj. 2016 Proj. 2017 Proj. 2018

Training and development 2.292 3.645 2.884 5.516 4.915 2.970 3.118

56



STRATEGIC OUTCOME:A REPRESENTATIVE RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL WORKFORCE

• Human Resources and Legal Services

a. Main activities The Human Resources and Legal Services function responds to the needs expressed in the strategic

and annual performance plans of NRF divisions by providing the suite of services set out in Figure 26

Figure 26: Human resources and legal services activities

Talent Management HR Systems and Processes Training and Organisational Development

Legal and Employee Relations Services

• Ensure that the organisation attracts, retains, develops and trains the right number and quality of staff

• Improve the quality and efficiency of the recruitment, selection and placement processes

• Develop and implement improved and sustainable human resource systems and processes

• Contribute to improvements in employee productivity

• Implementing internal organisational development initiatives to encourage and sustain the ‘Living the NRF Values’ campaign

• Ensure that staff are aware of and able to adapt to change and transformation to deliver on the NRF’s mandate and the country’s transformation objectives

• Contribute to the development of a team based organisational culture through development interventions and programmes

• Build, embed and maintain positive staff perceptions of the NRF

• Manages existing and new NRF contracts and supports the business through reviewing, vetting and drafting of these contracts

• Provide support to the business in matters pertaining to employee grievances and discipline, as well as managing relations with the labour unions

• Provide well-researched and robust legal solutions in support of the NRF business

• Create and maintain a harmonious and stable labour relations environment


• Plans over the MTEF Period Over the MTEF period, the sub programme

envisages a number of strategic shifts in policy and processes and the implementation of related tools intended to enable the organisation to adapt to the changing environment and stakeholders’ expectations. The following initiatives have been planned:• The adaptation and change of the

Performance Management framework and associated reward mechanisms to align with a team and client-centric culture required to meet the organisation’s performance delivery expectations by a range of internal and external stakeholders;

• A fundamental shift in the workforce strategy and associated scorecard by introducing strategic differentiation linked to the various strategic thrusts of the individual

NRF divisions;• The negotiation of a new deal with labour

as a result of the expected organisational change and employee profile, should the NZG migrate and be transferred to SANBI;

• Contribute to the conceptualisation and creation of an astronomy sub-Agency within the NRF governance structure;

• The re-orientation and re-skilling of RISA staff through a Project Management suite of interventions to enable them to effectively function within the new matrix structure;

• Continued roll-out of the Management Development Programmes in partnership with the University of Stellenbosch Business School;

• The implementation of effective tools for the management of existing and new

NRF contracts, and putting in place guidelines, tracking processes and other mechanisms designed to ensure ease of compliance by all employees of the NRF who deal with contracts.

• The conceptualisation and implementation of a customised NRF Diversity Management Programme in all business units; and

• The investigation, sourcing and implementation of innovative recruitment and selection tools, thus contributing to the quality and fitness of NRF recruits.

• Alignment to best practice /standards The HR and Legal Services directorate

complies with and ensures adherence to a range of legislation, codes, and standards.

Creatinga diverse and representative organisation.

Stabilise the organisation

through targetedand focused

recruitment and retention of

key staff.

Improvementof competencies

andqualifications.

58



Table 11: Codes, standards and legislation applicable to HR and Legal Services

Codes, standards and legislations applicable to HR and Legal Services

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (No. 108 of 1996) The Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (No. 130 of 1993)

The Labour Relations Act (No. 66 of 1995) The Pension Fund Act (No. 24 of 1956)

The Basic Conditions of Employment Act (No. 75 of 1997) The Medical Schemes Act (No. 131 of 1998)

Code of Good Practice on Dismissals The Income Tax Act (No. 58 of 1962)

Employment Equity Code of Good Practice The Skills Development Act (No. 97 of 1998)

The National Research Foundation Act (No. 23 of 1998) The Skills Development Levies Act (No. 9 of 1999)

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (No. 85 of 1993) The South African Qualifications Authority Act (No. 58 of 1995)

The Employment Equity Act (No. 55 of 1998) The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (No. 4 of 2000)

The Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Act (No. 53 of 2003) The Promotion of Access to Information Act (No. 2 of 2000)

The Unemployment Insurance Act (No. 63 of 2001) The Promotion of Administration Justice Act (No. 3 of 2000)

The Protection of Personal Information Act (Act No. 4 of 2013)


STRATEGIC OUTCOME:A REPRESENTATIVE RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL WORKFORCE

60

When I grow up I want to be ……a scientist ! Mzansi, a Zulu term meaning “South”, is in its colloquial application a word that encompasses the idea of South Africa as a community and conveys a sense of unity. The NRF and the DST in their quest to open the world of science, technology and innovation to teachers, learners and members of the community, have develop the Mzansi For Science campaign, which is the first stage of developing a movement for the promotion and appreciation of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The primary goal of the campaign and movement is to plant in the hearts and minds of all South Africans, a coherent and inspiring vision of a knowledge-driven South Africa and to:

• Encourage South Africans to contemplate a brighter future based on knowledge creation and innovation.• Instil a vision about a winning society that is a global leader and a trendsetter.• Recognise the material and quality of life benefits arising from our resources, science and technology, social sciences and humanities foundations.

The achievement of the above goal will manifest in:• Significant scaling up of the number of individuals and private enterprises that invest in programmes and initiatives seeking to make South Africa a globally competitive knowledge economy;

• An increase in the number of students who are willing to take up careers in science and technology; and• An Increase in the number of students who go on to undertake postgraduate studies up to PhD level.

The Mzansi for Science campaign and movement is about getting South Africans to realise that the gold that will drive South Africa’s future economy is the one in grey matter, i.e. the brain. It is the knowledge and know-how, gained from studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and the creativity that leads to innovations that will make South Africa globally competitive.


6109NRF Annual Performance Plan 2015-2018

02PROGRAMME 02Science Engagement


South Africa’s innovation revolution must help solve our society’s deep and pressing socio-economic challenges. Global competitiveness, shrinking resource availability and the requirements of a skilled labour force mean that, increasingly, an awareness and understanding of why science and research are critical to our lives is essential for developing an innovation culture.

To fully realise the social, economic and environmental benefits of a significant investment in science, research and innovation as a country, the NRF has collaborated with the DST in the compilation of a Strategic Framework for Science Engagement with improved systemic coordination as one of the central aims. The creation of an enabling environment for the implementation of the recommendations of this Framework includes changes to the NRF to include science engagement, as well as a well-defined resourcing strategy (human and financial). Both processes are currently (February 2015) underway within the DST.

The NRF’s Science Engagement programme has a cross-cutting mandate that aims to strategically align all science engagement activities across the organisation. With SAASTA as the main business unit for science engagement, Programme 2 also accounts for the decentralised science engagement activities at the National Research


SAASTA

National Facilities Science

Engagement Initiatives

RISAScience

Engagement Initiatives

Science Engagement

NRF CEO

PROGRAMME 2

7 Programme 2: Science Engagement

Facilities and SKA SA, has a developing focus through the RISA renewal campaign, and the science communication initiatives through the Corporate Relations division.

This programme aims to increase the visibility of the social, economic and environmental benefits of the country’s significant investment in science, research and innovation. Through an enhanced focus on science communication, science education and public engagement, the NRF is well placed to engage the wider community on science, thereby enhancing the awareness and understanding of the knowledge economy to which we aspire. The programme also aims to influence the number of skilled professionals in science and technology in order to create a larger and more competent pool of people who may opt for science-based careers – the foundation of a thriving knowledge economy.

7.2 Contributions to Strategic Objectives

As an externally focused division of the NRF, Programme 2 has a mandate that transcends the NRF community. The new framework for science engagement will go a long way to positioning the programme to extend the reach nationally, which will allow science engagement to play a pivotal role in the National landscape. The NDP focuses extensively on the application of science



and technology in national development; it also make reference to the corollary to their effective application – the importance of scientific literacy – in the statement that to “promote technological advances, developing countries should invest in education for youth, ... and should ensure that knowledge is shared as widely as possible across society” (Page 72).

Directly supporting the MTSF Priorities 1 and 14 (quality basic education; and a diverse, socially cohesive society with a common national identity), the programme has the potential to support the quality of education through its focused teacher and learner interventions. Many of the key science communication public campaigns (eg Public Understanding of Biotechnology, NRF Science for Society Lecture Series), have the specific mandate to bridge the science and society divide and make scientific

knowledge accessible to lay audiences. These programmes thus ensure that scientific knowledge is shared across diverse public audiences in innovative ways that ensure more effective public engagement with science.

NRF Science Engagement: Key Interventions-2015/16

• SAASTA to give effect to its national coordinating role as per the DST Science Engagement Framework.

• Build strategic capability in monitoring and evaluation and indicator studies in partnership with the Science Communication Research Chair (SARChI).

• Implementation of the Mzansi for Science public campaign (Programme 1–Corporate Relations)

• RISA (Programme 3) will focus attention on

increasing communication of research and research results for public audiences.

• The National Facilities (Programme 4) – resourcing of science engagement in NF’s remains a challenge in the constrained budgetary context. A revised funding model as per the recommendations of the new science engagement framework may allow the NFs to consolidate across disciplinary clusters (eg Biodiversity and Conservation) for enhanced impact.

• Astronomy (Programme 5)- consolidation of science engagement across the NRF astronomy cluster and external partners to give effect to the roll out of the Astronomy Sub Agency.




Table 11: Programme 2: KPIs against budget (2014/15–2017/18) – Strategic Objective 7

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 7 Entrench science engagement

OBJECTIVE STATEMENT Science engaging with society for the promotion of a vibrant national research culture through the implementation of effective science awareness, science education and science communication activities.

CRITICAL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES • Cultivate science awareness through education and communication (incl. Mzansi for Science);• Implement effective science engagement initiatives; and• Promote a vibrant research culture.


Actual 2012 Actual 2013 Actual 2014 Target 2015 Proj 2016 Proj 2017 Proj 2018

Investments in Science Engagement activities (SAASTA & NF's) (Rm)

69.599 55.517 71.645 75.377 86.387 82.443 86.264

Interactions with the public (learners, educators and general public) focussing on science awareness activities (SAASTA)

Number of interactions

0 10 7 10 10 10 11

Approximate number of public reached

0 551 408 502 186 556 334 560 000 580 000 600 000

Interactions focussing on educator development and learner performance in Mathematics, Technology and Science


0 7 8 7 8 9 10

Educators reached 0 8 758 10 425 12 645 13 870 15 210 15 500

Learners reached 0 271 641 342 135 347 864 360 320 374 403 375 000

BUDGET (Rm) Actual 2012 Actual 2013 Actual 2014 Target 2015 Proj 2016 Proj 2017 Proj 2018

Science Engagement 130.507 117.473 143.689 157.955 165.357 157.575 162.416



In order to contribute successfully to objective 7, the programme must: • Cultivate science awareness through

education and communication• Implement effective science engagement

initiatives• Promote a vibrant research culture

The science engagement indicators are represented at systemic level in terms of “reach”, a quantitative target which is able to indicate the spread of interventions, promoting either a) broad awareness or b) more sustained school level intervention with leaders and educators. As part of the roll out of the new DST Science Engagement Framework, NRF/DST will continue to work with the researchers within the newly appointed Science Communication Research Chairs (SARChI) to design alternative indicators using base line data and begin to track learner exposure to various science engagement initiatives and possible links to eventual career choices. In addition, it would be necessary to track public perceptions of science, technology and innovation in a systemic, consistent manner in order to understand the nuanced science and society relationships that exist. These are longer term impact studies that will begin to inform both type of science engagement programmes and the required investments going forward.

Through science education we

build the supply of tomorrow’s scientists and

innovators;

Through science communication we celebrate South Africa’s achievements in science and technology,

expand the public’s appreciation of the benefits of science, and encourage engagement with science

issues that impact on people’s daily lives;

Through science awareness, we encourage exploration, exhibitions,

science festivals and actual experience, we instil in

people an enthusiasm about the wonder and application

of the subject, while encouraging greater public engagement in SET issues.

The three core activities can be achieved simultaneously in some areas of the business, as can be seen below.

• Cultivate science awareness through education and communication and Implement effective science engagement initiatives

a. Science engagementAll science promotion, awareness, appreciation, education and engagement programmes within the NRF reside under one of three key strategic areas that form an integrated and seamless approach. The areas shown in Figure 26 are interdependent, each enhancing their mutual effectiveness.

Figure 26: Three strategic areas of science engagement


STRATEGIC OUTCOME:SCIENTIFICALLY LITERATE AND ENGAGED SOCIETY

b. South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA)

The mandate of SAASTA is to advance public awareness and appreciation of, and engagement with, science, engineering and technology (SET) in South Africa. Through its mandate, SAASTA contributes to the NRF mandate and key strategic objectives by supporting research and contributing to human capacity development in the critical areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Innovation (STEMI) through science education, science communication and science awareness activities.

All science promotion, awareness, appreciation and engagement programmes within the NRF reside under one of three key strategic areas that form an integrated and seamless approach. The areas are interdependent, each enhancing the effectiveness of the other as follows:• Through science education, SAASTA builds the

supply of tomorrow’s scientists and innovators;• Through science communication, SAASTA

celebrates South Africa’s achievements in science and technology, expands the public’s awareness and appreciation of the benefits of science, and encourages engagement with science issues that impact on people’s daily lives;

• By growing awareness of science through exploration, exhibitions, science festivals and actual experience, SAASTA ignites in people

an enthusiasm about the wonder and application of the subject, while encouraging greater public engagement in science, engineering and technology (SET) issues.

• Main ActivitiesAll science engagement programmes within SAASTA reside under one of three key strategic areas that combine to form an integrated and seamless approach. The areas are interdependent, each enhancing the effectiveness of the others, as explained below.

• Science Education UnitSouth Africa is rapidly reaching the forefront of science and technology advancement and has the potential to become a rich source of scientific expertise. This will only be possible if the system is sustained with a healthy supply of learners whose interest in SET is guided by equally passionate educators and learners. It is against this background that the SAASTA’s Science Education is well positioned to partner with the Department of Basic Education and other government departments as well as the business sector, to improve the state of STEMI education in South Africa.

The main activities in this strategic area focus on:• Improving learner and educator performance

in SET-based programmes- Projects include: science camps, science,

technology, engineering, mathematics

and innovation (STEMI) Olympiads and competitions, educator development programmes, primary school science interventions, and programmes in association with the DST Dinaledi adopted schools.

• Increasing learner and student exposure to SET-based careers- Projects include: Role-modelling

campaigns, undergraduate support, and the National Youth Volunteer Service.

• Science Awareness Platforms UnitBy increasing awareness of science through exploration, exhibitions and actual experience, SAASTA’s Science Awareness Platforms Unit highlights the applications of science and technology whilst simultaneously inspiring individuals (learners, educators and public) about the wonders of science and thus encouraging greater awareness of and engagement with science.

The main activities under this strategic area focus on:• Stimulating engagement of SET with public

audiences- Projects include: science festivals, sky

viewing and visits to the Johannesburg Observatory, programmatic support and capacity building for science centres. National Science Week is organised by SAASTA on behalf of the Department of




Science and Technology.- Provision of public access to relevant

scientific and technological information through exhibits

- Projects include: exhibit building and travelling of exhibits to reach target audiences, especially in rural areas.

• Science Communication The essence of good science communication

lies in providing credible and accurate information that is accessible to all South African communities, and is integral in conveying the world of science to the community.

The main activities under this strategic area focus on:• Increasing the quality and quantity of science

reporting with regard to print and broadcast media- Activities include media monitoring, facility

tours for journalists, and information sessions with journalists.

• Developing communication media for target audiences- Activities include development of online

media resources, science factsheets, educator resources, learners’ resources, nanotechnology newsletters, and a revised SAASTA digital platform.

• Effective profiling of researchers and scientists- Projects include: Southern African Science

Lens Competition, Young Science Communicators Competition, SAASTA/National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF), awards for excellence in science communication, RISA collaborations on projects such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM).

• Building capacity in the science communication sector- Projects include: hosting of dialogue

sessions and responsible information management workshops. Discipline-specific communication and awareness programmes currently cover biotechnology, nanotechnology, hydrogen fuel cells and space science.

• Cultivate science awareness through education and communication and promote a vibrant research culture

a. Science Advancement at National Research Facilities

The National Research Facilities perform a critical role in the science engagement agenda in that they provide the science awareness platforms that are used to:• Improve the scientific and technological

(S&T) literacy and awareness of South Africans;

• Encourage the inclusion of S&T content in

educational programmes and curricular activities;

• Host regular science-related activities and national events such as National Science Week and national quiz activities;

• Run educator workshops for improving the understanding and delivery of science concepts; and

• Conduct summer and winter schools for prospective postgraduate students.

b. National Zoological Gardens (NZG)The Science Engagement focus will be on seeking ways of improving the quality of existing programmes, developing monitoring and evaluation tools and the mining of the report and business plan for the development of the NZG Life Science Centre. The latter will be completed soon after the end of the current financial year.

School learner support and development consists of general science awareness raising through focus days and weeks and learner visits to the zoo. Formalised courses structured around Life and Environmental Science topics that are aligned to the national curriculum are offered to learners, especially during the school holidays. Learners in grades 7 to 9 are able to complete a structured course after which they become members of the NZG ZooClub. This is a structure that organises the young people to be able to volunteer at the zoo when their time allows, thus exposing them


the operational areas of the zoo, and they follow structured science & technology exposure to SET institutions in the Gauteng area as well as receive career educational support.

c. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)

Working to its strengths in student training and development, SAIAB’s strategic goal for science engagement is to develop a transformation programme that demonstrably attracts students, especially from disadvantaged groups, into a science and technology career path. This approach has been successfully implemented through the ACEP Phuhlisa Programme from 2012/13-2014/15. An overriding aim of this programme is to contribute to Human Capacity Development Initiatives such as the NRF PhD Pipeline Project. To support this aim SAIAB also offers opportunities aimed primarily, but not exclusively, at students from HBUs from undergraduate to postgraduate level. These include: • School programmes - Where capacity

allows, Science Engagement will continue to target specific events such as SciFest Africa and National Science Week. Resources from the next phase of ACEP (2015-2018) will be used for the downstream finalisation of a multi-media educational resource series and researching, testing and rolling out the series to selected schools through an appropriate science centre. SAIAB conducts limited

science advancement for local schools which can visit the Institute by appointment. Work-shadowing, holiday work and apprenticeships are offered for grade 10 to grade 12 learners on request and if research staff are able to assist.

• Undergraduate programmes - SAIAB aims to offer an annual Summer School for 3rd year (undergraduate) students to feed into the ACEP Phuhlisa Programme. However, it will be necessary to source external funding to do this.

• Postgraduate programmes - SAIAB has a large and growing postgraduate research school with over 50 students. These students form the bedrock of the next generation of resource managers, scientists and policy makers.

• NRF Professional Development Programme (PDP) Fellowships – Where appropriate and feasible, short courses will be provided with a specialist MSc and PhD focus, including postgraduates in science advancement activities as role models.

• Adult education - When requested, SAIAB runs tours and courses for compliance and conservation officers in the biodiversity sector from DEA (Oceans and Coasts), DAFF and certain SADC countries in the correct identification of the various fish resources in Africa’s waters.

• General public - The institute offers limited

tours, seminars, presentations and lectures for public groups which include the annual Smith Memorial Lecture.

d. South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON)

Science engagement is implemented through the education outreach programme. The programme is different from the generic science advancement and environmental education programmes in that it focuses on exposing school learners to the actual science of environmental observation, data collection, analysis, reporting and disseminating findings of hands-on projects. School learners are engaged in hands-on, enquiry-based teaching and learning to demonstrate the value of long-term and large-scale environmental observation and monitoring.

The programme has five focus areas or sub-programmes: (a) school-based monitoring, (b) educator support, (c) learner support, (d) awareness platforms, and (e) integration of scientists which cut across the other four focus areas. The school-based monitoring projects provide the opportunity for hands-on enquiry-based learning and teaching. Learners learn scientific methods by actively participating in the projects. They ask questions, formulate hypotheses, design activities, collect and analyse data and share their reports. The projects are implemented in schools within previously



disadvantage communities, thereby giving learners from poor backgrounds the rare opportunity to take part in science, and also providing the schools with pieces of equipment that they would otherwise not afford.

The educator support thrust of the programme seeks to improve the scientific knowledge of teachers. SAEON organises and facilitates teachers’ workshops, symposia and fieldtrips which give them the opportunity to interact with scientists on a variety of science topics. The teacher support thrust is strongly aligned with the school curriculum and teachers can relate their discourses and experience to the material in the curriculum. In a sense, it gives them more understanding and examples to use in their teaching.

The learner support thrust of the programme provides fora for continuous interaction between SAEON education personnel with school learners. The aim is for the former to motivate and influence the latter to choose careers in science. One approach is to hold science camps with learners during school holidays during which learners interact with scientists and learn how scientists work.

Awareness platforms, which normally take the form of science expos, exhibitions and promotions, provide opportunities for SAEON education outreach personnel to interact with large numbers of audiences of learners, teachers and the general public.

The integration of scientists thrust is all about bringing in active scientists to become part of the activities of the programme. This provides the rare opportunity for learners and teachers to interact with and learn from active scientists. This serves as a good motivation in its own right, particularly for the learners.

e. iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator Based Sciences (LABS)

Community Interaction and Training advances public awareness and appreciation of science and technology through its many science engagement programmes. These interventions also enhance the profile of iThemba LABS to both the broader education sector and the general public. The programmes are coordinated through various interventions such as science shows, workshops, public lectures, science festivals, exhibitions and various media and site tours. The division also communicates and promotes all the other facility activities to the public using various platforms such as radio, television and social networks. The division has three permanent employees, one of whom has the dedicated task of science advancement.

As an interface between iThemba LABS and the general public, the CIT division will continue to liaise and interact closely with senior research scientists in charge of the dedicated, state of the art research infrastructure of iThemba LABS; this serves to foster the positive projection

of the iThemba LABS brand and an increased awareness and popular understanding of the facility’s specialised research programmes.

Public lectures and site tours will continue to be the major component of the activities contributing to knowledge dissemination in the field of science and technology, in line with the strategic objectives of the NRF.

Collaboration and networking with international stakeholders, like the Namibian Department of Education and CERN, will be pursued in order to advance our outreach programmes.

A major drive would be to source external funding for the development of an on-site visitors’ centre that could house permanent exhibits and models communicating the state of the art science and research programmes of iThemba LABS to the general public.

f. South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO)

The SAAO’s science awareness and outreach activities are all conducted under the SALT Collateral Benefits Programme’s (SCBP). The four key areas of the SCBP are education, communication, awareness and socio-economic development in the Karoo Hoogland region, particularly in the town of Sutherland. Through education, a supply of future scientists and innovators is built and this



is aligned with the NRF’s strategic objective of “growing a representative science and technology workforce in South Africa”. Appreciation of the power and relevance of astronomy and the benefits of science and technology is achieved through the area of communication. Public engagement is accomplished via awareness programmes. Poverty is alleviated and the community of Sutherland is empowered via socioeconomic development programmes.

The aims of the Collateral Benefits Programme are: • To increase the number of learners in

mathematics and science • To provide teacher support and development

in mathematics and science, particularly in the Earth and Beyond theme, and to use astronomy as a context for teaching mathematics and science

• To promote and facilitate the establishment of astronomy societies and clubs

• To promote awareness of astronomy-based indigenous knowledge systems

• To provide a platform for the training of post graduate students in science communication

g. Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO)

Engagement with the public and learners takes place on-site and also extends to science festivals and teacher workshops. In addition, an initiative in collaboration with the University of Stellenbosch (USB) and Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) at Matjiesfontein (HartRAO outstation under development) has led to the establishment of an outreach project in this small town. A train wagon in the Matjiesfontein train museum has been equipped with science exhibitions and computers, to stimulate children and to create awareness of science and technology; this initiative will be expanded in the near future.

The key focus areas of the HartRAO Science Awareness Programme are to:• Engage with learners, particularly from

previously disadvantaged backgrounds, to use the vehicle of astronomy and space geodesy to make them aware of the opportunities in science, engineering and technology as demonstrated by HartRAO, through school visits to the observatory, visits to schools and participation in science festivals

• Provide workshops for teachers on the astronomy-related content of the school curriculum, in partnership with provincial education departments

• Engage with the public, through public visits to the observatory

• Carry out role modelling for learners by using female scientists and technical staff to advance gender equality

• Work with media in promoting participation in science, engineering and technology, e.g. through educational TV shows, radio interviews and electronic and print media

h. Square Kilometre Array (SKA)The programme is used to create awareness, interest, understanding and insight into radio astronomy. It also aims to enlarge the pool of learners in astronomy and space science. The outreach programme directly supports the NRF strategic goal, which is to promote science awareness and science advancement, through:• Public talks and presentations• Talks and presentations at schools• SKA SA presence at national science festivals

and career expos• Outreach activities in the schools in the towns

close to the SKA SA site in the Karoo



• Schools Programme Since 2005, the SKA SA has worked with the schools in the towns near

the SKA SA site in the Karoo. The schools programme aims to assist

with improving the quality of mathematics and science education, so

that students from this area can become active participants in the

MeerKAT and SKA science and engineering bursary programmes.

The schools programme has facilitated the recruitment of qualified

mathematics and science teachers, the construction and equipping of

a Cyberlab and science laboratories, an E-schools programme, teacher

training, role modeling, holiday programmes, sky viewing sessions, field

trips and exchange programmes.



The winner of FameLabSA 2014, Raven Motsewabangwe (centre) with runners-up Gugu Mabuza from the CSIR (left) and Cornelis van Niekerk of the University of Pretoria. FameLab was started in 2005 at the Cheltenham Science Centre in the UK. In 2014, SAASTA teamed up with the British Council and Jive Media Africa to bring FameLab to South Africa, and FameLabSA was born.

A 25-year-old microbiologist from North West University, Raven Motsewabangwe, emerged as the judges’ favourite in FameLabSA 2014 competition.

The winners of SAASTA’s national AstroQuiz 2014 finals were, from left: Ebenitha Esterhuizen, Kgotlholela Seagisa, Oratile Selatlhedi and Orefile Morule from Sol Plaatje School in Mafikeng, North West

72

Community Engagement Research grants provide researchers with enabling conditions to assess the philosophical and conceptual challenges associated with the dynamics of community engagement and social responsiveness. From these assessments sustainable outreach projects are conceptualised and incubated for leveraged funding from private and public investors.

Prof Mark Swilling’s research on Sustainable Community Transitions: The case of incremental upgrading in Enkanini, resulted in the establishment of the iShack, a community-run business supplying informal houses with necessary energy efficient power.

As second example is that of Prof Monique Mark’s research on the Kenneth Gardens (Durban) community outreach project, where relationships with NPO’s (non-profit organisations) were investigated and then implemented to establish amongst others a robust and growing wellness clinic with the NPO Senzokhule.

These are just a few examples of the NRF trying to build stronger communities.

Enabling sustainable community outreach programmes



03PROGRAMME 03Research and Innovation Support and Advancement (RISA)

8 Programme 3: RISA




RISA is the grant-making programme within the NRF, and translates the mandate of the NRF – as well as the science and technology strategies and policies of government – into initiatives that support research, researchers and the provision of world-class research infrastructure. The key function of RISA is to ensure that the country has appropriately qualified human resources and the necessary high-level infrastructure to produce knowledge that is globally competitive and can transform the socio-economic landscape of South Africa.

RISA is specifically mandated to develop intellectual capital within the National System of Innovation (NSI) in line with the NRF’s transformation agenda. In order to meet this mandate, the organisation attempts to:• Transform the science, engineering and

technology (SET) workforce in terms of gender, race and persons with disabilities;

• Recognise designated groups such as women, black and disabled researchers, particularly emerging researchers, as independent researchers; and

• Attract and retain excellence in research and innovation at South African universities.

All funding decisions and investments are informed by the MTEF letter, the mandate of the NRF, contract specifications as received from

the DST and any specific direction from the Minister, including the Ministerial Review Report Recommendations 2012.

Ultimately, RISA contributes to the creation of a vibrant NSI that is sustainable and globally relevant.

Transformation Strategy:

The NRF has implemented several initiatives to robustly encourage increased participation of persons from the designated groups who are in their early research careers, including the following:

• Implemented the expanded Thuthuka Funding Framework that provides up to nine years of funding to obtain the PhD degree and to do research beyond the PhD for previously disadvantaged persons employed at Higher Education Institutions or Science Research Councils. This is aimed at providing a platform that will enable their future rating;

• Developed the Professional Development Programme (PDP) for the placement of disadvantaged persons as young researchers at the NFs and Science Councils;

• Expanded the NRF Postdoc placement programmes;

• Created the Research Career Award

Fellowships for young professionals to be absorbed into the Higher Education, National Research Facilities and Science Council landscape;

• Introduced part-time scholarships for doctoral students;

• Provided funding to NRF Y-rated researchers, especially those from the designated groups to ensure that they evolve into better established researchers;

• Launched the Improved Academic Qualifications (IAQ) funding instrument which enables academic staff from designated groups to complete their doctoral degrees using a “lecturer replacement”;

• Developed a framework with the SASOL Inzalo Foundation for co-funding M and D students at designated universities;

• Ensured transformation of the NRF Specialist Rating Committees and reviewers by actively identifying and appointing excellent researchers from designated groups; and

• Implemented the NRF Rating Road Show to increase the number of Black and women NRF-rated researchers.

Collectively, this basket of instruments creates numerous opportunities for the professional and research career development of young disadvantaged scientists, and are aimed at ensuring that we fast-track the NRF transformation agenda. A significant impediment to making


progress here is the pace of transformation in the higher education sector as a whole. Presently only 45% of instructional and research staff at Universities are black or female, while black African women represent only 18% of this workforce.

It is against this backdrop that the NRF is beginning to develop a targeted interventionist strategy which will address transformation of the workforce in a focused way. The first of these is the most recent SARChI call for 20 chairs which is exclusively ring-fenced for South African women. The NRF has also formed a partnership with DHET in an effort to complement the transformation agenda. An example of this is the synergy between RCAF and NGAP. It is also intended that the next RCAF allocation will be ring-fenced for women from the designated groups only. Further, the NRF is collaborating with HESA to enhance the transformation agenda by jointly addressing challenges faced by researchers from the designated groups. Finally, the NRF is collaborating with the leadership of HEIs to obtain current, accurate information on its human resources so that candidates from designated groups can be identified for future support in partnership with the HEIs.

African Agenda

The NRF’s robust and internationally recognised funding systems position it as a leading funding

agency in Africa. RISA uses this strategic advantage to accelerate engagements between countries on the African continent in collaboration with international partners. In partnership with a large number of African countries, RISA promotes and supports research through funding and human resource development, to promote the global knowledge economy to contribute to socio-economic and sustainable growth on the African continent.

Specific collaborative efforts to drive a strong African support framework are discussed in detail under Strategic Objective 2: Promote system-wide international engagement and collaboration in order to support emerging knowledge fields and provide local researchers with access to innovative research infrastructure.

Societal Benefit

The NRF-funding instruments are designed to support fundamental research which has the potential to impact positively on the quality of life of the people of South Africa and globally – in summary, the NRF supports excellence with relevance. The outcomes of these investments are measurable, viz., the number of supported students who graduate and the number and quality of scholarly publications. However, what appears to be more challenging is the measurement of the impact of these investments

on science and society. The NRF therefore commissioned a study titled “Exploratory evaluation of the socioeconomic impacts of selected NRF funding instruments”. This has provided baseline data which will be used to better inform the NRF investments into the future for greater societal impact.

What is worthy of note is that numerous of the NRF investments have yielded some tangible benefits to society. These are evident from the following examples:

• Healthcare: Numerous SARChI chairs have been

established to focus on bettering medical interventions such as immunisation (Prof Shabir Madhi: Vaccine Preventable Diseases Research Chair); HIV vaccines (Prof Anna-Lize Williamson: HIV Chair); hypertension treatment (Prof Alta Schutte: Early Detection and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Africa Chair); drug research in, for example, the treatment of malaria (Prof Kelly Chibale: Drug Discovery Research Chair); and, cancer treatment and prevention (Prof Tebello Nyokong Medicinal Chemistry and Nanotechnology Chair).

Centre of Excellence in HIV research being established in collaboration with CAPRISA. The CoE in Biomedical Research (CBTBR)



advises the Department of Health (DoH) on interpretation of new antibiotic resistance testing and appropriate usage of current antibiotics and is involved in many outreach activities, targeting school teachers and learners, and on science communication in general.

South African Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA) contributed to scenario modelling to the Department of Health working group tasked with the revision of contraceptive guidelines, launched in response to the escalation of concern, post 2010, of increased HIV acquisition risk associated with hormonal contraception.

• Environment (Ecology): Numerous SARChI Chairs have been

established to focus on the preservation of natural resources and ecological assets such as protecting marine ecosystems (Prof Renzo Perissinotto Marine Ecosystem Research Chair).

Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) is a Regional Science Service Centre (RSSC) for the southern Africa region. The project is a joint venture between Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Germany,

with the aim of responding to the challenges of global change.

The centre for Invasion Biology (CIB) has established the Limbovane Outreach Project in 2013 with key achievements including outreach visits to participating schools, learner workshops and educational and environmental expos to give learners a hands-on experience of biodiversity science and to involve them in the collection of environmental data that can be used in long-term monitoring of biodiversity

• Energy: Energy Human Capacity Development

and Knowledge Generation (EHCD&KG) Programme; three Research Chairs in Energy focusing on Clean Coal Technology (professor Falcon at WITS, Research Chair in Clean Coal Technology ) and two Chairs in Biofuels and Other Clean Alternative Fuels hosted at both SU (Professor. W.H. van Zyl) and NWU (Professor. S. Marx).

Figure 29 shows the RISA structure highlighting the sub-programmes within Programme 3, including special projects. The RISA sub-programmes are designed to address the strategic objectives of the NRF both individually and collectively.



Figure 29: RISA structure

GMSAHICD

Definitions of acronyms are available on Page 146

REKFD IRCSpecial ProjectsRCCE IEPD ARIC

NRF CEO

Deputy CEO

PROGRAMME 3

RIMS

DST/NRF Internship Programme


In addition to the direct funding received, NRF researchers benefit off leveraged funding through the various bilateral and multilateral agreements. Between 2011 and 2013 it is estimated that a total of R1.161bn was leveraged.

The NRF is currently developing a model to actively track and measure leveraged funding and the accrued benefits to the system.

8.3. Contributions to Strategic Objectives

As the largest division of the NRF and the core of the NRF business, RISA not only contributes to the strategic objectives of the NRF but also directly or indirectly contributes to 11 of the 14 MTSF priorities.


8.2. Sources of Funding

RISA receives both designated and contract funds, which are managed according to the objectives laid down by the respective sponsors. Figure 30 provides an indication of the income trends. While designated income increased by 13% between the 2014/15 and 2015/16 financial years, this trend decreases to a 2% increase in 2016/17 and a 10% decrease in the third year of the MTEF period. The discretionary funds are made up of the MTEF core allocation and other income. The discretionary funds are of concern, with no significant year-on-year increase over the three-year MTEF period.

The standing of the NRF in the NSI enables the organisation to formulate strategic partnerships with private and public entities. These relationships result in direct income through collaborative programmes as well as indirect income through leveraged funding. The South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) actively collaborates with national and international partners where infrastructure and research capital (whether human or financial) are jointly applied towards strengthening the Chair.

Currently, South Africa and Switzerland are co-funding the SA-ZA Bilateral Research Chair in Global Environmental Health hosted at the University of Cape Town. A new call has been launched for three South Africa – United Kingdom Bilateral Research Chairs, and negotiations are being finalised with Germany.

The average bursary values will increase as follows:

R42 000

R33 000

Masters

R60 000

R48 000

R80 000

R68 000

Honours

R145 000

R135 000

Post-DoctoralDoctoral

The average researchgrants value

(excluding student bursaries)will increase from

R72 500 to R82 200

Rm

600

800

1 000

2 000

1600

2 600

1 200

2 200

1 800

2 800

1 400

2 400

400

200

MTEF Core Income MTEF Designated Income Designated Income Other Income Total

2011/12 Actual 318.0 232.0 765.0 14.0 1 329.0

2012/13 Actual 320.0 259.0 830.0 19.0 1 428.0

2013/14 Actual 318.0 451.0 1 183.0 39.0 1 991.0

2014/15 Budget 318.0 795.0 1 156.0 18.0 2 287.0

2015/16 Budget 333.0 1 323.0 878.0 24.0 2 558.0

2016/17 Budget 317.0 1 267.0 974.0 22.0 2 580.0

2017/18 Budget 333.0 1 120.0 888.0 22.0 2 363.0

Figure 30: Growth rate for RISA funding streams (2011/12–2017/18)

0


8.3.1. Programme 3 - Strategic Objective 8

Table 12 outlines strategic objective 8 in more detail, including the contribution made to the MTSF priorities.


STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 8 Provide best practice systems in support of grant making, reviews and evaluations

OBJECTIVE STATEMENT The support of research and innovation through the provision of world-class grant making, rating and evaluation systems while striving to double the investment in research to R8bn over the 5 years

CRITICAL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES • Pursue best practice grant making, evaluation and rating systems

LINKS TO MTSF NRF Strategic Objective 8 links to indirectly to:• MTSF Priorities 2, 5 6 7 8 and 10.

Actual 2012 Actual 2013 Actual 2014 Target 2015 Proj 2016 Proj 2017 Proj 2018

Grant funding awarded (Rm) 1 300 1 186 1 534 1 664 2 106 2 193 2 213

Number of NRF rated researchers from designated groups

Black % 20% 22% 23% 21% 24% 25% 26%

Black Number 506 569 668 604 768 850 936

Female % 29% 30% 30% 30% 31% 32% 33%

Female Number 717 780 889 863 992 1088 1188


RISA Support Systems 43.136 41.459 45.765 44.830 49.707 49.172 50.399

• Pursue best practice grant making, evaluation and rating systems

In order to contribute successfully to objective 8, the programme must: • Pursue best practice grant making, evaluation

and rating systems

a. Reviews and Evaluation (RE)The RE directorate operates in line with international standards in order to review programmes, disciplines

and initiatives across the science landscape. Building a level of assurance with regard to the review and evaluation process is crucial for both external and internal stakeholders, thus ensuring that funding decisions have credibility.

This business unit is also responsible for the rating of South African researchers. The rating process is a transparent process in line with best practice. RISA provides in-house support services,

as outlined in Figure 31, to ensure the strictest adherence to approved policy and process.

The NRF uses the reviews and evaluation process for researchers as tools to assess the quality of knowledge produced against international benchmarks. The rating process not only provides researchers with access to limited funding and access to global networks, but also encourages researchers to strive to produce high-quality



research outputs and to appropriately advance their career development. By the 2014/15 financial year, there are over 3000 researchers who have been awarded a rating by the NRF. Table 13 is an indication of the profile of rated researchers across the system.

Although rating is not compulsory and researchers submit applications voluntarily. Overall the total black rated researchers have increased with 49% over the last 4 years, and the total female rated researchers with 33%. The rating categories are designed to lead and develop young researchers from their first rating (Y or P) through the ranks to achieve the highest rating of excellence. The highest tier of the rating category profiles primarily white, though it should be taken into cognisance that these ratings are rewarded after many years of outputs and often culminates in 30 to 40 years in active research. This profile will change as the number of rated black and female researchers in the other categories are grown and fostered. The NRF will focus dedicated effort to encourage more black and female researchers to be rated. It is important to maintain the excellence criteria of the system and to build black and female candidates towards achieving this excellence through every funding instrument within the RISA domain.


STRATEGIC OUTCOME: WORLD-CLASS BENCHMARKING AND GRANT MAKING SYSTEMS

Figure 31: Reviews and Evaluation functions

Provide system tools to rating panel members to improve workflow

efficiency and support the accountability

of decision-making: improve to the rating panel member facility

Determine perceptions amongst stakeholders of the rating categories

as recommended by the HESA Review of the Rating System (2007):

Survey of the naming of the rating categories

Implement policy-related decisions

taken at the annual stakeholder consultation

forum: Considerable International

Recognition (CIR) guideline document

Provide appraising, monitoring and

reviewing services for external and internal

programmes; review the French-South African

Institute of Technology (F’SATI) Postgraduate Programme in Satellite Systems Engineering

Enhance procedural fairness and

transparency of the rating system as

recommended by the HESA Review of the

Rating System (2007): Implementation of

the revised appeals procedure

Reviews and Evaluation

Table 13: Numbers of Rated Researchers in all Disciplines (2013/14)

Rating and Description

Black: Race and Gender Black

Total

White: Race and Gender

White Total Grand

TotalF M F M

A Researchers who are unequivocally recognised by their peers as leading international scholars in their field for the high quality and impact of their recent research outputs.

1 7 8 13 84 97 105

B Researchers who enjoy considerable international recognition by their peers for the high quality and impact of their recent research outputs.

6 54 60 123 466 589 649

C Established researchers with a sustained recent record of productivity in the field who are recognised by their peers as having:• produced a body of quality work, the core of which has

coherence and attests to ongoing engagement with the field• demonstrated the ability to conceptualise problems and

apply research methods to investigating them.

104 375 479 485 853 1338 1817

L *This category has been discontinued. 2 4 6 6 1 7 13

P Young researchers (normally younger than 35 years of age), who have held the doctorate or equivalent qualification for less than five years at the time of application and who, on the basis of exceptional potential demonstrated in their published doctoral work and/or their research outputs in their early post-doctoral careers are considered likely to become future international leaders in their field.

2 2 3 10 13 15

Y Young researchers (40 years or younger), who have held the doctorate or equivalent qualification for less than five years at the time of application, and who are recognised as having the potential to establish themselves as researchers within a five-year period after evaluation, based on their performance and productivity of quality research outputs during their doctoral studies and/or early post-doctoral careers.

57 144 201 153 178 331 532

Grand Total 170 586 756 783 1592 2375 3131



b. Grants Management and Systems Administration (GMSA)

The centralised Grants Management and Systems Administration (GMSA) directorate within RISA ensures that the division leverages economies of scale, improves efficiencies and adopts world-class, auditable business processes for managing NRF-

MONITOR PROGRESS

Elicit and review interim, annual and financial progress reports. Undertake institutional visits.

Data monitoring.

OPEN CALL

Submit applications through NRF online system or

as per call instructions.

ASSESSMENTS PROCESS

Identify and invite chairperson, assessor and specialist panel

members.Manage advisory panel meetings.

Make funding recommendations

SET PROGRAMMESTRATEGY

GRANT ADMINISTRATION

Release and payment of grants. Monitor expenditure.

Make adjustments if necessary. Approve and implement carry

forwards.

COMMUNICATE FUNDING DECISIONS

Issue letter of award/regret.Supporting documentation:

conditions of grant, grantholder, bursary conditions, student

nominations, etc.

APPEALS

SCREEN AND VERIFY APPLICATIONS

Check: complete, correct and appropriate.Select reviewers.

Obtain review reports.

awarded grants. GMSA operates leading-edge grant management systems that are responsible for ensuring compliance in the management of the funding processes and coordinating all grant-making activities across RISA. The relevant grant management processes, including both pre- and post-award activities, are illustrated in Figure 32.

PRE-AWARD: GRANT-MAKING

STRATEGISING AND AWARDING

POST-AWARD: GRANT MANAGEMENT

Figure 32: Grants Management and Systems Administrator (GMSA) process

FUNDING DECISIONS


STRATEGIC OUTCOME: WORLD-CLASS BENCHMARKING AND GRANT MAKING SYSTEMS




STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1 Promote globally competitive research and innovation

OBJECTIVE STATEMENT Driving research competitiveness through the support of high quality research and innovation, as well as the generation of knowledge and the development of human capacity, in critical areas.

CRITICAL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES • Increase and provide support for next generation, emerging and established researchers in order to grow the PhD pipeline;

• Support multidisciplinary research and innovation.

LINKS TO MTSF NRF Strategic Objective 1 links to:• MTSF Priorities 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 through the implementation and support of the Human Capacity

Development Excellence Pipeline, including the creation of Research Chairs and Centres of Excellence.

INDICATORS Actual 2012 Actual 2013 Actual 2014 Target 2015 Proj 2016 Proj 2017 Proj 2018

Investment in HCD Pipeline Next Generation % 49% 62% 64% 65% 62% 59% 59%

Next Generation (Rm) 220 370 469 605 608 637 648

Emerging % 17% 14% 15% 17% 17% 19% 19%

Emerging (Rm) 76 82 112 154 171 203 205

Established % 34% 25% 21% 18% 21% 22% 22%

Established (Rm) 154 147 153 169 202 236 236

Number of NRF funded researchers from designated groups

Black % 26% 26% 28% 32% 34% 37% 40%

Black Number 754 790 1 008 1 240 1 543 1 739 1 960

Female % 33% 34% 36% 42% 44% 47% 50%

Female Number 957 1 044 1 285 1 628 1 997 2 209 2 450

Number and ratio of post-graduate students funded per designated group

Black % 60% 63% 63% 65% 65% 67% 69%

Black Number 4 569 5 541 6 110 7 400 9 373 9 715 10 350

Female % 49% 52% 53% 53% 56% 57% 58%

Female Number 3 774 4 557 5 186 6 100 8 075 8 265 8 700

Number of post-graduate students funded per level

Masters 3 564 3 397 3 704 4 828 5 515 5 300 5 350

Doctoral 1 979 2 031 2 265 2 790 2 996 3 200 3 230

BUDGET (Rm) Established Actual 2013 Actual 2014 Target 2015 Proj 2016 Proj 2017 Proj 2018

Globally Competitive Research 1 091.953 1 241.863 1 939.819 2 079.510 2 327.630 2 464.430 2 488.612



In order to contribute successfully to objective 1, the programme must: • Increase and provide support for next

generation, emerging and established researchers in order to grow the PhD pipeline;

• Support multidisciplinary research and innovation; and

• Increase and provide support for next generation, emerging and established researchers.

The NRF investment in the Human Capacity Development Excellence pipeline ensures a balanced approach to creating capacity across all levels of proficiency in the system. Figure 33 is indicative of the NRF’s investment strategy across all levels of the pipeline. The NRF will continue to provide world-class grant making and rating and evaluation systems to support research and innovation, while striving to double the investment in research over the 5 years from 2015 to 2020, in order to: • Increase numbers of next generation

researchers;• Improve student throughput;• Develop emerging researchers; and• Grow and support established researchers.Collectively these outputs contribute to creating a skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path as set out in priority 5 of the MTSF.

a. Next generation researchersThe investment in next generation researchers is through the award of free-standing scholarships, grant holder linked bursaries and academic development programmes, such as the Thuthuka instrument aimed at addressing the transformation issues of the system. Between 2011/12 and 2014/15, the NRF invested R1.57bn in this area.

This level of support is extremely import to attract new students into the system and the demographics of the students supported at this level will determine the future landscape of the NSI. The Thuthuka instrument is central to the RISA development strategy to advance the equity and redress agenda within the research sphere. Grant holder linked bursaries draw from the experience of existing, often rated, researchers to ensure that there is no “brain drain” and that students can benefit from previously funded researchers. Though the recipients of the bursaries are often of a previously advantaged demographic, the actual beneficiaries are the students under his or her tutelage. The NRF encourages, promotes and often prescribe the demographic profiles of preference for these students.

The growth in free-standing scholarships is attributed to an across-the-board increase in DST Innovation honours and master’s scholarships, as well as the growth in the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Scholarship initiative.

Over the three-year MTEF period, a further R2.4bn will be invested in next generation researchers. This increase includes an additional investment of R346.6m allocated to increase bursary values in line with the DST Human Capacity Development Strategy. It should be noted that the NRF supports less than 20% of students in the NSI at this point in time. The organisation is committed to growing this percentage in collaboration with the DST.


STRATEGIC OUTCOME:AN INTERNATIONALLY COMPETITIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH

Discipline based

Next generation researchers Emerging researchers Established researchers Strategic researchers

Figure 33: Human capacity development excellence pipeline (Rm) 2011/12 – 2017/18

Pipeline Trend (Rm)Next Generation Emerging Established Strategic Investments

YearStudentship

SupportThuthuka PhD Track Postdoc

Thuthuka Post-PhD

trackThuthuka

Rating track

Competitive Funding Unrated

Incentive Funding Rated

Competitive Funding Rated

Blue-Skies Research

Targeted Strategic

Investments SARChI CoE

2011/12 Actual 215.0 5.4 39.8 6.0 6.0 5.1 83.7 14.9 8.4 52.0 156.0 72.5

2012/13 Actual 328.1 7.4 47.6 9.3 5.5 6.4 97.6 29.1 3.1 69.2 170.6 83.2

2013/14 Actual 427.2 10.2 82.0 13.7 6.3 4.5 107.9 25.2 5.0 70.5 236.2 83.1

2014/15 Estimate 443.2 11.0 112.2 16.0 6.8 12.8 93.3 59.4 8.7 121.0 343.0 140.0

2015/16 Budget 468.0 16.4 114.6 23.7 9.0 20.5 110.0 66.2 12.3 106.6 392.9 146.3

2016/17 Budget 508.0 16.4 128.2 23.5 9.0 34.3 110.0 100.2 11.8 111.8 428.0 151.3

2017/18 Budget 512.2 16.4 125.3 23.5 9.0 35.5 110.0 100.2 11.8 113.8 448.8 157.7

CoE

SARChITargetedstrategic

investments

Thuthuka PhD track

PostdocThuthuka Post-PhD

track

Thuthuka rating track

Competitive funding for

unrated researchers

Incentive funding for

rated researchers

Competitivefunding for rated re-searchers

Blue Skiesresearch

Student Support• Free-stand-

ing scholar-ships

• Grantholder linked bursaries

Strategic Focus



Rm

150

200

250

300

350

100

50

0

Free-standing scholarships Grantholder-linked bursaries Other development grants Thuthuka PhD track

2011/12 Actual 94.5 93.0 27.5 5.4

2012/13 Actual 243.6 84.4 35.0 7.4

2013/14 Actual 326.3 100.9 31.8 10.2

2014/15 Estimate 312.5 130.6 71.3 11.0

2015/16 Budget 323.6 144.4 123.9 16.4

2016/17 Budget 332.6 175.4 114.0 16.4

2017/18 Budget 333.6 178.6 119.7 16.4

Figure 34: Investments in next generation researchers (2011/12 - 2017/18)


STRATEGIC OUTCOME:AN INTERNATIONALLY COMPETITIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH SYSTEM

b. Emerging researchersEmerging researchers benefit from a range of targeted funding instruments that take into account the strategic vision of each institution to assist in establishing support in identified areas where capacity is available. Research intelligence is gathered through engagement and partnership building, and the establishment of research funding trends across the system are core to decision making and performance monitoring. The expected outcomes include the initiation of flagship programmes aligned to institutional research priorities. This aligns with the NRF/DST objectives of building a competitive knowledge base and capacity development as per the priorities of the MTSF. Over the reporting period, RISA will focus on driving systemic growth, transformation and productivity through these initiatives. Figure 35 on the next page is a summary of the investments in the support of emerging researchers. Investment in emerging researchers over the MTEF period will amount to R1.2bn.

Specific instruments targeted at supporting emerging researchers have been developed including:

The research-mentoring initiativeThis is a new funding instrument that is targeted at emerging researchers in order to grow the next cadre of researchers and mentors. Through this programme:• A network of established researchers willing

to serve as mentors to emerging researchers will be established;

• Group and peer mentoring that may include writing workshops, proposal development and related research capacity building initiatives will be implemented;

• The grants will be linked to tangible outputs; and

• An amount of R10m was available for the 2013/14 financial year.

The collaborative postgraduate traininginitiativeThis funding instrument is aimed at supporting postgraduate human capacity programmes in strategic areas. The objectives set out in the South African Human Resource Development Strategy (2012–2030) with respect to developing and increasing the number of skilled personnel in science, engineering and technology are a clear indication of the commitment of the country towards research, development and innovation in science and technology. The supporting platforms for the realisation of these HRD objectives require three critical areas for successful implementation:• Human Capacity: the development of

appropriate expertise and skills is crucial; • Infrastructure: appropriate infrastructure

is the cornerstone of an effective training programme, enabling technology transfer and human capacity development initiatives; and

• International and industry partnerships:

strategic partnerships with industry and foreign partners are necessary for tangible and intangible technology transfer and a viable and sustainable human capacity development initiative.

This funding instrument is designed to make provision for these critical areas, with preference given to partnerships that include rural-based and historically disadvantaged institutions.

The Thuthuka initiativeThis initiative involves post-doctoral fellowships, as well as rating track grant holder linked and free-standing postdoctoral fellowships. There has been an average growth in the investment in emerging researchers of 47% over the past four years. The increased investment has been devoted to postgraduate training, past PhD and rating track as well as competitive funds for emerging researchers. Over the MTEF period, an additional R137m will be invested in these areas.

The Technology and Human Resourcesfor Industry Programme (THRIP) THRIP is a cross-cutting funding instrument that is managed on behalf of the dti. Funding can be accessed by both emerging and established researchers. There will be a total investment of R592m between 2011 and 2015. During the MTEF period, a further R259m will be invested through the programme.



Figure 35: Investment in the support of emerging researchers (2011/12–2017/18)

Cross-cutting instruments

100

160

120

180

60

40

80

140

20

0

Free-standing postdocs

Grantholder-linked

postdocs

Thuthuka postdoc track

Thuthuka rating Track

Other emerging

grants

Competitive funding for

unrated researchers

THRIPInternational Collaboration

2011/12 Actual 23.6 16.2 6.0 6.0 19.2 5.1 141.1 60.6

2012/13 Actual 30.5 17.1 9.3 5.5 13.8 6.4 148.9 49.5

2013/14 Actual 52.0 30.0 13.7 6.3 5.7 4.5 147.1 54.0

2014/15 Estimate 72.6 39.5 16.0 6.8 6.2 12.8 154.7 136.4

2015/16 Budget 76.3 38.3 23.7 9.0 7.4 20.5 151.1 124.4

2016/17 Budget 83.4 44.9 23.5 9.0 12.5 34.3 76.3 135.8

2017/18 Budget 79.4 46.0 23.5 9.0 12.5 35.5 31.3 135.3

Rm



c. Established researchersThe investment in established researchers is in essence an investment in promoting research at the top end of the human capacity development pipeline. The quantum is indicated in Figure 36. The values exclude student support expenditure and reflect only project operating costs. There has been a total investment of R635m between 2011/12 and 2014/15. Over the MTEF period, the investment in established researchers will increase to an average investment of R225m year on year for 3 years. Established researchers are contractually obliged to support knowledge transfer and transformation. This should be tracked and monitored by including reporting obligation in the Annual Performance Reports (APRs) on their programmes for human capacity development and provide evidence of the effectiveness based on: • The transformation profile of the students• The number and quality of student and post-

doctoral fellows publications as well as the student authorship position of students (taking into consideration the variations between disciplines);

• Presentation of students in conferences;• Research grants received by doctoral students

and post-docs;• Collaborative projects established by doctoral

students and post-docs; and• Employability (as part of the student tracking

model).

The NRF recognises that established researchers not only contribute to the generation of knowledge but also provide supervision and training to next generation and emerging researchers. Supervisory

Figure 36: Investment in established researchers (2011/12–2017/18)

100

120

60

40

80

20

0

Incentive fundingCompetitive

funding for rated Researchers

Focused Research Grants

Blue skies research

2011/12 Actual 83.7 14.9 47.1 8.4

2012/13 Actual 97.6 29.1 17.9 3.1

2013/14 Actual 107.9 25.2 15.1 5.0

2014/15 Estimate 93.3 59.4 18.2 8.7

2015/16 Budget 110.0 66.2 14.1 12.3

2016/17 Budget 110.0 100.2 14.4 11.8

2017/18 Budget 110.0 100.2 14.7 11.8

Rm

capacity is a potential bottleneck in the growth of the excellence pipeline. However, a sustainable investment in established researchers ensures that the pipeline has a self-sustaining continuity.



Figure 36: Investment in established researchers (2011/12–2017/18) d. Strategic investments For the period 2011/12 to 2014/15, a total of R1.6bn has been committed to this area. There was a 55% growth in investment between 2013/14 and 2014/15 which is related to the take-up of research chairs (SARChI) within the HEIs. Over the MTEF period, a further R1.2bn will be invested in SARChI and R455m will be invested in Centres of Excellence (CoEs). Additional CoEs have been approved and will be implemented over the MTEF period. Figure 37 gives an overview of funding investments in strategic research platforms utilised over the reporting period.

a. South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI)

SARChI was established in 2006 by the DST and is managed by the NRF. SARChI is a strategic instrument that focuses on the creation of supervisory capacity in support of the Human Capacity development goals of the NRF. SARChI aims to:• Strengthen the scientific research and

innovation capacity of South Africa;• Attract and retain excellent researchers and

scientists to public universities;• Strengthen and improve the quality and

quantity of research and innovation outputs in research areas of national importance;

• Create research career pathways for highly skilled, high-quality young and mid-career researchers; and

Figure 37: Growth in the NRF strategic investment instruments (2011/12 - 2017/18)

Targeted Strategic Investment Areas

SARChI Centres of Excellence

2011/12 Actual 52.0 156.0 72.5

2012/13 Actual 69.2 170.6 83.2

2013/14 Actual 70.5 236.2 83.1

2014/15 Estimate 121.0 343.0 140.0

2015/16 Budget 106.6 392.9 146.3

2016/17 Budget 111.8 428.0 151.3

2017/18 Budget 113.8 448.8 157.7

Rm

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

0



• Strengthen and improve the research and innovation capacity of universities for producing high-quality postgraduate students, research and innovation outputs.

SARChI has awarded 150 Chairs, with 147 of the Chairs being operational. A total of 67% of the Chairs were recruited from the local universities while 33% have been recruited from industry or abroad. Of the total incumbents 23% are female and 31% black. Table 15 below gives a breakdown of all the filled Research Chairs.

The NRF has other agreements in support of research chairs in partnership with private companies, which are not within the ambit of the DST/NRF SARChI agreement. The companies include:• FirstRand Foundation;• Anglo American Chairman’s Fund; and• Tshikululu Social Investments.

Although targeting different sectors, these chairs are established to enhance knowledge production and build capacity while leveraging off the public private partnerships established between the NRF and the private sector.

b. Flagship initiativeThe Flagship initiative is a recently established strategic intervention of the DST and the NRF, located and managed in the Institutional Engagement and Partnership Development

(IEPD) directorate established in 2013. The initiative is aimed at strengthening research and innovation capacity and productivity of publicly funded academic and research institutions in a scientific research or innovation area of strength which will or already affords the institution a comparative advantage. In addition to the existing competencies and established track record in research and innovation outputs and outcomes, a comparative advantage can be derived

Number Percentage of filled Chairs (%)

Total number of awarded Research Chair positions 153

Total number of filled Research Chair positions 150 98

Total number of operating1 Research Chairs 147 98

Chairs recruited from South African universities 101 67

Chairs recruited from industry and abroad 49 33

Tier 1 Chairs 113 75

Tier 2 Chairs 37 25

NRF Rated Research Chair holders 102 68

Research Chair holders without an NRF rating 48 32

Female Chair holders 35 23

Male Chair holders 115 77

Black (African, Asian, Indian, Coloured) Chair holders 46 31

White Chair holders 104 69

1 Operating Chairs refers to Research Chairs with expensed research grants on the NRF Phoenix Financial Management System

from a regional or geographic location and/or institutional positioning. Flagships must address a challenge within a chosen area and must be aligned to national and university research priorities. Flagships will be established through individualised institutional engagement, strategic investments and customised interventions. Through the Flagship initiative, the NRF intends to promote institutional identity. The NRF therefore

Table 15: Demographic breakdown of SA Research Chairs Initiative as at March 2014



Figure 38: Thematic distribution of SA Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI)

Open category

Innovation, Engineering and Technology Development

Priority Research Area

Science and Technology for poverty alleviation

Technology Missions

Science Missions

Directed

51.33%

17.11%

16.10%18.12%

21.14%

18.12%

12.8%

considers the uniqueness of the proposal. However, inter-institutional collaborations and partnerships add value to the scale and impact of activities which is encouraged. NRF Flagships may be established alongside or in conjunction with other DST/NRF strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening institutional research and innovation capacity, such as the DST/NRF Centres of Excellence (CoE) and SARChI, while retaining their commitment to strengthening capacity and advancing their particular focus areas as Flagships.

Over the MTEF period, The NRF will continue to engage with the HEIs to support the process of

analysis and proposal development in order to facilitate NRF support through existing funding instruments within the RISA ambit.

e. Targeted Human Capacity Development Interventions

Research Career Advancement FellowshipsResearch Career Advancement Fellowships (RCAF) have been implemented in several countries including the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Australia and, by the European Research Council in order to enable emerging researchers to transition from a postdoctoral- to

an independent researcher. In the South African context, this DST funded instrument fills a critical gap within the National System of Innovation by providing a retention mechanism and career path for emerging researchers. Furthermore, it aims to effect a transformation in the demographic composition of established researchers that are either South African Citizens or permanent residents.

Emerging researchers that have proven themselves to be productive during their doctoral and postdoctoral training are given the security of employment for a period of five-years and the opportunity to dedicate eighty percent of their time on research and postgraduate training. In addition, these emerging researchers are able to develop their professional profile by competing for national and international research grants and to gain experience in postgraduate supervision.

The Department of Higher Education and Training supported nGAP Scholars Initiative, focusses on the next generation and early postdoctoral phase and is aligned with the DST-NRF Thuthuka Funding Instrument. The RCAF however, is intended to accelerate the progression of emerging researchers into leadership positions for example the South African Research Chairs Initiative.

The allocated budget for RCAF in DST/CON 0118/2012 is R25 million and R30 million for the 2014/15 and 2015/16 financial years respectively.



Special call for students: non-South Africancitizens and students with disabilities The ministerial guidelines stipulate targets for the awarding of bursaries and scholarships by the NRF. Transformation remains a challenge across the National System of Innovation (NSI). The NRF received ministerial guidelines for improving equity in the distribution of DST/NRF bursaries and fellowships. The guidelines have been reviewed and the NRF is already compliant in many areas. The NRF prioritised the implementation of the ministerial guidelines commencing in 2014 for NRF bursaries and fellowships. The NRF is committed to transformation and will continue to work towards achieving the set targets. For the first time, the Innovation Bursary Scheme was opened for non-South African students. A special call under the Innovation Bursary Scheme, targeting students with disabilities will be opened in the 2015/16 financial year.

Professional Development ProgrammeThe DST-NRF Research Professional Development Programme (PDP) aims to accelerate the development of research professionals in key research areas through creating three-year research positions for doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers. The programme focuses on young researchers conducting research in Science Councils and National Facilities. It is tailored to accelerate the development of scientists and researchers who are poised to contribute to South Africa’s

innovation platforms with the following objectives:

• To leverage innovation and research in science councils and national facilities and to implement science and technology-related skills development;

• To enable Doctoral candidates and recently qualified Doctoral graduates to increase their experience in a research facility, in order to improve their prospects of employment in the science and technology system;

• To attract and retain young scientists and professionals of the highest calibre to complement the influence that senior researchers exert on the current science and technology system; and

• To support young scientists and professionals in basic and applied research, and to promote innovation.

• Support Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation

a. Globally Competitive ResearchIn order to facilitate the advancement of existing knowledge and develop new fields of knowledge, RISA must constantly survey the research landscape within the NSI, perform a transdisciplinary analysis of existing research areas, track and analyse research trends globally and review the needs within the NSI.

It should be noted that most of the knowledge-generating funding instruments within the NRF serve a dual function:• To generate new and/or grow the knowledge

base; and• To build capacity for research continuity.

Figure 39 shows the process followed by RISA to positively effect change and ensure that the knowledge generated is valuable and relevant both nationally and globally.

Based on the process above, targeted funding instruments are developed and will be employed over the MTEF period to stimulate knowledge generation within the system. The following instruments address socially relevant aspect of research and address MTSF priorities.

b. Centres of Excellence (CoEs)Centres of Excellence (CoEs) are physical or virtual research entities that concentrate existing capacity and resources to enable researchers to collaborate across disciplines and institutions. CoEs support collaboration on long-term projects that are locally relevant and internationally competitive in order to enhance the pursuit of research excellence and capacity development. CoEs have become a common research funding instrument, having already been established in several countries, including Australia, Canada and the United States of America.



As a strategic instruments for knowledge generation and Human Capacity development, CoEs aim to:• Promote knowledge and Human Capacity

development in areas of strategic importance to South Africa;

• Promote collaborative research;• Promote and develop interdisciplinary

research;• Systematically develop a creative research

training environment that is internationally competitive;

• Strive for the highest standards of quality, international competitiveness and esteem of their science; and

• Diffuse knowledge to where it is needed.

In its implementation, the instrument has the following objectives:• Ensure the integration of several smaller and

related research initiatives into large science programmes;

• Exploit the competitive advantage vested in outstanding researchers;

• Raise the quality, international competitiveness, visibility and esteem of South African science, e.g. through an increase in the global share of research outputs;

• Achieve economies of scale through the optimisation of resources and effort by sharing personnel, equipment, data and ideas;

• Ensure secure and stable funding for research and dissemination; and

THE KNOWLEDGE GENERATION

PROCESS

Promote active interaction among

researchers within and across

disciplines and knowledge fields

Facilitate the expansion of the

frontiers of existing knowledge and creation of new

knowledge

Refine or re-define calls for

proposals in light of developments and

interventions

Investigate, map and analyse

research interests and trends within

and across disciplines and

knowledge fields

Strengthen scientific and professional

organisations serving the South African research

community

Figure 39: The knowledge generation process


• Allow for planned, strategic and long-term research.

The investment in the CoEs has increased by 69% between 2013/14 and 2014/15. An additional R455m will be invested over the MTEF period.

Figure 40 shows the increased investment in the CoE programme year-on-year. During 2012/13, a review of the DST/NRF Centres of Excellence programme was conducted in order to evaluate the performance and success of the programme and address areas that need to be improved in order


to enhance the CoEs’ international competitiveness in terms of research outputs and capacity building. The review panel interacted with 70 stakeholders from the National Planning Commission, the DST, CoE boards, universities hosting the CoEs, CoE funders, CoE directors, and representatives of the CoE stakeholder community, postgraduate students and NRF staff members. The review report is currently being finalised.

Industry and inter-governmental collaborations are strengthened through new concepts for Centres of Excellence in Health, with CAPRISA and the Department of Health; Water, with the Water Research Commission; and Human Settlements, with the Department of Human Settlements. Figure 41 is a list of CoEs supported by the NRF.

Figure 40: Investment trends in CoEs (2011/12 to 2017/18)

Centres of Excellence

2011/12 Actual

2012/13 Actual

2013/14 Actual

2014/15 Estimate

2015/16 Budget

2016/17 Budget

2017/18 Budget

Rm

120

180

100

160

80

140

60

40

20

0

72.583.2 83.1

140.0 146.3 151.3

157.7



Figure 41: CoEs currently managed and funded through the NRF

NATURAL SCIENCESCentre of Excellence for

Invasion Biology (hosted by Stellenbosch University)

NATURAL SCIENCESBirds as Key to Biodiversity Conservation at the Percy

FitzPatrick Institute (hosted by the University of

Cape Town)

HEALTH SCIENCES Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis (TB) Research (co-hosted

by University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and

University of the Witwatersrand)

NATURAL SCIENCES Applied Centre for Climate and Earth Systems Science

(ACCESS) (hosted by the Council for Scientific and

Industrial Research)

EARTH SCIENCES Palaeosciences Centre of Excellence (hosted

by the University of the Witwatersrand)

ENGINEERING Centre of Excellence in

Strong Materials (hosted by the University of the

Witwatersrand)

EARTH SCIENCES Centre of Excellence in Integrated Mineral and

Energy Resource Analysis (hosted by University of

Johannesburg)

CHEMICAL SCIENCES Centre of Excellence in Catalysis (hosted by the University of Cape Town)

SOCIAL SCIENCES Centre of Excellence in

Human Development (co-hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand and the

University of KwaZulu-Natal)

NATURAL SCIENCES Centre of Excellence in

Tree Health Biotechnology (hosted by the University of

Pretoria)

MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCESCentre of Excellence in

Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (hosted by the

University of Witwatersrand)

MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES

South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling

and Analysis (SACEMA) (hosted by Stellenbosch

University)

MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Centre of Excellence in Scientometrics and Science,

Technology and Innovation Policy (co-hosted by the University of Stellenbosch and the Tshwane University of Technology and

housed in the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and

Technology (CREST).

MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES National Institute for

Theoretical Physics (NIThEP) (co-hosted by Stellenbosch

University of Unversity of KwaZulu-Natal and University

of the Witwatersrand)

NATURAL SCIENCES Centre of Excellence in Food

Security (co-hosted by the University of Western Cape

and the University of Pretoria



Over the MTEF period, five new CoEs will be established in: • Food Security which aligns with MTSF

priority 7;• Water Research which aligns with MTSF

priority 10 ;• Human Settlements which aligns with MTSF

priority 8; and• CoE in Integrated Mineral and Energy

Analysis.

c. Research and Industry CollaborationIn support of high-end knowledge generation, RISA also supports innovation for commercialisation and is often instrumental in informing policy and legislation around innovation. By complementing the innovation support interventions and programmes initiated by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and the Support Programme for Industrial Innovation (SPII), the NRF ensures that the benefits of knowledge generated through its focused funding instruments are channelled back into benefiting the community, the NSI and South African society.

In this area, the organisation focuses on societal well-being in areas of sustainability, poverty alleviation, food security, community security, housing, governance and health with a particular emphasis on HCD. RISA manages the following focused initiatives:• Energy Human Capacity Development

and Knowledge Generation (EHCD&KG) Programme is a cross-cutting programme

that has been formed as a consequence of consolidating the following programmes: - South African Nuclear Human Asset

Research programme (SANHARP);- The Renewable and Sustainable Energy

Scholarships (RSES); - The Masters in Accelerator and Nuclear

Science (MANUS);- The Masters in Material Science (MatSci);

and- The Doctoral Studies in Energy Efficiency

(DSEE).• Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics

(BFG) Programme is funded by the DST with the aim of supporting bioinformatics applications in biotechnology projects in line with national priorities as set out in the South African Biotechnology Strategy and the DST Ten- Year Innovation Plan. The programme’s strategic objectives include:- Creating a pool of postgraduate students

equipped to support the South African biotechnology sector;

- Generating bioinformatics solutions and knowledge relevant to the South African biotechnology industry;

- Supporting projects funded through the various biotechnology initiatives (BRICS, CoEs, Research Chairs, etc.); and

- Promoting collaboration between academic institutions as well as between academia and industry.

• Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP), funded by the dti, brings together industry and researchers in publicly-funded research institutions. In support of increasing capacity, the programme will provide bursaries from 2014/15 so as to encourage students to participate and benefit from the programme.

• Research and Technology Fund (RTF) is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF). The investment fund will be guided by the Integrated Growth and Development Plan (IGDP). In this regard, projects to be funded would need to demonstrate contributions to the following:- Research and innovation systems that

support a growing commercial sector and a needy smallholder sector;

- Maximising the benefits flowing from R&D through well-coordinated projects that are aligned to government and industry priorities;

- Addressing capacity constraints in the sector and dealing with difficulties in:• acquiring and retaining scientists; • security/ improved production systems

to address the needs of smallholder farmers;

• competitiveness/innovation to address the needs of smallholder farmers and product development;

- Technology transfer and rural development;



- Market access and profitability;- Commercialisation, value addition and

agro-processing; and- Protection and enhancement of natural

resources.• Energy Research Programme (ERP).

According to the Department of Energy’s Policy-Adjusted Integrated Resources Plan on Electricity 2010 (IRP-2010), 42% of all new electricity-generating capacity in the country will come from renewable sources (including wind, solar, hydro) over the next 20 years. South Africa can leverage its geographic advantages with respect to renewable energy resources such as direct solar radiation, ocean wave power, wind energy, and, to a lesser extent, arable land for the cultivation of bio-energy feedstock. Apart from the socio-economic benefits of a vibrant renewable and sustainable energy industry for South Africa, the diversification of the nation’s energy supply – through a stake in renewable energy technology development and implementation in the post fossil-fuel 21st century – is urgently required. This effort will be of value not only to South Africa, but also the rest of the African continent and the world. The DST has recognised this opportunity and has designed and implemented the hub-and-spokes collaborative model using the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies, in which Stellenbosch University

is the hub and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) together with the University of Cape Town (UCT) are the spokes. This programme has collaborative links to the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI).

d. Knowledge generation in Areas of Geographic Advantage Strategic Areas and Identified Grand Challenges

• Palaeoscience Strategy is a revitalised funding instrument that stems from what was traditionally known as the African Origins Programme (AOP). The initiative aims to provide funding for research in the fields of palaeontology, palaeo-anthropology, archaeology and other related disciplines. A CoE has been established that will be instrumental in driving the research and building human capacity in this geographic advantage area.

• Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) exploits the established advantage that the country has in specific areas of the bio-economy, epistemology, climate change, energy, practices of Khoi Griqua and San communities, and other novel ideas that will impact the country’s knowledge production and address national priorities. To groom this sector, the DST and NRF have established an IKS research centre, hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). The

platform provides the opportunity for basic and applied knowledge production with the long-term aim of growing critical capacity in this area of expertise.

• Global Change is currently a global topic and is high on most government agendas. Climate change is one of the Grand Challenges identified in the DST Ten-Year Innovation Plan. The NRF has been mandated to provide funding to support knowledge generation and technological innovation that will enable South Africa and the rest of the world to respond to global environmental change, including climate change, in an informed and innovative way. The climate change phenomenon is complicated and multi-disciplinary. The DST has developed a Ten-Year Global Change Research Plan (GCRP) for enhancing the scientific understanding of global change. The research plan mainly comprises four knowledge streams: (a) understanding a changing planet; (b) reducing the human footprint; (c) adapting the way we live; and (d) innovation for sustainability.

Through the implementation of the global research plan, which identifies global change, society and sustainability as funding instruments, risk and vulnerability science centres were established to educate communities in sustainable approaches towards society and the environment.



• Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) is a Regional Science Service Centre (RSSC) for the southern Africa region. The project is a joint venture between Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Germany, with the aim of responding to the challenges of global change.

• Multi-Wavelength Astronomy Project is an interim human capacity development initiative that brings together the various disciplines of optical, radio and gamma-ray astronomy. A review of this programme was

commissioned and completed in 2012, and continued support for the programme was recommended. With the establishment of the Astronomy sub-Agency, the future of the programme under RISA is uncertain.

• Marine Research on Southern Oceans, Other Islands and Antarctica was previously known as the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) and has now been expanded to include research on the Southern Ocean. The purpose of this programme is to facilitate the development of individual strategies for marine and southern

ocean research and research in Antarctica that will formulate the basis of future funding for research. This is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Water and Environment, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), the DST and the NRF.

The Applied Research and Industry Collaboration (ARIC) business unit within RISA is positioned to continuously explore opportunities of industry collaboration that are beneficial to both the public and private sectors.



SAIAB undertakes research in headwater streams to study the impact of alien invasive fishes on the ecology of our water systems. Here SAIAB’s Research Collections Officer, Nkosinathi Mazungula (left), uses a seine net with students on the alien invasive fishes programme, led by Dr Olaf Weyl, Principal Scientist at SAIAB, to determine abundances of native endangered fishes in the Rondegat River in the Western Cape.






STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2 Enhance strategic international engagements

OBJECTIVE STATEMENT Promote system-wide international engagement and collaboration in order to support emerging knowledge fields and provide local researchers with access to innovative research infrastructure.

CRITICAL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES • Promote system-wide international engagement• Facilitate international research platform access

LINKS TO MTSF NRF Strategic Objective 2 links to:• MTSF Priorities 10 and 11


Increase in the number of international co-publications 5150 6080 6601 7000 7400 7800 8200

Increase in the total grant funding for internationalisation (Rm)

60.611 49.486 54.044 150.862* 117.281 125.712 129.112


Internationalisation 101.060 98.902 123.594 134.348 157.474 170.181 169.689

In order to contribute successfully to objective 2, the programme must:

• Promote system-wide international engagement; and

• Facilitate international research platform access.

• Promote system-wide international engagement and facilitate access to international research platforms

a. InternationalisationInternationalisation is a key aspect for research institutions and increasingly for government policies. Globally, there is witness to significant shifts in relationships between science, technology and society as reflected in a range of current policies and strategies. These include, amongst

others, the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2024), ICSU’s Future Earth Initiative, a revised and strategic Horizon 2020 research framework for the EU, DIRCO’s consolidation of foreign policy, and DHET’s developing policy for the internationalisation of higher education – all providing a rapidly increasing expectation of the value and contribution of the internationalisation of the research platform. At a regional level, SADC conventions and NEPAD as currently being driven



by AMCOST, place further key injunctions on the international function within the NRF. These too reflect key objectives of human resources and skills development to foster equitable and sustainable growth at regional and continental levels with a clear emphasis on the role of S&T. South Africa aspires to be a global competitor in the knowledge society and a preferred destination for science and technology investment. The NRF contributes through establishing and promoting high level strategic international collaborative networks and cultivating sufficient Human Capacity.

Within government, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is the custodian of international science cooperation, agreements and memberships. The DST appointed the NRF as the implementing agency for these agreements and memberships. The role of the NRF, through RISA, is to:• Develop the science and technology

cooperation agreements;• Draft the programme of cooperation, which

generally details modalities, criteria, priorities and conditions; and

• Negotiate funding levels.

Working closely with the DST, the NRF assumes proactive responsibility for facilitating and enhancing international scientific collaboration between individual scientists, higher education institutions, research bodies, and scientific and professional associations (unions) in South Africa and abroad.

There are three broad focus areas within RISA, namely:• Overseas Cooperation (OC);• Africa Cooperation (AC);• Multilateral and Strategic Initiatives

(MSI), including the Secretariat for the International Council for Science (ICSU); and the comprehensive mobility programme Knowledge Interchange and Collaboration (KIC).

Over the MTEF period, the NRF will pursue the following agenda through RISA:• Further strengthen the internationalisation of

research;• Enhance networking within the science

system;• Foster collaboration in order to improve the

quality of research outputs by researchers; and• Enhance and strengthen highly strategic

international partnerships in support of the NSI.

All international funding instruments are geared towards attaining the above objectives. In addition, there are various ways in which researchers can access mobility funding to network in all fields of science and technology, including social sciences and humanities. There has been an increased demand for this type of instrument over the past years, and the proportion to be invested for the future will increase, especially in support of young scientists and PhD students.

An increasing number of high level and strategic engagements have been initiated as a result of the value-add that the improved focus on internationalisation brings. These engagements form part of the intent and revival of internationalisation as a cross-cutting and meta-instrument in support of the NRF mandate. Examples of these levels of engagements include consolidation of South Africa’s participation in the Newton Fund of the UK over the next four years, as well as the Africa-wide granting science councils strengthening programme by the NRF, the Canadian International Development and Research Centre (IDRC), and the Department for International Development (DFID) of the UK.

To fulfil its purpose as leading agency in Africa to promote and develop the growth of knowledge economy on the continent, RISA • A driven and comprehensive human capital

development and research support strategy for Astronomy, with specific focus on Africa engagement, is a strategic component of the NRF’s broad-based human capital and international strategy. Prominent areas incl. an increased uptake in pre-doctoral programmes in Astrophysics and Space Science for African students in SA, the AVN project in preparation for SKA Phase 2, and the SKA bursary programme.

• 192 bilateral research projects with 9 African countries worth R45 million have been supported during the past 5 years.


based on the use of robust STI indicators, support the transfer of knowledge to the private sector, and establish partnerships with other science system actors.

• International Relations and Cooperation (IRC) on behalf of the NRF has forged a strategic partnership with the Carnegie Corporation of New York through a joint initiative to determine how to increase the quantity and quality of PhD production on the African continent. Three high-level seminars with eminent scholars from the continent developed a range of policy briefs as one of the main inputs to the Continental Higher Education Summit in Senegal in 2015.

• The NRF and the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) is concluding a five-year agreement on human capital development. TWAS and the NRF share common interests in developing a cadre of the next generation of researchers in Africa. Through TWAS, the main focus will be on fostering collaboration between developing countries. For the NRF, the partnership is sought in order to strengthen supervisory capacity for postgraduate students in South Africa. When aligned and combined, these two goals address a national objective of South Africa to build human capacity that supports the positioning of the country for global competitiveness and emergence as an economic power. Up to 240 bursaries for postgraduate students will be provided to study and conduct research in South Africa.

• The NRF and the Namibian Council on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST)

co-hosted the Africa Regional Consultation of the Global Research Council (GRC), bringing together representatives of 17 science granting councils in Africa and other stakeholders. This sets the scene for an expanded engagement with a large number of science granting councils on the continent.

• The NRF hosted the first African Stakeholder Research Management Workshop that brought together research funding managers and administrators, grant coordinators, directors of research-oriented committees and associations and representatives from Ministries of Science and Technology or equivalent from 10 African nations including Angola, Botswana, Egypt, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zambia. The intent of this new annual event is to foster closer collaboration and analyse higher quality joint research, also strengthening all participant organisations’ ability to support high-level science.

• A 5-year, $15 million investment for institutional strengthening and quality improvement of granting and research support, will be launched by the NRF, the Canadian IDRC and the UK’s DFID. The prominent and innovative programme aims to strengthen the ability of African science granting councils to manage research, design and monitor research programmes


Dr Alfred Sumani (left), CEO, Zambian National Science and Technology Council and Dr Gansen Pillay (right), Deputy CEO, National Research Foundation of South Africa exchanging handshakes after signing of the first NRF Interagency agreement in Africa on 14 October 2014.

SA-YSSP Scholars at the 3rd iteration of SA-YSSP held in Bloemfontein, November 2014 to January 2015


Table 17 below outlines strategic objective 3 in more detail, including the contribution made to the MTSF priorities.

Table 17: Programme 3 – KPIs against budget (2014/15–2017/18) - Strategic Objective 3

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3 Establish and maintain research infrastructure and platforms

OBJECTIVE STATEMENT Providing and facilitating access to world class equipment and infrastructure through the acquisition of high-end equipment and the support of National Research Facilities.

CRITICAL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES • Provide science infrastructure in priority areas• Incubate, nurture and strategically locate research platforms• Develop human capacity in priority research areas

LINKS TO MTSF NRF Strategic Objective 3 links to:• MTSF Priorities 2 and 10, since the provision of research equipment and platforms supports

research across all areas of the HCD Excellence Pipeline.


Number of users of equipment that was funded by the NEP and NNEP programme

0 1651 1682 1700 1800 2000 2100

Number of publications emanating from the usage of equipment funded by the NEP and NNEP programme

690 910 1546 1700 2000 2300 2600


Platform and infrastructure provision 164.826 117.379 221.335 266.216 297.596 250.174 8.512



• Provide science infrastructure in priority areas

In order to contribute successfully to objective 3, the programme must: • Provide science infrastructure in priority

areas; and• Develop human capacity in priority

research areas.

Research Infrastructure: Bilateral Agreements in support of South African Researcher Accessing Global InfrastructureResearch Infrastructure funds will continue to support provision of and access to research and development infrastructure across the NSI and support access to global research infrastructure such as:

- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF)

- European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) – including Large Hadron Collider (LHC)

- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR)

ICT Infrastructure Systems: Continuous maintenance and development of efficient ICT and other systems in support of world class grant making

- Develop student tracking system - Research equipment database- RIMS synergies with NRF online systems

Maintenance and knowledge transfer policies:It becomes increasingly important to allocate funding towards the maintenance of equipment acquisitions. Maintenance contracts with suppliers should be considered at the time of purchase. The equipment grant recipients are obliged to transfer knowledge on equipment use. The training of skilled operators and technicians are paramount for the optimal maintenance and functionality of such high-end equipment.

The NEP/NNEP grants are inclusive of the cost of the equipment in South African Rand (ZAR) as well as a three-year maintenance contract with the supplier.

a. Research Platforms The extent to which progress can be made in the areas of human capacity development and knowledge generation hinges on the level of investment in quality infrastructure. For this reason, the NRF sees the provision of cutting- edge research and innovation platforms as a strategic goal. In support of this goal, the NRF invests in and supports the National Research Facilities. The organisation also places emphasis on research infrastructure investment in higher education institutions (HEIs).

Through RISA, the organisation also provides grants that enable researchers to access equipment both nationally and internationally. Although South Africa boasts pockets of world-class research facilities at selected institutions, significant investments are required to create and maintain a research environment within which world-class research can be realised. A breakdown of the intended investment in research infrastructure is provided in Figure 42 on the next page.


STRATEGIC OUTCOME:LEADING-EDGE RESEARCH AND INFRASTRUCTURE PLATFORMS

Figure 42: RISA investment in access to and acquisition of cutting-edge research equipment (2011/12 - 2017/18)

500

900

600

1000

300

700

200

400

800

100

0

Cutting-edge research equipment investments

Local and international collaboration wrt equipment usage

High-end research Platforms (NFs)

SKA Investment (Construction of MeerKAT & KAT-7)

2011/12 Actual 193.2 0.9 487.8 252.1

2012/13 Actual 90.4 1.2 546.9 337.3

2013/14 Actual 158.3 1.1 513.6 417.7

2014/15 Estimate 306.6 7.3 616.5 524.6

2015/16 Budget 280.3 8.5 578.8 940.7

2016/17 Budget 232.6 8.4 582.0 708.0

2017/18 Budget - 8.4 534.9 654.7

Rm



Table 18: NEP and NNEP investments (2012/13–2017/18)

For the period 2011/12 to 2014/15, a total of R4.45bn was invested in this area. A further R4.5bn will be invested over the three-year MTEF period. These figures include infrastructure investment in the National Research Facilities and the SKA SA project (construction of MeerKAT). The projected decrease in investment of R277m in the 2016/17 financial year is due to the National Research Facilities infrastructure grant programme coming to an end. The NRF utilises specific instruments to invest in the provision of cutting-edge research equipment at the HEIs and the National Research Facilities. These initiatives focus on establishing enabling infrastructure, including state-of-the-art research equipment by:• Providing access to research equipment and

facilities through mobility and research grants;• Promoting collaboration among researchers

at universities and the National Research Facilities through collaborative research grants;

• Supporting flagship research projects in strategic areas, such as nanotechnology; and

• Developing specialised technical expertise within existing and developing strategic platforms.

b. National Equipment ProgrammesThe investment in high-end research equipment through the National Equipment Programme (NEP) and National Nanotechnology Equipment Programme (NNEP) has supported the acquisition,

upgrade and development of state-of-the-art equipment across public higher education and research institutions, and thereby contributed to the enhancement of new knowledge production and technology innovation in the country.

The investment through the NEP and NNEP has been growing steadily since 2010/11. Grants

Financial Year

NEP NNEP Total

Number of Grants

NEP Investment

(Rm)

Number of Grants

NNEP Investment

(Rm)

NEP/NNEP Investment

(Rm)*

Act

uals 2012/13 28 110.8 4 22.5 133.4

2013/14 35 123.6 10 35.8 159.4

2014/15 35 135.3 10 33.8 169.1

Pro

ject

ed

2015/16 36 143.5 14 35.8 179.4

2016/17 36 151.1 14 37.7 188.9

2017/18 0 0 0 0 0

*Excludes allocated investment to National Research Facilities (Budget 2017/18 to be confirmed)

It must also be noted that some instruments, such as the SARChI and the CoE programmes, also provide research infrastructure in support of the core focus of the programme.

are awarded on a competitive basis and, while grant values are capped in principle, the grant values may fluctuate depending on the specific proposal.

Table 18 is an indication of the number of grants awarded against the total annual investment between 2010/11 and 2012/13.



• Development of human capacity in priority research areas

Figure 43 is an indication of the investment trend in human capacity development from 2010/11 to 2017/18. A cumulative investment of R1.8bn will be made by March 2015. Over the MTEF period, a further investment of R1, 6bn will be made at an average of R540m per year over the three years.

The following initiatives were developed to address the objective of HCD and will be utilised over the reporting period:• NRF scholarships, which provide financial

support to students at honours, masters and doctoral levels;

• Scarce Skills Development Fund (SSDF), which supports students at honours, masters and doctoral levels in areas where skills are scarce;

• Innovation Bursary Scheme, which provides scholarships to students at honours, masters and doctoral levels;

• Innovation postdoctoral research fellowships, which provide funding to postdoctoral research fellows; enable world-class experience in strategic and applied research, support transformation through equity and career growth opportunities, and attract young scientists and professionals of the highest calibre to stimulate innovation through research;

Rm

600

700

500

400

300

200

100

2011/12Actual

2010/11Actual

2012/13Actual

2013/14Actual

2014/15Estimate

2015/16Budget

2016/17Budget

2017/18Budget

0

Figure 43: Investment in the Human Capacity Programme (HCP) (2011/12 to 2017/18)

• Professional Development Programme (PDP), which encourages science councils and the National Research Facilities to undertake science- and technology-related skills development, attracts and retains young scientists and professionals of the highest level in the national system of innovation, and supports young scientists and professionals in basic and applied research to promote innovation;

• NRF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships, which provide financial and career support

to postdoctoral research fellows in specified disciplines;

• French–South African Institute of Technology (F’SATI), which provides financial and human capacity development support at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT);

• African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), which builds capacity in specific research areas, such as mathematical modelling and computation, in a multidisciplinary context; and



• DST/NRF Internship Programme, which addresses the skills shortages in the science system in response to the priorities outlined in the 2002 strategy for Human Resource Development for the Public Service.

The NRF provides financial support to students and fellows through grant holder linked scholarships and a suite of competitive funding categories and fellowships. In the case of grant holder linked bursaries, researchers are able to nominate final year undergraduates, honours, masters, doctoral students and postdoctoral research fellows conducting research on NRF-funded research projects. The competitive scholarships are awarded to individual candidates following a peer review process of proposals. The number of grants awarded to each institution will be determined by demonstrated historical uptake and successful management of the grants according to set criteria.

The NRF recognises numerous vulnerable disciplines and endeavours to provide support for areas such as nursing sciences, education research and statistics. The NRF has co-funded an intervention with SANTRUST and Irish Aid to enable women to enter PhD studies in the nursing sciences through a focused pre-doctoral programme.

Thuthuka: The expanded Thuthuka funding framework, which includes the rating track funding stream, is geared to support the cohort of emerging black and women researchers but is open to applications from all race and gender groups in order to, firstly, increase the number of PhDs among South African academics and,

Rm

60

70

80

50

40

30

20

10

2011/12Actual

2010/11Actual

2012/13Actual

2013/14Actual

2014/15Estimate

2015/16Budget

2016/17Budget

2017/18Budget

0

Figure 44: Investment in the Thuthuka Programme (2011/12 - 2017/18)

secondly, shift the demographics of the rated researcher complement to be more representative of the country’s population. The investment in the Thuthuka programme is shown in Figure 44. R191m has been invested between 2010/11 and 2014/15. A further investment of R196m will be made over the MTEF period.



8.4. Special projects

The NRF is the custodian of the following special projects through Programme 3: • Research Information Management System

(RIMS); and• DST/NRF Internship Programme.

8.4.1 Research Information Management System (RIMS)

The Research Information Management System (RIMS) project is an initiative that has been funded by the DST. RIMS provides the science councils and HEIs with two key components of a research information management system namely:• The Research Administration System which

imparts administrative best practice to the research administration process through a modularised administration system based on proprietary software that has been customised for the South African environment. The system provides:- Expertise management through the CV

data module and the grant database that contains both external and NRF funding opportunities;

- Grant and contracts management that allows grant applications to be prepared and tracked through the process of submission, award, post-award tracking and post-award reporting;

- Compliance management through specific modules that satisfy the compliance

requirements in specific environments; and

- Administrative process modules that manage the process of technology transfer and the reporting of research outputs;

• The RIMS business intelligence warehouse which collects and stores information pertaining to publicly funded research in a segregated and confidential environment per institution. The RIMS BI system:- Allows HEIs to benchmark against other

institutions at an aggregated level; and- Provides the DST and its counterparts with

a view of the impact of publicly funded research and the return on investment.

Over the MTEF period, the NRF will continue with the following initiatives:• RIMS Synergies: Alignment of business

processes between the NRF granting systems and RIMS in order to reduce the administrative burden on researchers;

• CV Database: RIMS provides the idea platform to develop a central CV database that will allow researchers to download CV information as opposed to manual capturing for the purpose of grant applications;

• The expansion of the RIMS Business Intelligence system will include more granular data in an attempt to provide HEIs with an enhanced view; and

• The NRF will also continue to explore relationships within the NSI where RIMS can make a contribution. One such relationship

is between RIMS and the DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Scientometrics and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (SciSTIP).

8.4.2 DST/NRF Internship Programme

The DST and the NRF entered into a contractual agreement for the management of a graduate work experience programme, in which unemployed science, engineering and technology (SET) graduates and postgraduates have the opportunity to improve their skills and enhance their workplace competencies through exposure to a research environment. The Internship Programme has had seven intakes of interns since the start of the initiative in 2005. A total of 1 543 interns have been enrolled. After completion of the internship programme, a total of 695 interns (45% of the participants in the programme) joined the workforce within the NSI, while 356 (23%) interns exited the programme to further their studies through studentships and full-time study. This translates to a nominal 68% success rate for this important programme.

The programme has also expanded to include graduates from the humanities and social sciences in line with the requirements of the DST’s Ten-Year Innovation Plan, particularly the Human and Social Dynamics Grand Challenge. Some 105 interns were placed at HEIs throughout the country.



9 NATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITIES

The National Research Facilities are uniquely positioned to enhance the National System of Innovation (NSI) through knowledge production as well as the provision of cutting edge platforms for unique technologies in support of domain-specific research and development. The National Research Facilities provide a critical mass of equipment, skills and users and are well positioned to attract international collaboration. All of these unique features make the National Research Facilities ideal for knowledge generation, as well as for human capacity development in areas of strategic significance.

The education and training focus of the facilities enriches and empowers individuals to function as productive knowledge workers. The five declared National Research Facilities and one emerging facility are aligned with the science missions of the National Research and Development Strategy (2002) and form three broad categories according to their areas of specialisation: biodiversity and environmental sciences, nuclear sciences and astronomy.



This fellow might be one of the luckiest inhabitants of the NZG. Goliath was saved as an infant and hand raised before his relocation to the NZG. He is a very visible symbol of the fate of many species, both fauna and flora that face extinction. The rapid loss of species we are seeing today is estimated to be between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate. As his species is being diminished by an ignorant consumer the

importance of ecological stability and survival of the species is becoming paramount.

Through the NRF National Research Facilities like the National Zoological Gardens, the world, is taking notice. Conservation has become a global priority and is receiving the attention it deserves to ensure that we protect the very life support systems on which we rely for survival.

Science for Survival

Science for Survival



04PROGRAMME 04National Research Facilities Nuclear, Biodiversity, Environmental & Conservation sciences


The National Research Facilities for Nuclear, Biodiversity, Environmental and Conservation Sciences provide cutting edge research platforms that exploit the unique geographic and knowledge advantages of South Africa.

10.1.1 iThemba Labs

A nuclear science platform that focuses on research, development and training in:• Fundamental studies of nuclear phenomena;• Applications of ion beams and associated

techniques in materials and nano-science research;

• The production of radionuclides; and• Radiation biology and particle therapy.

10.1.2 The National Zoological Gardens (NZG)

The NZG is a biodiversity research and conservation facility that conducts high-quality, high impact research to generate knowledge for the conservation of threatened and endangered species globally, with a focus on African fauna. This allows the platform to:• Develop high-quality human capacity in

the areas of conservation biology and biodiversity;

• Undertake ex-situ conservation of wildlife and make qualified contributions to in-situ conservation of threatened wildlife species;

• Provide a science engagement platform in support of teaching and learning in life and environmental sciences; and

• Enhance the quality of life of the community by providing a top-class metropolitan ecotourism facility, a choice family attraction that inspires discovery, appreciation, care, knowledge and respect for nature.

10.1.3 The South African Institute for

Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)

SAIAB serves as a hub for national and international scientific engagement on African aquatic biodiversity across the full spectrum of aquatic environments, from continental freshwater catchments to offshore marine ecosystems. SAIAB supports the local and global research community by:• Providing platforms to promote research

and other scientific activities on aquatic biodiversity;

• Conducting cutting-edge scientific research on African aquatic biodiversity over a broad spectrum and geographical range ;

• Driving the DST/NRF flagship African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme (ACEP);

• Generating databases on African aquatic biodiversity for analysis and research


Nuclear, Biodiversity,

Environmental and Conservation

iThembaLABS

NZG

SAIAB

SAEON

Deputy CEO

NRF CEO

PROGRAMME 4



10 Programme 4: National Research Facilities: Nuclear, Biodiversity, Environmental and Conservation Sciences

information; and• Providing cutting edge equipment in support

of coastal craft telemetry networks.

10.1.4 South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON)

SAEON offers value through long-term, multi-disciplinary environmental observation programmes and platforms that are designed to clarify earth system dynamics and changes over multiple scales. This business unit aims to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic environmental change by:

• Establishing and maintaining environmental observatories linked by an information management network. These environmental observatories serve as research and education platforms for long-term studies of ecosystems that seek to provide for incremental advances in the understanding of ecosystems and in the ability to detect, understand and predict environmental change; and

• Developing open-access environmental data systems and tools in pursuit of adequate evidence-based environmental policy making.

Visited SAEON’s mountain catchment observation system at Cathedral Peak, in the Drakensberg.

In addition, a key objective of the facility is to engage learners in various age groups to generate interest in careers in science, and the general public enhance their awareness of the significant role that science plays in society.

10.2 Contribution to Strategic Objectives

The National Research Facilities contribute to the achievement of three strategic objectives and two strategic outcome orientated goals, as discussed in detail on the next page.

Quality control of radiopharmaceuticals. Chemical processing of radioisotopes in hot cells.



10.2.1. Strategic Objective 1




OBJECTIVE STATEMENT Driving research competitiveness through the support of high quality research and innovation as well as the generation of knowledge and the development of human capacity, in critical areas.



LINKS TO MTSF NRF Strategic Objective 6 links to:• MTSF Priorities 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 through the implementation and support of the Human

Capacity Development and knowledge generation at the National Research Facility.


Number of postgraduate students supported by the National Research Facilities

339 272 285 371 386 399 410

ISI publications at the National Research Facilities 139 157 187 180 200 210 220

Number of users of National Research Facilities 768 957 1041 1060 1112 1164 1200

Citation impact of National Research Facility outputs (annual cumulative)

>1 >1 >1 >1 2 2 >2


Globally Competitive Research 93.616 106.391 117.535 123.113 130.962 129.714 136.068



In respect of objective 1, the National Research Facilities will continue to support internationally competitive research through:• Increase and provide support for next



• Increase and provide support for next generation, emerging and established researchers in order to grow the PhD pipeline

Human capacity development (HCD) is a major focus area within the NRF with the emphasis on postgraduate; doctoral and postdoctoral appointments and technical training. During 2013/14, about 550 postgraduates utilised the facilities to complete their degrees with doctoral students comprising 30% of the total. The number of students being supervised by programme staff has increased steadily from 200 in 2011/12 to 236 in 2013/14. These will increase steadily over the coming years as new infrastructure is acquired and the PDP initiative is fully exploited.

Technical training is now receiving greater attention than in previous years due to the planned investment in research infrastructure and the current scarcity of skills in key areas. The throughput in this sector has grown steadily since 2009/10, with the largest growth being within the National Zoological Gardens

(NZG). The facilities are attracting students in various fields to complete their experiential work as part of their studies. Within programme 4, the National Research Facilities also participate in the DST/NRF`s internship as well as the Post-Doctoral programmes (PDP). The PDP allows the research fellows to develop their research skills whilst at the same time, it provides much needed additional research capacity at the facilities.

Postgraduate students in a wide range of disciplines from all South African universities participate in the annual Indibano of the SAEON Graduate Student Network to present their research and participate in workshops, fieldtrips and lectures by senior scientists.

• Support multidisciplinary research and innovation

All research activities within programme 4 embrace scientists and students from both the national and international communities, with an emphasis on:• Research articles published in high impact

(ISI accredited) journals;• Presentations of research results at

international conferences and meetings;• Use of the research platforms by

postgraduate students;• Supervision of postgraduate students by

staff; and• Participation in and expansion of national

and international collaborations with scientists from other research organisations.

In addition, several of the National Research Facilities engage in applied research and research applications, such as radio-isotope production and particle therapy at iThemba LABS and the use of SAEON environmental databases for policy formulation (within both the private and public sectors).

As part of a collaborative project with SAEON, Ezemvelo Kwazulu Natal Wildlife (EKZNW) staff members retrieve a data logger from a borehole in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The data which is downloaded records water depth in the borehole and enables scientists to monitor the underground freshwater discharged into the system.





Table 20: Programme 4: KPIs against budget (2014/15 – 2017/18) - Strategic Objective 2


OBJECTIVE STATEMENT Promote system-wide international engagement and collaboration in order to support emerging knowledge fields and provide local researchers with access to innovative research infrastructure.

CRITICAL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES • Promote system-wide international engagement• Facilitate international research platform access



Number of joint international agreements at the National facilities

44 46 51 57 60 62 65



• Promote system-wide international engagement and facilitate international research platform access

National Research Facilities facilitate and promote international collaboration across the NSI and also facilitate access to research platforms globally. This aligns directly with the mandate of all the National Research Facilities, which calls for strong collaboration with international partners. There is currently a total of 50 formal collaborations to date and this is expected to grow to at least 75 over the MTEF period. Some of the major collaborations are:

• A consortium in the nuclear sciences between South Africa and the Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (CERN), provides both researchers and students with the opportunity to conduct research using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Switzerland;

• iThemba LABS and the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL) in Italy work together in developing targets and ion sources for radioactive beam production;

• iThemba LABS and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Russia collaborate on ion source development, the use of laser-

ionisation to produce radioactive beams, and the development of the injection of radioactive beams into an ESIS charge breeder;

• The Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR) grant allows postgraduates in the nuclear sciences to travel to the University of Ghent in Belgium for specialised training in molecular radiation biology. This funding is also available to host international workshops in radiation biology within South Africa;

• The NZG’s collaborative project with Kenya Wildlife Services in eco-toxicology research aims to understand the impact of environmental toxins on wildlife in both countries;



• The University of Botswana collaborates with the NZG on the training of students in wildlife forensic science and general wildlife conservation research;

• As part of its applied physiology, nutrition and metabolism research, the NZG is collaborating with Namibian institutions to research metabolomics in cheetahs;

• A strong collaborative partnership exists between the SAEON: Elwandle Node and the University of Western Australia with respect to the stereo-baited remote underwater video project;

• The Ndlovu and Fynbos nodes plan to increase the numbers and frequency of visits by overseas researchers and students, mostly from Europe and the US. It is expected that some of these visits will lead to formal collaboration on projects with the possibility for funding and/or reciprocity;

• SAIAB and Dalhousie University in Canada maintain a network of acoustic receivers to monitor marine animal migration under the auspices of the global Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) project;

• SAEON has signed an MoU with the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric

Science (RSMAS) of the University of Miami and the Koninklijk Nederlands Instituut voor Onderzoek der Zee (NIOZ) to establish a five-year study of thermohaline (volume, heat and salt) circulation by the Agulhas Current, off the coast from East London. This project is known as the Agulhas System Climate Array (ASCA). The international partners will loan their instruments to be moored in a cross-section through the core of the Agulhas Current and provide technical support and training over the life of ASCA. The study will make a unique contribution to the understanding of global climate change. The project will also enable disciplines other than physical oceanography to participate in the cruises, post-cruise interpretation of the data collected and various capacity development initiatives created. These may include work on biogeochemical aspects, phyto- and zooplankton dynamics associated with the Agulhas Current, glider work, Argo floats and Surface Velocity Program (SVP) drifters, and air-sea interactions using marine meteorology instrumentation. ASCA is supported by the Departments of Science and Technology and of Environmental Affairs, as well as the NRF;

• SAIAB is a key partner in the Fish Barcode of Life Initiative (FISH-BOL) and International Barcode of Life (IBOL) projects, which are a global initiatives;

• SAIAB has a key research collaboration with the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Norway’s leading institution for applied ecological research, through the South African Norway Research Cooperation on Climate Change (SANCOOP), and

• The units within the clusters also host several international conferences and workshops each year; several are planned for the MTEF period.







OBJECTIVE STATEMENT Providing and facilitating access to world class equipment and infrastructure through the acquisition of high end equipment and the support of National Research Facilities.

CRITICAL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES • Provide science Infrastructure in priority areas• Incubate, nurture and strategically locate research platforms• Develop human capacity in priority research areas

LINKS TO MTSF NRF Strategic Objective 3 links to:• MTSF Priorities 2 and 10 since the provision of research equipment and research platforms.


Total infrastructure investment in the National Research Facilities (Rm)

36. 83 39.22 44.71 44.26 75.67 55.23 7.05



In order to provide leading edge research platforms, National Research Facilities are expected to:• Provide science infrastructure in priority areas;

and• Develop human capacity in priority areas.

The research platforms offered within the programme are varied but extensive, and provide a solid base for research collaboration and Human Capacity development. The planned infusion of new infrastructure over the reporting period will allow the facilities to develop new collaborations and partnerships, as well as

embrace the latest technologies to remain both relevant and competitive within the international research space.

• Providing science infrastructure in priority areas

a. iThemba Labs (Nuclear Sciences)This research and development platform is provided at two sites, one in Faure (Cape Town) and the other at the University of the Witwatersrand campus in Johannesburg (Gauteng). The infrastructure includes:

• A variable energy separated sector cyclotron (SSC) and associated detectors that produce a wide variety of high-energy particle beams up to 200 MeV;

• A 5.5 MV Van de Graaff accelerator with a nuclear microprobe, used primarily for materials research and supplemented by an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) unit;

• An atomic force microscope (AFM) and a physical properties measurement system (PPMS);

• A 6 MV EN tandem accelerator for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), ion beam analysis



(with a nuclear microprobe and elastic recoil detection system) and low-energy nuclear reaction studies;

• A dedicated 11 MeV cyclotron for 18F production, used in positron emission tomography (PET); and

• Production facilities for the manufacture of radionuclides for both the local nuclear medicine community and the export market (hot cells, target stations and clean rooms).

Over the MTEF period, iThemba LABS will focus on a future flagship project – the acquisition of a new high beam current 70 MeV cyclotron with two extraction ports in order to establish a rare isotope beam facility. It has secured funding of R24m from the Strategic Research Infrastructure Grant (SRIG) programme to construct a Target Ion Source (TIS) test bench to serve as a pilot project and to complete a feasibility study for the much larger proposed Radio-active Ion Beam (RIB) facility. Other major projects at iThemba LABS are listed below:• A proposal to migrate the radionuclide

production business to a new company with joint NRF and NTP shareholding is being progressed by the NRF. The expected date of transfer is 1 April 2015;

• A modern state of the art 3MV Tandem accelerator has been approved for funding at a cost of R46m. This constitutes more than just a replacement of the aging 5MV Van de

Graaff since the unprecedented stability will allow ion beam analysis to be done at below the micron scale, opening up new areas of research; and

• The medical radiation department is awaiting the outcome of a proposal for a dedicated proton therapy facility which is currently being reviewed within the Department of Health.

b NZG (Biodiversity and Conservation Sciences)

The main operating platforms are the following:• The zoological garden component that houses

the animal collection, which numbering several thousand animal specimens covering several hundred taxa. The animal collection forms a strategic base for clinical veterinary and scientific work by both internal and external researchers and professionals;

• A wildlife biomaterials bank encompassing components of multiple bio-banks, such as microbial and cell cultures, sperm bank, tissue bank, pathology bank, and environmental tissue bank; The bank has over 5 000 samples covering over 500 taxa;

• The Centre for Conservation Science, a research centre focused on molecular ecology and conservation genetics research, has specialised laboratory space for molecular genetics, molecular diagnostics and wildlife pathology; and

• The Animal Hospital is a fully fledged clinical facility that caters mainly for the clinical needs of the animal collection and is being refashioned as a Centre for Wildlife Health in order to enhance its research impact and capacity.

It is anticipated that the NZG will be transferred from the DST/NRF to the SANBI under the Department of Environmental Affairs, effective from 1 April 2015. The development of a new strategic framework has been initiated and will be completed once the reporting lines of the facility are confirmed.

Funding has been secured to establish a Wildlife Forensics facility at the NZG; this should be completed during 2015/16 and will enable the NZG to provide scientific support to conservation law enforcement at both a regional and national level, and to partake in training of wildlife forensic scientists in partnership with the University of the Free State.

c SAIAB (Aquatic Biodiversity)SAIAB provides a platform for the following cutting edge infrastructure:• Collections and Specialised laboratories,

including:- Collections Storage Facility and

Management Centre- Bio-bank;



- X-ray laboratory;- Molecular laboratory and- Ecophysiology laboratory;

• Marine research platform;• Coastal crafts: Kadouw and uKwabelana;• The Acoustic Telemetry Array (ATAP);• Remote optical unit: ROV and BRUV systems;

and• Biodiversity Information Platform which

includes the Library and Biodiversity Informatics Unit.

Over the MTEF period, SAIAB will focus on:• Refurbishing the second floor of the

collections building to provide significant additional space for a new X-ray room and additional bio-bank space;

• Ensuring that SAIAB can continue to take on collections “in distress” and act as a regional hub. Momentum is growing around the concept of Regional Collection Facilities and SAIAB will be well positioned to be classified as a regional facility; and

• Expanding the Genetics laboratory, as well as commissioning the Eco-physiology laboratory.

d SAEON (Environmental Sciences)The demand for the use of the research platforms in this area of research remains exceedingly high, with over a thousand users (researchers and students) currently making use of the facilities. SAEON supports:• Six nodes that are geographically dispersed

across the country, each of which establishes and maintains environmental observatories (field stations and research sites) which serve as platforms for research on long-term changes in ecosystem structure, composition, function and spatial characteristics;

• Reasonably equipped laboratories for conducting bio-physical and chemical tests on environmental phenomena, and for analysing properties of plant and animal specimens; and

• Coastal and marine nodes, which join the research sea cruises of international programmes. These have various oceanographic research instruments, including current meters, ARGO floats, underwater camera and video machines,

remotely-operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and diving gear.

SAEON will develop research infrastructure at the Tieberg Karoo Research Centre in Prince Albert. A property of approximately 100 hectares was donated to SAEON for use as a research centre. This facility will become the only non-library institution accredited to manage the digital object identification (DOI) system, which will also provide citation-linking services to the scientific publishing sector. SAEON will undertake to position the data portal and associated platforms (such as the SAEOS, Bioenergy Atlas and Risk and Vulnerability Atlas) as important components of the National Integrated Cyber-infrastructure (NICIS) – in which NRF and SKA SA are expected to play a significant role. The education outreach programme – which for a long time has only been running in three of the six SAEON nodes – will be rolled out to all nodes as posts for education officers at the three remaining nodes are established and filled.



Aerial view of iThemba LABS, Cape Town.



The NRF has created a sub-Agency for Astronomy in South Africa headed by the newly appointed Deputy CEO, Prof Nithaya Chetty. Prof Chetty’s vision for the sub-Agency is based on a “Solid governance system that works for Astronomy and a

sustainable funding system for Astronomy.” Based on these tenets, the agency will aim to change the socio-economic and political sphere that impacts astronomy through a STEM education and human capacity development strategy that will

Through the looking glass: The vision for the NRF Astronomy sub-Agency

drive transformation and excellence. Prof Chetty hopes to inspire Astro-optimism and drive an agenda that is set to position South Africa as a true leader in this ancient relationship with the many secrets and lessons nestled in the universe.

SOMEWHERE, SOMETHING INCREDIBLEIS WAITING TO BE KNOWN


PROGRAMME 05National Research Facilities - Astro Geosciences

05


Deputy CEOAstro

Geosciences

NRF CEO

PROGRAMME 5

SAAO

HartRAO

SKA SAProject



11 PROGRAMME 05: National Research Facilities: Astro Geosciences


Programme 5 caters exclusively for multi-wavelength astronomy, specifically the disciplines of radio, optical and gamma astronomy. In May 2012, Africa was awarded the major share of the International Square Kilometre Array Project. This global Mega-Science project will include a 64-dish radio telescope array (MeerKAT) currently being constructed in the Northern Cape by the SKA SA project – an initiative of the NRF and the DST. The international component of the project will extend the MeerKAT array to what is named ‘SKA Phase I’, which will consist of about 300 dishes located entirely within South Africa, and the ‘SKA Phase II’ consisting of about 3000 radio antennae; this will end across the continent, having outer stations in eight African partner countries.

In March 2013, the Minister of Science & Technology announced the creation of an Astronomy sub-Agency which would be structured and incubated within the NRF. An ‘Astronomy Desk’ was established within the DST in order to engage with the broader astronomy community to develop a Decadal Strategy for Astronomy that aims to embrace an integrated multi-wavelength philosophy.

The Programme 5 Astronomy sub-Agency consists of:

11.1.1 The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO)

The SAAO is the premier optical and near infra-red astronomy facility on the African continent. Having been established in the Western Cape in 1820, the SAAO conducts fundamental research in astronomy and astrophysics through the provision of world-class facilities. The observing station, located in the town of Sutherland in the Northern Cape, is home to 14 telescopes including the 10m class Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). The SAAO operates SALT on behalf of the SALT Foundation (Pty) Ltd, where the South African interest is represented by the NRF. In support of this cutting edge astronomy platform, the SAAO:• Has developed strong niche technical

competencies in the areas of opto-mechanical and electronic engineering in order to design and manufacture precision instrumentation in support of the astronomy;



• Has capitalised off high-end ICT infrastructure by participating in the virtual observatory for the integrated development of multi- wavelength astronomy;

• Contributes to the development of science in society through the astronomy-specific Science Engagement programmes; and

• Plays host to the International Office for Astronomy Development (OAD).

11.1.2 Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO)

Radio astronomy on the African continent started in the 1961 with the construction of Deep Space Station 51, now known as HartRAO. NASA initially constructed the observatory to facilitate the capture of data and to transmit commands to the unmanned US probes sent beyond the earth’s orbit. The geographic location of the observatory was significant and the observatory supports the Ranger, Surveyor, and Lunar Orbiter spacecraft which landed on the Moon. The observatory also supported the Mariner Missions, which explored the planets Venus and Mars as well as the Pioneers, which measured the Sun’s winds. NASA handed the facility to the CSIR in 1975 when it was converted to a radio astronomy observatory. Today, HartRAO plays a fundamental role in the global radio astronomy and geodetic observation network by participating in the:

• Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). Both the 26m antenna and the experimental demonstrator (XDM prototype) for MeerKAT are used in the various observations including:- Astronomical, astrometric and geodetic

VLBI; and - Single-dish radio astronomical observing

using the techniques of radiometry, spectroscopy and pulsar timing.

• International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS);• Operation the Global Navigation Satellite

System (GNSS) receivers at various locations across Southern Africa, the islands off the coast of Africa, and Antarctica – for the International GNSS Service (IGS) in support of the African Geodetic Reference Frame (AFREF) development and for other research purposes; and

• Operation of the tide gauges co-located with GNSS receivers for research into sea level change and for tsunami warnings.

11.1.3 The South African Square Kilometre Array Project (SKA SA)

The MeerKAT array is currently under construction near Carnarvon in the Northern Cape and will consist of 64 offset Gregorian dishes. When completed, MeerKAT will form part of the international SKA core. With outer stations expanding the base line

of SKA north to Namibia, Botswana, Ghana and Kenya and east to Madagascar, the 3000 km baseline specification will be met, making the SKA the most sensitive telescope in the world. The SKA SA project is underpinned by:

• Leading South Africa’s interest in collaborations with international role players, as a result of being awarded the majority of the bid for the SKA radio telescope;

• Creating high-level intellectual capital around radio astronomy and the associated engineering disciplines; and

• Exploiting the innovative technology products from MeerKAT for commercialisation.

11.2 Contribution to Strategic Objectives

The National Research Facilities of Programme 5 and the SKA SA project contribute to the achievement of three strategic objectives and two strategic outcome orientated goals as discussed in detail on the next page.





OBJECTIVE STATEMENT Drive research competitiveness through the support of high quality research and innovation, as well as the generation of knowledge and the development of human capacity in critical areas.



LINKS TO MTSF NRF Strategic Objective 1 links to:• MTSF Priorities 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 through the implementation and support of the Human

Capacity Development and knowledge generation at the National Research Facility.


Number of postgraduate students supported by the National Research Facilities

63 86 89 101 119 125 130

ISI publications at the National Research Facilities 90 110 118 125 130 140 157

Number of users of National Research Facilities 61 68 55 45 47 49 55


>1 >1 >1 >1 2 2 >2


Globally competitive research 62.001 64.541 84.733 103.876 109.292 104.328 80.382

In respect of objective 1, the National Research Facilities support internationally competitive research through:• Increase and provide support for next


• Support multidisciplinary research and innovation; and

• Increase and provide support for next generation, emerging and established researchers in order to grow the PhD pipeline.

Human Capacity Development is a major focus area within the sub-Agency, with the emphasis being on postgraduate training, post-doctoral appointments and technical

training. During 2014/15, 128 postgraduates (20% PhD Students) will be making use of the astronomy facilities to complete their degrees and this momentum will be sustained over the MTEF period. The number of students now being supervised by programme staff has been steadily increasing over the past few years, from 39 in 2010/11 to 55 in 2014/15.





Technical training is also receiving greater focus dues to the planned investment in research infra-structure and the requirements of the SKA SA Project, as well as the current scarcity of such skills in the labour market. Due to the requirements of the SKA SA project, there has been some significant growth in personnel, in particular:• There are now approximately 190 engineers,

scientists, technicians and artisans working on the SKA SA project;

• More than 50 students are currently studying to complete their PhD or MSc qualifications in the next two years;

• In addition, the project will continue to award grants and bursaries to 2017. To date the SKA SA human capacity development programme has:- Provided nearly 600 grants and bursaries

to postdoctoral fellows, postgraduate and undergraduate students at universities, universities of technology, and to FET colleges;

- Supported five Research Chairs at South African universities. The research chairs have further increased the number of researchers and supervisors who are able to supervise postgraduate students and manage SKA and MeerKAT related research.

The key HCD initiatives planned over the MTEF period include:• The on-going implementation of the HCD

Programme, funded by the SKA SA project; • A focus on accessing external funding,

particularly for increasing capacity development in the universities in the SKA partner countries in Africa (Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Madagascar, Namibia and Botswana). The objective is to obtain funding to replicate the South African pipeline-capacity development model in the other countries, albeit on a smaller scale;

• The National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme (NASSP), a collaboration of ten universities and four research facilities that takes graduates with a BSc in astronomy, physics or closely related subject and allows them to continue with postgraduate studies to PhD level or enter the work environment. It will be expanded to more sites in the future, thus providing a better geographical distribution across the country;

• The sub-Agency will also participate in the DST/NRFInternship Programme in which unemployed science, engineering and technology graduates and postgraduates will be afforded an opportunity to acquire practical work experience and improve their competencies through mentoring and exposure to a research environment.

The Mechanical Department at SAAO has partnered with North Link Technical College to train tool, jig and die-making apprentices for a

period of three years. The students are introduced to the machinery and specialised mechanical work required in an observatory and are given a variety of projects to complete under the supervision of senior staff. After the three-year period,, they will be fully qualified and ready to enter the workplace.Within programme 5, the National Research Facilities also participate in the DST-NRF’s internship as well as the Post-Doctoral programmes (PDP). The PDP allows the research fellows to develop their research skills whilst at the same time, it provides much needed additional research capacity at the facilities.

• Support multidisciplinary research and innovation

Research activities within the Astronomy sub-Agency embrace scientists and students from both the national and international communities with an emphasis on:• Publication of research outputs in high-

impact (ISI accredited) journals;• Presentation of research results at

international conferences and meetings;• Use of the research platforms by postgraduate

students;• Supervision of postgraduate students by

staff; and• Participation in and expansion of national and

international collaboration.



The key scientific activities over the MTEF period include:• Exploiting the capabilities of KAT-7 by actively

encouraging local astronomers to pursue internationally relevant research and to utilise the instrument as a test-bed for MeerKAT;

• Actively progressing the development of multi-wavelength astronomy through on-going interactions between the astronomy facilities,

SKA SA and SA GAMMA Consortium, and encouraging the use of SALT by radio astronomers (joint projects to be initiated);

• On-going use of the small optical telescopes for follow-up on large optical surveys including those using SALT;

• Developing a combined Lunar Laser Ranger / Satellite Laser Ranger (L/SLR) based around the donated 1m optical telescope;

• Expanding participation in astrometric research, given HartRAO’s geographic importance and key role in developing and maintaining the ICRF, it will now participate in the ICRF working group; and

• Continuing with the development of the AVN in African partner countries.





OBJECTIVE STATEMENT Promote system wide international engagement and collaboration in order to support emerging knowledge fields and provide local researchers with access to innovative research infrastructure.

CRITICAL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES • Promote system wide international engagement• Facilitate international research platform access



Number of joint international agreements at the National facilities

25 25 25 25 30 35 40



• Promote system-wide international engagement and facilitate international research platform access

In respect of objective 2, it is expected that the National Research Facilities will facilitate and promote international collaboration across the NSI as well as facilitate access to research platforms globally. This aligns directly with the mandate of all the National Research Facilities which calls for strong collaboration with international partners. There are currently a total of 50 formal collaborations to date and this is expected to grow to at least 75 over the MTEF period. Some of the major collaborations are listed below:• SKA SA will continue with its interactions

with the International SKA Office with regard to the Hosting Agreement and contributions as well as the funding model to be used. On-going discussions will also continue on SKA Phase I and the integration of MeerKAT within this phase. The African partners are actively engaged in the planned AVN as well as in preliminary discussions on SKA. Also, collaborations with partners of C-Band All Sky Survey (C-BASS) and Precision array probing the epoch of reionisation (PAPER) are progressing well and it is anticipated that C-BASS will be fully operational at the end

of the 2014/15 financial year. SKA SA will provide active support to the collaborators of PAPER for the development of HERA, which is planned to be a follow up to PAPER.

• The Sutherland observing station has strategic advantages that have to date attracted 11 international facilities for astronomy and Earth system science. Principal among these is the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), a 10-m class optical telescope developed and funded by a consortium of international partners from South Africa, USA, Germany, India, Poland, UK and New Zealand. South Africa is the largest single shareholder in SALT (33%) and SAAO operates SALT on a contractual basis on behalf of the SALT Foundation, the entity that owns SALT.

• HartRAO has been a member of the European VLBI Network (EVN) since 2011, having been an associate member for the previous 10 years. The 26m telescope also operates as part of the Australia Telescope Long Baseline Array (AT-LBA) to provide a southern hemisphere astronomical VLBI platform. The Facility further provides observing time to the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS).







OBJECTIVE STATEMENT Providing and facilitating access to world class equipment and infrastructure through the acquisition of

high end equipment and the support of National Research Facilities.

CRITICAL IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES • Provide science Infrastructure in priority areas

• Incubate, nurture and strategically locate research platforms

• Develop human capacity in priority research areas

LINKS TO MTSF NRF Strategic Objective 3 links to:

• MTSF Priorities 2 and 10 since the provision of research equipment and research platforms.


Total infrastructure investment in the National Research Facilities (Rm)

56.79 224.66 266.06 432.47 293.43 316.57 29.14



In order to provide leading edge research platforms, National Research Facilities are expected to: • Provide science infrastructure in priority

areas; and• Develop human capacity in priority areas.

The research platforms offered within the programme are extensive and significant. Given the geographic location of Southern Africa in relation to the rest of the world, the telescopes in

South Africa and Africa are a key component in the global astronomy network. This provides a host of opportunities for collaboration, knowledge dissemination and Human Capacity development.

• Providing science infrastructure in priority areas

Research Infrastructure, particularly within SAAO and HartRAO, requires regular renewal and

enhancement; in recognition of this, the sub-Agency has been allocated R131m over the next 3-5 years to invest in strategic equipment acquisition in order to maintain the international competiveness and relevance of these facilities. These allocations will allow both SAAO and HartRAO to enhance the current platforms and attract additional students and researchers, thereby facilitating a journey into new research areas. Key areas of investment are:



a. SAAO (Optical and near Infra-red)The main operating platforms at the SAAO are as follows:• The research telescopes (as set out in Table

25) are located 360km from the Cape Town headquarters on the Sutherland observing plateau in the Northern Cape. Facilities include a hostel for visiting staff, site staff housing, workshops, a visitor centre and a recreation centre.

Table 25: Key infrastructure

Telescopes Mirror Diameter

SALT 10.0m

1.9m Telescope 1.9m

1.0m Telescope 1.0m

0.75m Telescope 0.75m

0.5m Telescope 0.5m

Alan Cousins Telescope 0.75m

Over the MTEF period, the following initiatives will be facilitated:• A new, robotic 1m optical telescope (R17m);• Investment in SALT for the upgrade to key

instrumentation and the mirror alignment system (R14m);

• Instrumentation for SAAO small telescopes (R9m); and

• Upgrades to the IT infrastructure (R6m).

b. HartRAO (Radio Astronomy)Research platforms currently available include:• The 26m radio telescope equipped with

receivers for several wavelength bands from 1,3cm to 18cm with the majority being cryogenically cooled for increased sensitivity. This instrument is used for VLBI in collaboration with observatories around the world and for Geodesy and Astrometry VLBI services;

• 15m XDM telescope was originally built as the MeerKAT experimental demonstrator model. This antenna has since been equipped with a cryogenic dual frequency 2.3+8.4 GHz receiver system. This receiver is primarily for geodetic VLBI to back up the 26m telescope, but it also has astronomical research applications;

• The NASA MOBLAS-6 Satellite Laser Ranger (SLR) has been in operation since 2000 under an inter-governmental agreement with the USA and with technical and maintenance support from NASA. The instrument is used for precise measurement of the orbits of satellites, coordinated by the ILRS. This is the only operational SLR in Africa;

• A one meter optical telescope donated by the Observatoire de la Cote d’Azur in France, is being developed as a L/SLR, for eventual relocation to a suitable site;



• The Global Positioning System (GPS) base station receiver, Galileo Satellite Navigation System receiver, and experimental tri-band GPS receiver for NASA;

• Another seismic vault will be installed at Klerefontein site (on the SKA SA Operations base). The data of this seismic vault will be used to characterise the Klerefontein and surrounding area for a possible future Laser Interferometer Gravity-Wave Observatory (LIGO) site;

• GNSS receivers are currently located around Southern Africa, including the SAAO observing station in Sutherland. GNSS receivers were installed adjacent to tide gauges at Walvis Bay and Luderitz in Namibia in 2013, in collaboration with the University of Luxembourg; and

• Tide gauges and GNSS receivers will be installed on the coast of South Africa, in collaboration with the SA Navy and TUT. These will facilitate the measurement of ocean levels in the short term for navigational purposes, and ocean level change due to global climate change in the long term.

Over the MTEF period, HartRAO will work on:• A new, fast slewing, 12m, 2010 compliant

VLBI Radio Telescope (R49m); and• Upgrading to the geodetic infrastructure to

extend the current platform in new scientific areas (R10m).

The development of a Matjiesfontein outstation has not materialised due to funding constraints; alternative means of funding will be sought.

c. The SKA SA Project (Radio Astronomy)

The project requires an estimated R2bn in funding over the MTEF period, inclusive of the initial investment commitments for SKA Phase I. The majority of costs are for MeerKAT, which is expected to be completed during 2017. The construction of MeerKAT is based on novel designs of both the antennae and associated sub-systems, which are considered to be at the cutting edge of technological innovation solutions within the radio astronomy fraternity.

The planned Africa VLBI Network (AVN) will link the eight African partner countries to the radio astronomy network. The current four existing antenna are being converted into receivers for radio astronomy and four new telescopes are expected to be built. These will all be commissioned by SKA SA with funding yet to be secured for the new builds.

Over the MTEF period:• The SKA consortium countries are required

to participate in the SKA design and development process by bidding on work packages with local and international partners and industry. They will also provide

the resources to complete the work related to the SKA work packages. Initial specifications were issued in 2012;

• The first phase will implement about 10% of the total collecting area of the telescope. Construction of SKA Phase 1 will commence in 2018, with tenders published in 2017. SKA SA will tender for these projects in collaboration with local industry; and

• Development of the AVN in African partner countries will proceed, with at least the four converted dishes being in full operation.



Monitoring Network of Telescopes (MONET) is a German initiative that consists of two fully automatic internet-operated telescopes with 1.2-m mirror diameters (f/7).

Solaris is a Polish scientific initiative to open a new frontier in the hunt for extrasolar planets. Solaris-1 and Solaris-2 is part of a global network of four 0.5-m robotic telescopes.

The Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network (BiSON) been collecting data on solar oscillations since 1976, making it the longest running helioseismology network with data covering three solar cycles.

The Kilo-degree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) (right) consists of two robotic telescopes that are conducting a survey for transiting exoplanets around bright stars.

The InfraRed Survey Facility (IRSF) is collaboration between South Africa and Japan and consists of a dedicated telescope with a simultaneous three-channel imager.

The Super Wide Angle Search for Planets (SuperWasp) is an an ultra-wide angle search for transiting extrasolar planets with the aim of covering the entire sky down to ~13th magnitude.

The South African Geodynamic Observatory Sutherland (SAGOS) (GeoForschumgsZentrum, GFZ) is a high precision geodynamic observatory comprising space techniques and ground instruments which monitor the temporal changes in the Earth’s gravitational field.

SA / USA SA / UNITED KINGDOM SA / UNITED KINGDOM SA / JAPAN

SA / GERMANY SA / POLANDSA / GERMANY

As the premier optical facility on the African continent, the SAAO hosts a number of international telescopes.



Part CKEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS


The corporate indicators set targets for the NRF’s performance against the strategic goals of the organisation.

12.1. NRF Performance Indicators

The NRF performance targets are structured in accordance with the strategic goals of the NRF.

12.1.1. NRF performance indicators according to strategic goals

The performance targets of the NRF are set against the strategic goals outlined in Table 26.

12 PART C: KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS


Table 26: NRF performance indicators according to NRF goals

OUTCOME: An internationally competitive and transformative research system

INDICATORS Actual 2012

Actual 2013

Actual 2014

Target 2015

2016 Q1

2016 Q2

2016 Q3

Proj. 2016

Proj. 2017

Proj. 2018


Investment in HCD Pipeline Next Generation % 49% 62% 64% 65% 62% 62% 62% 62% 59% 59%

Next Generation (Rm) 220 370 469 605 304 456 546 608 637 648

Emerging % 17% 14% 15% 17% 17% 17% 17% 17% 19% 19%

Emerging (Rm) 76 82 112 154 83 125 150 171 203 205

Established % 34% 25% 21% 18% 21% 21% 21% 21% 22% 22%

Established (Rm) 154 147 153 169 103 154 185 202 236 236

Number of NRF funded researchers from designated groups

Black % 26% 26% 28% 32% 34% 34% 34% 34% 37% 40%

Black Number 754 790 1 008 1 240 680 1 020 1 224 1 543 1 739 1 960

Female % 33% 34% 36% 42% 44% 44% 44% 44% 47% 50%

Female Number 957 1 044 1 285 1 628 880 1 320 1 584 1 997 2 209 2 450

Number and ratio of post graduate students funded per designated group

Black % 60% 63% 63% 65% 65% 65% 65% 65% 67% 69%

Black Number 4 569 5 541 6 110 7 400 4 388 6 581 7 898 9 373 9 715 10 350

Female % 49% 52% 53% 53% 56% 56% 56% 56% 57% 58%

Female Number 3 774 4 557 5 186 6 100 3 780 5 670 6 804 8 075 8 265 8 700

Number of post graduate students funded per level

Masters 3 564 3 397 3 704 4 828 2 634 3 951 4 741 5 515 5 300 5 350

Doctoral 1 979 2 031 2 265 2 790 1 593 2 389 2 867 2 996 3 200 3 230

Number of post graduate students supported by the National Research Facilities

402 358 374 472 250 380 455 505 524 540

ISI publications at the National Research Facilities 233 271 305 295 82 165 250 330 350 377

Number of users of National Research Facilities 829 1025 1096 1105 290 580 870 1159 1213 1255


>1 >1 >1 >1 2 2 >2


Increase in the number of international co-publication 5 150 6 080 6 601 7 000 7 400 7 800 8 200

Increase the total grant funding for internationalisation (Rm) 60.61 49.49 54.04 150.86 58.64 88.00 105.50 117.28 125.71 129.11


PART C • KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

NRF performance indicators according to NRF goals (continued)

OUTCOME: Leading edge research and infrastructure platforms


Actual 2013

Actual 2014

Target 2015

2016 Q1

2016 Q2

2016 Q3

Proj. 2016

Proj. 2017

Proj. 2018


Number of users of equipment that was funded by the NEP and NNEP programme

0 1651 1682 1700 1800 2000 2100

Number of publications emanating from the usage of equipment funded by the NEP and NNEP programme

690 910 1546 1700 2000 2300 2600

Total infrastructure investment in the National Research Facilities (Rm) 93.62 263.88 310.77 476.73 92.50 185.00 277.50 369.10 371.80 36.19

OUTCOME: A vibrant and globally connected national system of innovation


Actual 2013

Actual 2014

Target 2015

2016 Q1

2016 Q2

2016 Q3

Proj. 2016

Proj. 2017

Proj. 2018


Multimedia coverage items 0 53 51 66 20 40 60 82 102 110

Customer satisfaction rating (NRF) - GMSA Customer Service Instrument being developed

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 5 Provide Support service

Unqualified audit report & number of Internal & external audit findings yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

Investment in ICT platforms (Rm) 57.93 53.23 66.82 77.50 18.00 36.00 54.00 72.23 52.40 52.99

Corporate overheads: calculated as a percentage of total expenditure 2% 2% 2% <3% <3% <3% <3%


OUTCOME: An internationally competitive and transformative research system


Actual 2013

Actual 2014

Target 2015

2016 Q1

2016 Q2

2016 Q3

Proj. 2016

Proj. 2017

Proj. 2018


Proportion of South Africans from designated groups in senior technical, and managerial positions

Black % 43% 43% 44% 46% 46% 46% 46% 46% 47% 47%

Black Number 207 218 244 253 258 263 270 276 291 294

Female % 31% 32% 31% 33% 33% 33% 34% 34% 35% 36%

Female Number 155 157 176 182 186 190 194 198 211 225

% staff turnover 8.4% 9.6% 5.3% 6% 6% 6% 6%

Number of staff with post-graduate qualifications (Masters and PhD) 333 376 371 380 385 390 400

Number of staff in the exchange programme KPI - data collection in order to trend

Investment in staff training and professional membership fees (Rm) 7.44 9.35 9.13 13.88 3.75 7.50 11.25 12.14 8.60 8.31

OUTCOME: Scientifically literate and engaged society


Actual 2013

Actual 2014

Target 2015

2016 Q1

2016 Q2

2016 Q3

Proj. 2016

Proj. 2017

Proj. 2018

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 7 Entrench science engagement

Investments in Science Engagement activities (SAASTA & NF's) (Rm) 69.60 55.52 71.65 75.38 20.00 43.00 66.00 86.39 82.44 86.26

Interactions with the public (learners, educators and general public) focussing on science awareness activities (SAASTA)


0 10 7 10 2 5 8 10 10 11

Approximate number of public reached

0 551 408 502 186 556 334 140 000 280 000 420 000 560 000 580 000 600 000

Interactions focussing on educator development and learner performance in Mathematics, Technology and Science


0 7 8 7 2 4 6 8 9 10

Educators reached 0 8 758 10 425 12 645 3 000 6 000 9 000 13 870 15 210 15 500

Learners reached 0 271 641 342 135 347 864 90 000 180 000 270 000 360 320 374 403 375 000



PART C • KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

OUTCOME: Scientifically literate and engaged society


Actual 2013

Actual 2014

Target 2015

2016 Q1

2016 Q2

2016 Q3

Proj. 2016

Proj. 2017

Proj. 2018

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 8 Provide best practice research and innovation support systems

Grant funding awarded (Rm) 1 300 1 186 1 534 1 664 1 500 2 000 2 100 2 106 2 193 2 213

Number of NRF rated researchers from designated groups

Black % 20% 22% 23% 21% 24% 25% 26%

Black Number 506 569 668 604 768 850 936

Female % 29% 30% 30% 30% 31% 32% 33%

Female Number 717 780 889 863 992 1 088 1 188



13 NRF SUPPORTING POLICY FRAMEWORK

13.1. The NRF Supporting Policy Framework

SUPPORTING FRAMEWORK

A Exemptions granted from the provisions of the PFMA

B Risk Management Plan

C Fraud Prevention Plan

D Materiality and Significance Framework

E Schedule of the NRF Board’s main activities

F Structure and composition of the NRF Board and its committees

G Employment Equity Plan

H Business Development Strategy

I Communication Plan

J ICT Plans

Policies that form the supporting framework of the operations of the NRF are available on request.


PART C: NRF SUPPORTING POLICY FRAMEWORK

13.2. Applicable sustainability best practice codes and standards

Best practice codes and standards RIS

A

NZ

G

SA

EO

N

SA

AS

TA

SA

IAB

Har

tRA

O

SA

AO

iThe

mb

a LA

BS

SK

A

1. King III Code of Corporate Governance for SA √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √2. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for Financial Reporting √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √3. PAAZAB Code of Ethics √4. African Preservation Programme (APP) Resource Manual √5. SANS 10386:2008 South African National Standard for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes √6. World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) Code of Ethics and Animal Welfare √7. Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems 18001:2007 √8. ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System √ √ √ √ √9. ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System √ √ √ √ √ √10. Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) √11. International Atomic Energy Agency (AEA) standards √


14 CONTACTS

14.1 CORPORATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Dr BA DamonseActing CEO: National Research Foundation (NRF) Tel: +27 12 481 4329 Fax: +27 12 481 4006Email: [email protected]

Dr D PillayDeputy CEO: Research and Innovation Support and Advancement (RISA) Tel: +27 12 481 4286Fax: +27 12 481 4162Email: [email protected]

Dr BA DamonseGroup Executive: Science AdvancementTel: +27 12 481 4329Fax: +27 12 481 4006Email: [email protected]

Mr B SinghChief Financial Officer and Group Executive: Finance and Business Systems Tel: +27 12 481 4038Fax: +27 12 481 4006Email: [email protected]

Mr PB ThompsonGroup Executive: Human Resources and Legal Tel: +27 12 481 4073Fax: +27 12 481 4006Email: [email protected]

14.2 CORPORATE SERVICES

Mr RD GraceFinancial Director: Corporate Finance Tel: +27 12 481 4355Fax: +27 12 481 4006Email: [email protected]

Ms F OsmanExecutive Director: Corporate GovernanceTel: +27 12 481 4192Fax: +27 12 481 4006Email: [email protected]

Dr SD SelematselaExecutive Director: Knowledge Management Corporate (KMC) Tel: +27 12 481 4158Fax: +27 12 481 4006Email: [email protected]

14.3 RISA

Dr AM KanikiExecutive Director: Knowledge Fields Development (KFD)Tel: +27 12 481 4260Fax: +27 12 481 4005Email: [email protected]

Dr R MaharajExecutive Director: Human Institutional Capacity Development (HICD)Tel: +27 12 481 4087Fax: +27 12 481 4006Email: [email protected]

Dr NSR SkeefExecutive Director: Reviews and EvaluationsTel: +27 12 481 4129Fax: +27 12 481 4246Email: [email protected]

Dr T MgwebiExecutive Director:Research Chairs and Centres of Excellence (RCCE)Tel: +27 12 481 4022Fax: 086 516 5008 Email: [email protected] Dr L MtwishaActing Executive DirectorInstitutional Engagement and Partnership Development (IEPD)Tel: +27 12 481 4014Fax: +27 86 666 8073 Email: [email protected]

Dr A StroebelExecutive DirectorInternational Relations andCooperation (IRC)Tel: +27 12 481 4350/4039Fax: +27 12 481 4044 Email: [email protected]

Dr K MawilaActing Executive DirectorApplied Research, Innovation and Collaboration (ARIC)Tel: +27 12 481 4025 Email: [email protected]

PART C


Dr NB NthambeleniExecutive Director: Grant Management and Systems Administration (GMSA) Tel: +27 12 481 4182Fax: +27 12 481 4006Email: [email protected]

14.4 NATIONAL RESEARCH FACILITIES

Prof N Chetty Group Executive: AstronomyTel: +27 12 481 4010Fax: +27 12 414 3800Email: [email protected]

Dr L Combrink (Acting)Managing Director: Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO)Tel: +27 12 301 3100Fax: +27 12 301 3300Email: [email protected] Web: www.hartrao.ac.za

Dr AW PatersonManaging Director: South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) Tel: +27 46 603 5800Fax: +27 46 622 2403Email: [email protected]: www.saiab.ac.za

Mr J PauwManaging Director: South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) Tel: +27 12 349 7722Fax: +27 12 392 9316Email: [email protected] Web: www.saeon.ac.za

Dr C NxomaniManaging Director: National Zoological Gardens (NZG) Tel: +27 12 328 3265Fax: +27 12 323 4540Email: [email protected] Web: www.nzg.ac.za

Dr J Lawrie (Acting)Managing Director: iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator Based Sciences (iThemba LABS)Tel: +27 21 843 1000Fax: +27 21 843 3525Email: [email protected] Web: www.tlabs.ac.za

Prof TB WilliamsManaging Director: South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) Tel: +27 12 447 9318Fax: +27 12 447 3639Email: [email protected] Web: www.saao.ac.za

Prof B FanaroffManaging Director: Square Kilometre Array (SKA)Tel: +27 11 442 2434Fax: +27 11 442 2454Email: [email protected]: www.ska.ac.za

Mr Y ManjooDirector: Business Systems and AnalysisFacilities National OfficeTel: +27 12 481 4210Fax: +27 (0) 12 4814380Email: [email protected]

For further information on aspects of this document, please contact:

Faranah OsmanExecutive Director: Corporate GovernanceTel: +27 12 481 4192Fax: +27 12 481 4006E-mail: [email protected]: www.nrf.ac.za


DEA Department of Environmental Affairs

DEID Department for International Development

DFA Department of Foreign Affairs (no longer in existence under this name)

DHET Department of Higher Education and Training

DMR Department of Mineral Resources

DoE Department of Energy

DoH Department of Health

DOI Digital Object Identification

DSEE Doctoral Studies in Energy Efficiency

DST Department of Science and Technology

ERM Enterprise risk management

ESRF European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

EVN European VLBI Network

FET Futher Education and Training

GCRP Global Change Research Plan

GEF Global Environmental Facility

GFZ GeoForschungsZentrum (German Research Centre for Geosciences)

GIS Geographic information system

GMSA Grant Management and Systems Administration

GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System

GPS Global Positioning System

GRC Global Research Council

GSN Graduate Student Network

HartRAO Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory

HCD Human capacity development

HEI Higher education institution

HERA Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array

HESA Higher Education South Africa

HICD Human and Institutional Capacity Development

HR Human Resources

IAQ Improved Academic Qualification

ICP Institutional Capacity Programme

15 LIST OF ACRONYMSAC Africa Collaboration

ACEP African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme

ACMOST African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology

AFM Atomic Force Microscope

AFREF African Geodetic Reference Frame

AIMS African Institute of Mathematical Science

AISA Africa Institute of South Africa

ALICE A Large Ion Collider Experiment

AOP African Origins Programme

ARC Agricultural Research Council

ARIC Applied Research, Innovation and Collaboration

ASCA Aghulas System Climate Array

ASCLME Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystem

ASSAf Academy of Science of South Africa

ATAP Acoustic Tracking Array Platform

AT-LBA Astralia Telescope Long Baseline Array

AVN African VLBI Network

BiSON Birmingham Solar Oscillators Network

BRICS Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa

BRUV Baited Remote Underwater Video

BTech Bachelor of Technology

C-BASS C-Band All Sky Survey

CEO Chief executive officer

CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research (Organisation européenne pour la recherche nucléaire)

CHE Council on Higher Education

CIB Centre for Invasion Biology

CoE Centre of Excellence

CPUT Cape Peninsula University of Technology

CSIR Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

DACST Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (no longer in existence under this name)

DAFF Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

PART C: LIST OF ACRONYMS


ICRF International Celestial Reference Frame

ICSU International Council for Science

ICSU ROA International Council for Science Regional Office for Africa

ICT Information and Communication Technology

IDRC International Development and Research Centre

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

IEPD Institutional Engagement and Partnership Development

IGDP Integrated Growth and Development Plan

IKS Indigenous Knowledge Systems

IR&C International Relations and Cooperation

IRP Integrated Resource Plan

IRS Information Resources and Services

IRSF InfraRed Survey Facility

ISOLDE On-Line Isotope Mass Separator

IT Information technology

iThemba LABS

iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator Based Sciences

IVS International VLBI Service

JINR Joint Institute for Nuclear Research

JSE Johannesburg Securities Exchange Ltd

KAT Karoo Array Telescope

KELT Kilo-degree Extremely Little Telescope

KIC Knowledge Interchange and Collaboration

KFD Knowledge Fields Development

KMC Knowledge Management Corporate

KM&E Knowledge Management and Evaluation

KPI Key Performance Indicator

L/SLR Lunar Laser Ranger/Satellite Laser Ranger

LHC Large Hadron Collider

LIGO Laser Interferometer Gravity-Wave Observatory

LNL Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro

M&E Monitoring and Evaluation

MANUS Masters in Accelerator and Nuclear Science

MatSA Masters in Material Science

MFA Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

MONET Monitoring Network for Telescopes

MRC Medical Research Council

MTEF Medium-Term Expenditure Framework

MTSF Medium-Term Strategic Framework

MV megaVolt

NACI National Advisory Council on Innovation

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASSP National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme

NCRSI Namibian Council on Research Science and Technology

NECSA Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa

nGAP New Generation of Academics Programme

NICIS National Integrated Cyber-Infrastructure

NINA Norwegian Institute for Nature Research

NRDS National Research and Development Strategy

NRF National Research Foundation

NSI National Innovation System

NTeMBI Nuclear Technologies in Medicine and the Biosciences Initiative

NTP Network Time Protocol

NWO Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research)

NZG National Zoological Gardens

OAD Office for Astronomy Development

OC Overseas Collaboration

OTN Ocean Tracking Network

PAPER Precision Array Probing the Epoch of Reionisation

PDP Post-Doctoral Programme

PET Positron Emission Topography

PFMA Public Finance Management Act

PhD Doctor of Philosophy


PPMS Physical Properties Measurement System

PRMB Post-retirement medical benefits

RCCE Research Chairs and Centres of Excellence

R&D Research and development

RCAF Research Career Advancement Fellowships

RE Reviews and Evaluation

RD&I Research, Development and Innovation

RIB Radio-active Beam

RIMS Research Information Management System

RISA Research and Innovation Support and Advancement

ROV Remotely Operated Vehicle

RSES Renewable and Sustainable Energy Scholarship

RSMAS Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science

RSSC Regional Science Service Centre

S&T Science and technology

SA South Africa

SAAO South African Astronomical Observatory

SAASTA South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement

SACEMA South African Epidemiology Modelling and Analysis

SADC Southern African Development Community

SAEON South African Environmental Observation Network

SAGOS South African Geodynamic Observatory Sutherland

SAIAB South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity

SALT Southern African Large Telescope

SANAP South African National Antarctic Programme

SANBI South African National Biodiversity Institute

SANCOR South African Network for Coastal and Oceanic Research

SANERI South African National Energy Research Institute

SANHARP South African Nuclear Human Asset and Research Programme

SANParks South African National Parks

SANReN South African National Research Network

SARChI South African Research Chairs Initiative

SAWS South African Weather Service

SC Specialist Committee

SET Science, Engineering and Technology

SKA Square Kilometre Array

SLR Satellite Laser Ranger

SPII Support Programme for Industrial Innovation

SPP Strategic Platforms Programme

SRIG Strategic Research Infrastructure Grant

SSDF Scarce Skills Development Fund

STEM Science, Technology , Engineering and Mathematics

STP Seda Technology Programme

SVP Surface Velocity Program

the dti Department of Trade and Industry

THRIP Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme

TUT Tshwane University of Technology

TWAS Third World Academy of Science

USA United States of America

VLBI Very Long Baseline Interferometry

VoIP Voice-over internet protocol

WRC Water Research Commission

XDM eXperimental Development Model


Contact Us

Postal Address:PO Box 2600Pretoria0001

Physical Address:National Research FoundationCSIR South GateMeiring Naude RoadPersequorPretoria East0184

Tel: (012) 481 4187 • Fax: (012) 481 4197

ISBN: 978-1-86868-079-5

annual performance plan 2015/16 - 2017/18 app 2015_final_20... · annual performance plan 2015/16 -...

Documents