National Research Foundation Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Education

1. National Research FoundationPresentation to the Portfolio Committee on Education Dr K Mokhele 23 April 2002

2. Dual System for Funding Research in Higher Education • Direct Funding from Education Vote (DoE) • Funding through Intermediary Value-Adding “Agency” • Science Vote (DACST) • Trade & Industry Vote (DTI) • Environment Vote (DEAT)

3. Funding of Research in Higher Education • First Stream: Subsidy from Department of Education • Second Stream: On competitive basis from agencies for self initiated research and human resource development (NRF, MRC) • Third Stream: Contracts, external funding sources, mission driven

4. Publicly Funded Research 2001/02 DACST DTI DoE Other Science Vote SPII, PII & THRIP Education Vote Depts. R1800 ~R130 R140 R710 ~R700 NACI CHE R440 Science Councils NATIONAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION Associated Res. Labs. National Facilities iThemba LABS SAAO HartRAO SAIAB HMO CSIR HSRC ARC GEOSC SABS Mintek MRC NECSA (DME) NBI MCM (DEAT) SFRI NIV SAIMR (DoH) Technikons Museums Universities WRC(DWAF)

5. National System of InnovationWhite Paper on Science and Technology A set of functioning institutions, organisations and policies which interact constructively in the pursuit of a common set of social and economic goals and objectives • Led to the creation of the National Research Foundation

6. Object of the NRF The object of the Foundation is to support and promote 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 knowledge, including indigenous knowledge, and thereby contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of all the people of the Republic

7. The National Research Foundation Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology NRF Board President and CEO Dr Khotso Mokhele • Research Support Agency • Research Promotion • Research Development • Knowledge Mngmt. & Strategy • THRIP • Innovation Fund • Corporate • Finance • Human Resources • PR & Communica-tion • National Facilities • iThemba LABS • SAAO • HartRAO • SAIAB • HMO Budget : ~R 600 million; Staff ~550

8. Creation of the new NRF • NRF Act operative 1 April 1999 • Physical and intellectual merger and restructuring of elements of the former FRD and former CSD • New conditions of service through negotiated agreements with new unions • New NRF Pension Fund and substantive human resources issues addressed • New national facilities JLBSI + HMO • New national, regional and international roles

9. The NRF and the National Agenda • Making science part of the social contract in the reconstruction of South Africa • Supporting and engaging with the Government’s development agenda • Developing research capacity to deal with national priorities and new and reinvigorated areas of problem-solving and knowledge production • Developing IKS and indigenous technologies

10. The NRF and the National Agenda • Development of high level human resources with a focus on scarce skills - engagement with DoE, DACST, DoL • Shaping and developing programmes that link and balance: • global competitiveness and local needs • basic and applied research needs • the contributions of different science domains

11. New NRF Framework • Funding research within prioritised areas • shaping national S&T priorities • catalyst within the NSI • shaping intellectual life and infrastructure • supporting the development of a representative science community in terms of race and gender • supporting the creation of new knowledge

12. Financial Policy and Control • Alignment to PFMA, timeous reporting to DACST and submission of three-year strategic plan • Fraud Prevention Plan and instilling a culture of ethical behaviour • Costing of granting activities and correct overhead charges and procedures for all external contracts

13. Mission of the NRF Research Support Agency • A dynamic, quality-driven organisation that provides leadership in the promotion and support of research and research capacity development in the natural, social and human sciences, engineering and technology to meet national and global challenges through: • investing in knowledge, people and infrastructure • promoting basic and applied research and innovation • developing research capacity and advancing equity and redress to unlock the full creative potential of the research community • facilitating strategic partnerships and knowledge networks • upholding research excellence This it realises through the creativity and commitment of its people and partners

14. Strategic Operational Priorities • Enhancing the Social Sciences and Humanities within the Strategic Framework of the NRF • Research Capacity Development • Promoting and Enhancing Africa Interaction • Evaluation and Quality Assurance • Growing the Business • Building a Knowledge Organisation • Operational Effectiveness and Efficiency

15. Research Support Agency • New Integrated Evaluation and Research Support System governing access to NRF funding: • across all disciplines • Capacity development in research and scholarship at both institutional and individual levels

16. Research Support Agency • System premised on peer review • Cornerstone: appropriately benchmarked quality of research outputs • Gold standard: international benchmarking • Development of a multi-disciplinary mode of supporting research and scholarship • equal promotion of basic and applied research • research capacity development

17. Research Support Agency Nine Focus Areas responding to specific national development imperatives: • Unlocking the Future: Advancing and strengthening the strategic knowledge base • Distinct South African Research Opportunities • Conservation and Management of Ecosystems and Biodiversity • Sustainable Livelihoods: The Eradication of Poverty • Economic Growth and International Competitiveness • ICT and the Information Society in South Africa • Socio-political Impact of Globalisation • Indigenous Knowledge Systems • Education and the Challenges for Change

18. Research Support Agency • Broad acceptance of the System of Evaluation and Rating of individuals by the Humanities and Social Sciences community • Confronting the challenge of attaining Redress and Equity in high level human resource development • Extensive consultation and workshops with substantial support from affected stakeholders  New Submission System went live on 2 April 2002

19. Stronger International Role • DACST STAC Funding - R15m in 2002 • 30 S&T bilateral S&T agreements • 17 currently active (e.g. SA-France) • 4 multilateral agreements (e.g. SA-EU) • NRF has 12 inter-institutional collaboration agreements • Enhance training, exchanges, cooperation and capacity development

20. Influence within the National System of Innovation • DTI and THRIP • from R75m in 1998/99 to R140m in 2001/02 • DACST and the Innovation Fund • management in 2001 (R135m by 2003) • DACST, DEAT and SANAP • advanced negotiations • DoL and National Skills Development Fund • advanced negotiations on development of scarce high level human resource skills

21. National Facilities • South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity • from declared cultural institution to National Research Facility • successful strategic planning process • change of name and new mandate • DACST, DEAT and the Coelacanth Project • national, sub-regional and international role players with strong element of public awareness of science

22. New Mission of SAIAB • Serving Africa’s needs in understanding fishes and aquatic environments

23. National Facilities • iThemba LABS • strategic planning and a bold new plan for the future • Proposed creation of a Major Radiation Medicine Centre • contribution to nuclear medicine, research and training • treatment modalities using protons, neutrons and photons

24. National Facilities • South African Astronomical Observatory • Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) groundbreaking in September 2000 • NRF secured nearly 100% of US$35m for construction and operation for first ten years • Collateral benefits of student training (National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme) • Sutherland Community - 2 schools as mathematical and science education centres • Public awareness of science - visitor and activity centre

25. National Facilities • HartRao • agreement with NASA and establishement of Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) facility • SLR recently declared as one of the most productive facilities in the worldwide network that NASA operates

26. National FacilitiesHartRao • Concept of an African Institute for Astronomy and Space Science through regional networking to place South Africa in position to bid for large multinational facilities (e.g. Square Kilometre Array)

27. National Facilities Hermanus Magnetic Observatory • successful negotiation of transfer from CSIR in 2001 • strategic plan to convert to a National Facility

28. Peter DruckerAre Knowledge Workers the New Capitalists? Knowledge as the key resource and the only scarce one?

29. Human Resource Development SA Performance in the: World Competitiveness Yearbook 2001 • R&D 44th out of 49 (2000=43) • Skilled labour 49th • Human Development Index 46th • But score high on cost of living, industrial electricity cost and investment in telecommunications (top 3)  SA has infrastructural capacity but lacks the skilled human resources to capitalise on it

31. Too few doctoral graduates to make a difference

32. Research community outputs show imbalance in racial composition

33. Trends in research demographics– age cohorts

34. NRF Student and Staff Support from the Science Vote - 2001

35. Support to HBUs 1997 2000 Grants 95 138 Av. Grant R100000 R137000 Total R12.0m R19.0m Bursaries 207 771

36. Support to Technikons Increase in funding from R10.0m in 1997 to R11.2m in 2000 Increase in bursaries from 343 in 1997 to 422 in 2000

37. NRF Research Capacity Development • Only able to support a small percentage of university and technikon masters and doctoral students requiring support • Unable to attend to the massive annual needs of Honours students (17000+ enrol) • the crucial step to a research career • Without support, especially for black and women postgraduate students, South Africa cannot change its human resources research profile and competitive position

38. Challenges for the Future (1) • Need to double the base parliamentary grant from R250m to R500m to fulfill mandate and national role and balance granting activities • Public research infrastructure, including research equipment, libraries and databases, needs renewal. • R1 billion per year for 5 years to ensure competitiveness of research

39. Challenges for the Future (2) • Require significant increases in the number of people trained at higher education level to meet HR development imperatives for national development. Initiatives for redress of race and gender inequities