1

• 2013 marked the 75th anniversary of the

re-discovery of the Coelacanth

by Marjorie Courtney-Latimer in

the harbour town of East London;

• The find later became known as

“the most important zoological find

of the century”;

• Research continues today through

the African Coelacanth Ecosystem

Programme (ACEP);

• The ACEP broad objectives are to build a coelacanth genome resource,

including blood and tissue samples, for providing DNA and RNA of sufficient

quality to build libraries for genome sequencing; and

• An international team of researchers from 40 institutions in 12 countries

collaborated on the uniquely challenging task of decoding the genome of

this evolutionary marvel. 2

Re-discovery of the

Coelacanth

Promote and Support Research

through

funding, human resource development and the provision of

the necessary research facilities

in order to

facilitate the creation of knowledge, innovation and

development in all fields of science and technology, including

indigenous knowledge

and thereby to

contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of all the

people of the Republic

NRF Act, No 23 of 1998

NRF Mandate

3

NRF Strategic Goals

4

6

Performance against

Vision 2015

7

NRF Vision 2015 Targets

Exceeded

Progress Against

Vision 2015

Growth Rate of Publications

Number of Authored/

Co-authored ISI Publications

8

9

Progress Against

Vision 2015

Relative Citation Impact of ISI

Publications in Selected Science Fields

2009-2013

Percentage World Share of ISI

Publications in selected Science fields

2009-2013

National Research and

Development Strategy

Investment in Geographic Advantage Areas – Astronomy, excluding SKA

10

Investment in Geographic Advantage Areas – SKA (2009 to 2014)

11

National Research and

Development Strategy

12

National Research and

Development Strategy

Investment in Geographic Advantage Areas – excluding Astronomy

13

The Ten Year

Innovation Plan

Investment in DST Grand Challenges

14

NRF Income Trend

37% increase in income is due to ramp up of the

MeerKAT project and increased research grant

and bursary funding

15

NRF Income Ratios

16

NRF Expenditure Trends

The NRF investment in MeerKAT increased by 81%

17

NRF Overhead Ratios

NRF total overhead expenditure kept below 10% due to

efficiency measures and cost

containment initiatives

Human Resource and

Transformation

Recruitment increased by 83% (206) year on year;

Staff turnover increased from 9.63% in 2012/13 to 11.29% in 2013/14 which

is still under the national average of 12%;

There has been a steady increase in the overall employment of women,

especially at the professional and academic level;

The NRF is a relatively young organisation with 74.71% of its staff younger

than 50 years of age;

The NRF reviewed its staffing and succession plans in key positions

including senior and top management levels;

The effect of this systematic process ensures that:

the resourcing risks to the organisation are managed; and

resource optimisation is entrenched. 18

HR Transformation

19

Females 41%

Males59%

Black 70%

White 30%

The organisation is committed to the creation of a transformed workforce. Of the 1301 staff members, 11% have PhDs; 9% have a

Master’s degree and 6% of staff are enrolled for postgraduate qualifications

20

Programme 1 –

Corporate

21

Performance against

Planned Targets

Performance Indicators Actual

2012/13

Actual

2013/14

Target

2013/14

Unqualified external audit report with no

significant issues

Yes Yes Yes Yes

No

Proportion of South Africans from designated

groups in the four highest employment levels

Black 59% 60% 60%

Women 42% 41% 43%

Total NRF Overheads: calculated as a percentage of total

expenditure9.2% 9.4% <10%

Corporate Overhead: calculated as a percentage of total

expenditure1.8% 1.9% <3%

22

Programme 2 –

Science Engagement

Performance Indicators Actual

2012/13

Actual

2013/14

Target

2013/14

Science

Engagement

Number of educators resources

produced6 9 5

Number of learner resources

produced7 29 5

Number of technical manuals and fact

sheets produced14 18 15

Contributing to a Vibrant National System of Innovation

Number of learners reached through science

engagement activities524 789 694 031 641 777

Number of educators reached through science

engagement activities41 722 36 264 18 185

23

Performance against

Planned Targets

• The science engagement programme aims to advance science,

engineering and technology through science communication, science

education and science awareness at all levels of society.

• The science engagement strategic

partnership model is core to the

programme and the NRF interacts

closely with a network of science

centres, higher education institutions,

science councils, professional science

associations, and a host of other

science-based entities globally to

engage the public in science,

engineering and technology.24

Science Engagement

• The theme of NSW 2013 was “Celebrating scientific areas in which South

Africa have a competitive edge”, with “International year of water

cooperation” as sub-theme;

• The objective of the programme was to raise awareness of both the

potential for increased cooperation and the challenges facing

water management in the context of

greater demand for water access,

allocation and services;

• NSW is run in all nine provinces

simultaneously at multiple sites per

province;

• SAASTA is the implementing agency and

has the role of national project manager

for NSW.25

National Science Week

• Three touchscreen computers featuring

nanotechnology information were

unveiled at the National Museum in

Bloemfontein.

• The aim of the nano touchscreen

computers is to show a range of

elements which have various uses as

nanoparticles and their applications in

different fields.

• The project was initiated by

Untouchable-But-Approachable (UBA)

General Trading (Pty) Ltd, and was

implemented with a grant from the

Nanotechnology Public Engagement

Programme (NPEP), managed by SAASTA. 26

Science Communication

Dignitaries were touched to witness the excitement of blind learners reading about nanotechnology from the braille plates for

the very first time

27

Programme 3 - RISA

28

RISA Sources

of Funding

29

RISA Performance

against Set Targets

A total of 5 641 peer-reviewed journal articles were published during 2013–14. This exceeded

the target of 5 500 publications by 3%

30

RISA Transformation

Performance - Researchers

31

RISA Transformation

Performance - Students

32

NRF Funded Student

Graduations

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

BlackFemale

BlackMale

WhiteFemale

WhiteMale

NRF Supported

NationalRegistrations

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

BlackFemale

BlackMale

WhiteFemale

WhiteMale

NRF Supported

NationalRegistrations

Honours bursaries Masters bursaries

PhD bursaries

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

BlackFemale

BlackMale

WhiteFemale

WhiteMale

NRF Supported

NationalRegistrations

0%

5%

10%15%

20%

25%

30%35%

40%

45%

BlackFemale

BlackMale

WhiteFemale

WhiteMale

NRF Grantholders

HEI FTE Staff withDoctoral degrees

Grant-holders

HEI Staff and Students vs

NRF Grants/Bursaries 2012

34

RISA Human Capacity

Development Pipeline

35

Investments in Next

Generation Researchers

36

Investments in

Emerging Researchers

Cross-cutting investment

37

Investments in ThuthukaFunding Instruments

Researchers

38

Investments in

Established Researchers

Strategic Investments

39

1 841 students were supported over the 2013/14 financial year of which 56% were

black and 51% were females

40

Strategic Investments

Race and Gender distribution of Students supported through NRF Strategic

Investments

41

Infrastructure Investments

42

NRF Rated Researchers

in all Disciplines

Target for 2013/14 was 2714

DST/NRF Internship Programme

• A total of 1 543 interns have been enrolled.

• A total of 695 (45%) interns in the programme have joined the workforce

within the NSI.

• 365 (23%) interns exited the programme to further their studies through

studentship and full time study.

• The programme has expanded to include graduates from Humanities and

Social Sciences in line with the requirements of DST’s Ten-Year Innovation

Plan.

• 105 interns were placed at HEIs throughout the country.

43

44

Programme 4 & 5 –

National Research Facilities

45

Performance Against

Planned Targets

World of Science Outputs: Impact

relative to the world (2013)

There has been steady growth in the number of publications emanating from the National Research Facilities over the

last 5 years

Programme 4 – NFs (excl. Astronomy)

Human Capacity Development

• A total of 952 students spent time at and participated in the work of the

Facilities.

• A total of 236 students were supervised by the facilities staff, of which 42%

were doctoral students.

• SAIAB has produced its first black South African female Antarctic

Ichthyologist who graduated with a PhD in April 2014.

• SAEON, in partnership with SANParks, has employed six environmental

monitors from previously disadvantaged backgrounds which also includes

two disabled individuals.

• The NZG has a number of programmes that support student training at

HEIs

• A total of 172 engineering students are involved in 41 projects, where

they are also required to complete 40 hours of community service. 46

47

Programme 4 - Performance

against Planned Targets

Performance IndicatorActual

2012/13Actual

2013/14Target

2013/14

Expected research outputs by

National Research Facility

researchers

Peer-reviewed ISI publications 160 187 119

Peer-reviewed ISI publications

with external co-authors (subset

of the above)

151 167 100

Growing a representative science and technology workforce in South Africa (externally)

Experiential training: number of students spending time at and

participating in the work of facilities as part of their formal training

773 952 369

Number of students employed to undertake temporary research-related

work

18 14 26

Post graduate students making use of facilities for training 404 312 322

Students supervised by staff of

facilities

Honours/ BTech 39 31 36

Masters 85 105 98

Doctoral 73 100 70

Total 197 236 204

48

Programme 4 - Highlights

The target number of researchers using the NZG facility excluding

staff exceeded target by 56

NZGThe number of new registered

users of the SAEON Data Portal was 517 against target of 180

SAEONThe number of data uploads on

Acoustic Receiver Network exceeded target by 265%

SAIAB

iThemba LABS proportion of international collaborations to total collaborations was 47% against the

target of 21%

iTHEMBA LABS

Programme 5 - NFs (Astronomy)

Human Capacity Development

• A total of 36 students spent time at and participated in work of Facilities as

part of their formal training, thereby exceeding the target by 125%;

• There has been a steady increase in the number of students supervised

by staff over the past few years from 39 in 2010/11 to 52 in 2013/14;

• A total of 16 staff members provided short term student training;

• There are now 150 engineers, scientists, technicians and artisans working

on the SKA SA project; and

• More than 50 students will be completing their PhD or MSc degrees within

the next two years.

49

Programme 5 - NFs (Astronomy)

Human Capacity Development

• A total of 500 grants and bursaries were awarded by SKA SA to

postdoctoral fellows, postgraduates and undergraduate students at

universities, universities of technology and to FET students training to be

artisans;

• The project supports five Research Chairs at HEIs; and

• SKA is in collaboration with Teach SA to recruit young Science,

Engineering and English graduates to teach at Carnarvon High School,

and two graduates have been appointed.

50

51

Programme 5 Performance

against Planned Targets

Performance IndicatorActual

2012/13Actual

2013/14Target

2013/14

Expected research outputs by

National Research Facility

researchers

Peer-reviewed ISI publications 111 118 102

Peer-reviewed ISI publications

with external co-authors (subset

of the above)104 127 100

Growing a representative science and technology workforce in South Africa (externally)

Experiential training: number of students spending time at and

participating in the work of facilities as part of their formal training25 36 16

Number of students employed to undertake temporary research-related

work3 0 4

Postgraduate students making use of facilities for training 87 70 77

Students supervised by staff of

facilities

Honours/ BTech 16 14 11

Masters 26 21 18

Doctoral 16 26 12

Total 58 58 41

52

Programme 5 - Highlights

HartRAO VLBI success rate with 26m telescope was 99% against a target

of 95%

HartRAO

SAAO has recorded its 3000th publication in a refereed

journal

SAAOThe first of 64 antennas that will make up the new MeerKAT radio

telescope, was launched in March 2014

SKA SA

Summary / Conclusion

• Second last year of performance related to Vision 2015

- 4 high level targets already achieved.

• Major growth in Human Capital investment anticipated in next years

performance statistics based on awards made in 2014.

• Major infrastructure investments made in year under review.

• Significant additional investment made for established researchers and

emerging researchers from 2014.

• Shift in HCD development at facilities from hosting towards formal

supervision.

• Demographic targets hindered by available pool of black researchers at

universities (Research Career Award Fellowships).

• Proposal for a needs-based student award system in development. 53

54