Image: National Research Foundation
South African researchers “over-reliant” on cash-strapped grantmaker, warns former deputy head
The National Research Foundation’s outgoing head of research and innovation says he’s noted an “over-reliance and dependency” on the foundation as a funding source among South African researchers.
Gansen Pillay told Research Professional News in an exclusive exit interview this week that the national funder is constrained by the government’s under-investment in research and development.
“My humble advice is that researchers must apply for funding outside of the NRF and South Africa,” said Pillay, who retired from the post of deputy chief executive officer of research and innovation support and advancement on 31 January.
“One needs to look beyond the NRF,” he said.
Stagnant spend
During Pillay’s tenure, the NRF launched several influential support mechanisms, including the South African Research Chairs Initiative, which offered lucrative positions in South Africa to leading scientists in areas of research strength.
The foundation has also modified its funding mechanisms to provide more targeted support to early-career scientists as well as underrepresented groups such as women and Black researchers.
But the foundation has been hamstrung by South Africa’s slackening pace of investment in science and technology, Pillay said. The foundation’s biggest challenge is its stagnant parliamentary grant.
“In real terms, funding to the NRF has declined over time,” he said.
Pillay said that during his first five years at the NRF, 2010-15, the organisation’s budget doubled from R2.2 billion to R4.4bn. Today its budget hovers around R5bn—nowhere near enough, he noted. “In order to fulfil its mandate effectively, the NRF requires at a minimum twice this budget."
Unfortunately, the South African government has failed to get anywhere near its target of spending 1.5 per cent of the country’s GDP on R&D, he said. “We have not been able to even reach 1% for over more than a decade. At best, we reached 0.83%."
The only solution
Pillay argued that the foundation’s “only solution” to chronic underfunding is to diversify its income streams and cut its reliance on the South African national purse. This could be done through greater collaboration with business and industry, as well as with international philanthropic organisations and foundations.
He noted that South Africa has an “excellent track record” of attracting funding from the European Union’s framework programmes. “These are large grants that create some degree of sustainability.”
A step-up in funding is needed to ensure that South Africa stands to gain from its talented scientific workforce, he said, as the NRF gets far more excellent research proposals than it can afford to fund.
“South Africa has highly skilled, passionate, dedicated and committed researchers and postgraduate students who are ready to contribute to the national system of innovation," he said.