The University of the Free State (UFS) boasts eight nominations for the prestigious 2024/2025 NSTF-South32 Awards, popularly known as the ‘Science Oscars’ of South Africa, with Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, renowned expert in African traditional medicine, being one of the nominees. 

The Maize Biofortification and Climate Resilience Breeding Team headed Prof Maryke Labuschagne, Professor of Plant Breeding and DSTI/NRF SARChI Chair: Disease resistance and quality in field crops, has also received a nomination. The team was nominated in the NSTF-Agricultural Research Council category for its contribution in maize biofortification and identification of climate resilient biofortified maize which was done through collaborative research. 

The NSTF Awards honour and celebrate outstanding contributions to science, engineering, and technology (SET) and innovation and have become the most prestigious public SET and innovation awards in South Africa. The finalists will be announced later in May and the winners on 11 July at gala event.

Lifetime Award

Prof Matsabisa, Research Director at African Medicines Innovations and Technology Development (AMITD) and a guest professor at Beijing University of Chinese Medicines, has been nominated in the Lifetime Award category for his contribution to state-of-the-art natural medicines research and development laboratories for inclusive research and development of products for application in integrative medicines.

Says Prof Matsabisa: “This means a lot to me. It means recognition of my contributions to research in South Africa, in the region/continent and in the rest of the world. It means so much to me that I don’t even have the words to explain. It means a lot for the people who moulded me as well as those that supported me. 

“It means a lot to me and my staff and students, collaborators and our communities, because this was not a single-handed contribution. It means a lot to the funders of my research who saw the potential and trusted in my work,” he says.

Read more on Prof Matsabisa’s nomination.

NSTF-SAMRC Clinician-Scientist Award

Other nominees from the UFS includes Prof Ray Maharaj, Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, who has been nominated in the category NSTF-SAMRC Clinician-Scientist Award with Prof Osayande Evbuomwan, Associate Professor and Medical Specialist in the Department of Nuclear Medicine. Prof Maharaj has been nominated for his contributions to research in medical science, women’s health, medical law, and medical education in an integrative approach in healthcare, leveraging his expertise to promote interprofessional health education. 

“I am deeply honoured and humbled to be recognised by the SAMRC in this way,” says Prof Maharaj. “This nomination is not only a personal milestone, but a tribute to the many individuals who have guided and supported me along the way. It inspires me to continue pushing the boundaries of continuous learning, innovation, and healthcare improvement,” he says.

Read more on Prof Maharaj’s nomination.

Prof Evbuomwan was nominated for his contribution in a novel imaging approach that was able to detect very mild disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, who otherwise would have been labelled as disease-free. “I am grateful and excited about this nomination, as we all know that it is a highly prestigious award in this country. This is my first time being nominated and I am honoured. I also see it as hard work paying off. 

“Kudos to the research team and the UFS that research of this nature, recognised by the NSTF-SAMRC, can be carried out in our facilities. It is also a win for the nuclear medicine clinical specialty. I am very passionate about this specialty, and this is an example of how valuable it is as it concerns clinical medicine and research.”

Read more on Prof Evbuomwan’s nomination.

TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Researcher

The UFS also has two nominations in the category of TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Researcher with Prof Wynand Goosen, Extraordinary Professor: Molecular Biology and Lead One Health, being nominated with Dr Anand Krishnan, Senior Lecture in the Department of Chemical Pathology, Precision Medicine Integrated Nano Diagnostics (P-MIND) Laboratory. 

According to Prof Goosen, who was nominated for his landmark discovery of Mycobacterium bovis infection in humans in SA – the first confirmed cases in the country, this nomination is a powerful affirmation of the impact that focused, interdisciplinary research can have. He is a previous winner of the NSTF-South32 Emerging Researcher. “I am honoured and humbled to be nominated. It is both exciting and validating to see our research efforts recognised at this level, particularly in a field as challenging and essential as infectious diseases,” says Prof Goosen. 

Read more.

Dr Krishnan received a nomination for his work in advancing extracellular vesicle research for precision diagnostics and translational medicine. 

TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher

Dr Lisa Ann Rothmann, Senior Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Plant Sciences, is nominated in the category TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher, for her contribution in interdisciplinary, team-based research to develop practical solutions for plant diseases to protect crops and empower communities. “I am humbled by the nomination. For me, it reflects not just individual recognition, but the shared effort of the team of postgraduate academics, research assistants, partners, and farmers I’ve had the privilege to work alongside. It is affirming to see plant pathology and field-based research recognised in this way. It highlights the consistent (hard) work we do to make a meaningful contribution to agriculture and to serve the grain industry and farmers,” Dr Rothmann said

Read more.

NSTF-Water Research Commission (WRC) Award

In the NSTF-Water Research Commission (WRC) Award category, the UFS is represented by Prof Bennie Grové, Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, who received a nomination for his research in advanced sustainable irrigation by integrating economic and engineering principles, directly shaping national design norms for water and energy efficiency in agriculture. 

NSTF-Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Award

Prof Labuschagne says there is a partnership between the UFS, the Agricultural Research Council – Grain Crops (ARC-GC), the International Centre for the Improvement of Wheat and Maize (CIMMYT) in Zimbabwe, and ZamSeeds in Zambia, and it is always nice to receive recognition for the work they do. They have been working on biofortification (the genetic improvement of nutritional value in crops) of maize grain for many years.