Internationalising the Research Platform- Challenges and Opportunities -

National Research Foundation (NRF)South Africa

Dr Aldo StroebelExecutive Director: International Relations and

Cooperation

INORMS 2014

Technology Development and Innovation

Human Capital – Centres of excellence, South African research chairs initiative, professional

development programme, etc.

Knowledge Infrastructure – Universities, Science Councils, state-owned enterprises, global projects

Bio-Economy

SpaceScience

EnergyGlobal

Change

Human &Social

ScienceGR

AN

DC

HA

LL

EN

GE

SE

NA

BL

ER

SC

RO

SS

-CU

TT

ING

EN

AB

LE

RS

DST 10-yr Innovation Plan:Grand Challenges

NRF Strategic Goals

Curiosity-driven research Needs/market-driven research

Public appropriability

Development CommercialisationOpen research Directed research

Agency - Core Grant

NRF THRIP

TIA

National Research Facilities

Product development

Technology development

Applied research

Basic research

Commercialisation

Public appropriability Wealth creation

Innovation System Value Chain

NRF Board

CEO

Corporate Secretary

ICT

Finance

Governance

Human Resources

Legal Services

Corporate Communication

Group Executive: Human Resources and Stakeholder Relations

GMSA

IRC

RCCE

HICD

ARIC

KFD

Social Sciences

Research and Evaluation, Peer-review, Rating

Humanities

Physical & Mathematical Sciences

Life Sciences

Engineering Sciences

Deputy CEO: Research & Innovation Support & Advancement (RISA)

iThemba LABS

HartRAO/MeerKat

SAIAB

NZG

Research Infrastructure & National Research Facilities

SKA Project

SAEON

Group Executive: Communication and

Stakeholder Relations

SAAO

Organisational Structure

Science Education

Science Awareness

Science Communication

SAASTA

Group Executive: Finance & Business Systems

RE

Research Chairs and Centres of Excellence

RISA Directorate Matrix

HICDHuman and

Infrastructure Capacity

Development

KFD

Knowledge Fields

Development

REReviews and Evaluation

(Quality assurance)

ARICApplied Research, Innovation and

Collaboration (industry connectivity)

GMSAGrants Management

and SystemsAdministration (Efficiency)

Internal serviceScience Advancement

(Communication)

RCCEResearch Chairs

and Centres of

Excellence

IRCInternational Relations

and Cooperation (Internationalisation)

IEPDInstitutional Engagement

and Partnership Development

NRF Investment (R&D Strategy & Innovation Plan)

Human Capacity Development Excellence Pipeline

Access to Global Infrastructure (AGI)

AGI

SYGR

(Synchrotron and other Global

Infrastructure)

To support researchers and scientists to access global infrastructure and facilitate

and/or promote collaborations

MOBG

(Equipment related mobility and training

grants)

To enable researchers to access research equipment, both locally

and internationally, that is not available at their research

institutions

Global Infrastructure (Formal Agreements):• Joint Institute of Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, Russia• The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland• The European Synchrotron Radiation Facilities (ESRF) in Grenoble, France

International Relations and Cooperation (IRC)

•KIC calls for national and international network enhancement

•Student training and exchange eg JINR Winter School

•Workshops/Conferences

• ICSU National Commitees

• ICSU Board support•Membership dues• International conferences

•Adhoc requests

•Strategic Multilateral Engagements e.g.

• IKhure(Earth Sciences• IIIASA (Applied Systems Analysis)

• Ikhabe Ye Africa (Earth Sciences/geo-physics)

•Negotiations•Development of Agreements

•Call documents•Workshops•Joint Technical Commitees

•Reporting

Management of Bi, Tri and

Multilateral Agreements,

including Focus on Africa

Management of Strategic

Multilateral Projects

Promotion of researcher

mobility/networks

Participation in International

Commitees and Professional

Bodies

Budgeting & Projections, Contracts, Expenditure Monitoring, Supply Chain Management, Programme Reporting

 

Finance & Reporting

 

Protocol, Strategic Communication, Diplomacy, Lobbying, Liaison & Publicity

 

Relationship Management

 

Funded Thematic Areas of Focus for Bilateral Agreements

Thematic Areas of Focus

Agriculture Space Science & Remote Sensing

Information Communication

Technology

Indigenous Knowledge

System

Biosciences and Biotechnology

Health Sciences

Social Sciences and Humanities

Geosciences and Material ResourcesEnergy

Environment and Climate

Change

Mathematical Sciences

Material Science and

Nanotechnology

Laser Technology

Biodiversity

Earth Sciences

Astronomy

Algeria

Ben

in

Botswana

Burundi

Cameroon

Central African Republic

Cape Verde

Angola

Congo

DemocraticRepublic of Congo

Djibouti

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Gambia

Guinea Bissau

Ghana

Chad

Guinea

Côte d'Ivoire

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Libya

Mad

agas

car

Malaw

i

Mali Mauritania

Mauritius

Moz

ambi

que

Senegal

Nigeria

São Tomé &Principe Rwanda

Niger

Namibia

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Comoros

Som

alia

South Africa

Sudan

Swaziland

Tanzania

Tog

o

Tu

nisi

a

Uganda

Zambia

Zanzibar

Zimbabwe

Western Sahara

Morocco

Countries – with bilateral S&T agreements

Burkina Faso

Countries where we have/had joint calls

S&T Bilateral Agreements in Africa

Overseas Collaboration

Asia Americas Europe Gulf Agency-to-Agency

‘Special Projects’

China Argentina Belarus Iran CNRS (France) !Khure (France)

India Brazil Czech Rep. Oman FAS (Finland) Inkaba Ye Africa (Germany)

Japan Cuba Finland FWO (Flanders) SA-YSSP (IIASA, Austria)

Malaysia Mexico Flanders NSF (USA) JINR (Russia)

South Korea USA France RFBR (Russia) KIC

Taiwan Germany ASCR (Czech Rep.) SNSF (Switzerland)

Hellenic (Greece)

DFG (Germany) IBSA

Hungary JSTA (Japan)

Italy JSPS (Japan)

Netherland NOW (Netherlands)

Norway NSFC (China)

Poland DAAD (Germany)

Romania FNRS (Wallonia)

Russia

Slovakia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Ukraine

Profile of Overseas grants: 2008-2012

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Series3; 6397035.03

2281883.43560026.86

2892608.64

23926.4

343991.49

12850112.2

151069.41

422024

9782887.84

34414774.45

22403242.92

5998166.63

232019.38

7859183.52

6838535.14

37814.61 6454.07

26186784.76

4753336.61

2638464.01

7623627.06

1058281.49

7416661.64

26380681.88

2345848.49

8856355.06

1196073.71

Num

ber o

f gra

nts 2

008-

2012

Profile of African grants: 2008-2012

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Series3; 4823399.55

866973.89

573388.55

2175964.18

2713028.7198092.61

51138

40008.58

2546121.63

2029132.72

484589.72

510010.4

Num

ber o

f gra

nts

awar

ded

Collaborations between African Countries

Nature, 2011

Challenges and Opportunities

• Competitiveness and Human Resource Development– PhD as key driver (1 700 – 6 000 by 2030)

• Understanding international research, and its implications• Systematise partnerships with science councils and private sector• Ensure adequate investment in Established Researchers across the

system

• True co-investment• Joint laboratories; Joint Chairs or CoEs

• Strategic programmes, incl. mobility, needs to be enhanced• Africa focus

– NRF-IDRC-DFID strengthening of African Science Granting Councils project – potential for investment and impact

– NRF-Carnegie partnership on increasing the quantity and quality of PhD production on the continent

• Linking of scholarships to ongoing or new bilateral programmes• Innovative partnership modalities

Strategic Policy Implications

• Misalignment/ coordination among NSI stakeholders• Role of internationalisation: Fragmentation/ alignment• Longevity of scholarship investment in non-nationals• Leveraging of investments• Differentiation debate/ quite discussion• Return on investment/ Impact• Equity and redress• Regional/ continental approaches

– CLEAR Africa strategy, engagements and alignment– GRC, Belmont Forum, Future Earth, ICSU ROA– Astronomy– Country studies, DST, insightful and directed

• New funding modalities– Cluster/ Theme/ joint funding– Joint reviews

Enkosi, Thank you, Re a leboga,

Siyabonga, Dankie