Among others, the National Research Foundation (NRF) seeks to inspire and nurture a representative and globally competitive research community.

Moreover, it promotes knowledge production across specific disciplinary fields;

• supports the development and implementation of national strategies and policies;
• funds research support and the development of high-end human capacity; and
• provides access to critical research infrastructure.

Funding opportunities

Helpful information regarding NRF funding opportunities is available and includes the following:

- The NRF Funding Overview Booklet, including more information on the NRF’s mandate, investment principles, and funding opportunities. Access it here.

- A General Application Guide 2023. Access it here.

- The NRF Calls for Proposals for Funding in 2022 and 2023. Access it here. The webpage includes information about:

• Infrastructure bridging finance
• Infrastructure grants
• Institutional grants
• Postgraduate student funding
• Non-funding opportunities
• Undergraduate student funding
• Postdoctoral grants
• International research grants
• Research grants
• Targeted grants
• Travel, training, and conference grants
  

Access all other NRF-related funding opportunities here

To access all UFS internal closing dates, please download the Funding Guideline and dates here.

Call for evaluation and rating

The NRF-rating system is a key driver in its aim to build a globally competitive science system in the country. The NRF ratings, which are allocated based on a researcher’s recent research output and impact as perceived by international peer reviewers, are a valuable tool for benchmarking the quality of researchers against the best in the world. The rating system also encourages researchers to publish high-quality outputs in high-impact journals.

The call for ratings will open in September this year and closes in February 2024. The NRF urges applicants to update their CV section here on a regular basis.

Once the call for evaluation and rating is open, it is important to contact the UFS Directorate Research Development in order for applications to be screened and validated.

More information will be published on this page and communicated on other official UFS communication platforms when the call for evaluation and rating is open.

Helpful documents are available: NRF Rating Documents