Dr andrew kaniki

NATIONAL RESEARCH FOUNDATIONNATIONAL RESEARCH FOUNDATIONPretoria, South AfricaPretoria, South Africa

Leveraging Government Agency Support Leveraging Government Agency Support for Innovation and Technologyfor Innovation and Technology

3rd SATN International ConferenceAndrew M Kaniki PhD

30 September 2010

Towards a Knowledge Towards a Knowledge Economy Economy

Source: DA King, Nature 430 (2004) 311 (15 July 2004)

Sustainable wealthSustainable wealth

Drivers of Economic Drivers of Economic CompetitivenessCompetitiveness

• Drivers of competitiveness:– Investing in human beings is the best way to enhance productive

capacities – profits and efficiencies (Riane Esler 2007 – The real wealth of nations)

• Economic studies indicate that even before the IT revolution as much as 85% of measured US growth per capita was due to technological change (US National Academy of Science)

1. Human Capital2. Technological change (Knowledge production, Innovation: US study on

Productivity Growth)

NRF TIA SANERI IDC MRC WRC DBSA

National Facilities of

NRFUniversities SABS Mintek MRC ARC

WeatherServices

BusinessEnterprises

Etc.

AISA

HSRC

CSIR

CGS

NECSA

MCM

SANBI

Level 1: High-level policy

The Presidency – National Planning Commission and Monitoring and EvaluationAdvisory: HRD Council, CHE, NACI, ASSAf

Level 2: Ministry

DST DHET/ DBE

The dti DME DoH DWEA DAFFNational Treasury

Other Departs

Level 3: Agency

Level 4: Research and Innovation Performers

Institutions of the National Institutions of the National System of Innovation in System of Innovation in South AfricaSouth Africa

TIATIA

Innovation System Value Innovation System Value ChainChain

National R&D Strategy AND National R&D Strategy AND 10yr Innovation Plan -DST Grand 10yr Innovation Plan -DST Grand ChallengesChallenges

Science missions (R&D Strategy (2002): Astronomy, Human paleontology, Biodiversity, Antarctic and Southern Oceans, and Indigenous Knowledge Systems.

DST Corporate StrategyDST Corporate Strategy

• The Corporate Strategy aligns the Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF), the Ten Year Innovation Plan (2007), and the National Research and Development Strategy (2002):– importance of technology innovation in speeding up economic

growth, and creation of decent work and sustainable livelihoods;– build on the current range of strategies and support programmes

already supporting innovation in firms, and research and development (R&D) in the private and public sectors with emphasis on biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, space science and technology, energy security and other opportunities presented by climate change; and

– SA’s contribution in international cooperation to an improved South Africa, Africa and the world.

Alignment with the Alignment with the National R&D Strategy National R&D Strategy

• Areas where SA has geographic advantage– Astronomy– Palaeontology– Marine Biology– Antarctic research– Indigenous knowledge systems (knowledge advantage)

• Key technology missions– Advanced manufacturing– Biotechnology,– ICT and poverty alleviation,– Nanotechnology.

• Grand challenges (Innovation plan)

Promote and support research

throughfunding, human resource development and the provision of the necessary research facilities

in order tofacilitate the creation of knowledge, innovation and development in all fields of science and technology, including indigenous knowledge

and thereby tocontribute to the improvement of the quality of life of all the people of the Republic

NRF Mandate - NRF ActNRF Mandate - NRF Act

• Competitive funding

• Healthy balance: strategy-driven vs. demand-pull

• Merit-based and rigorous peer review

• The Ph.D. as a driver

• Cross-fertilisation of talent within NSI (NRF, others)

• Effective, goal oriented resource allocation

• Fairness, transparency, accountability

• Transformation and excellence

– Will be monitored and rewarded

NRF Investment NRF Investment PrinciplesPrinciples

Seven Investment Seven Investment AreasAreas

Broad Investment Areas% of 2009/10

budget

Established researchers 18%

Human Capital Development and unrated researchers 23%

Strategic knowledge fields 23%

Strategic Platforms (Including research at the National Research Facilities) 11%

International initiatives 11%

Applied Research & Innovation 14%

Community Engagement Research 0.2%

TOTAL 100%

NRF Investment Patterns NRF Investment Patterns (2005 – 2009) Expenditure(2005 – 2009) Expenditure

RISA GRANT EXPENDITURE

-

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

R'0

00 Contracts

Ring-fenced

Core

Mapping of Strategic Mapping of Strategic GoalsGoals

10 Year Innovation Plan’s Strategic Goals NRF’s Strategic Goals

Develop South Africa’s knowledge-generation capacity

Promote internationally competitive research as basis for a knowledge

economy

Position South Africa as a strategic international research, development and innovation (RDI) partner and destination

Position NRF as a world-class evaluation and grant-making agency

Develop appropriate human capital for RDI Grow a representative science and technology workforce in South Africa

Build world-class RDI infrastructure Provide cutting-edge research, technology and innovation platforms

Develop the innovation capacity of the science system and thereby contribute to

socio-economic development

Contribute to a vibrant national system of innovation.

South Africa as a Science Destination – beyond 2010[Knowledge economy, human capital, infrastructure, science tourism, etc.]

Current Investment in Current Investment in NRF’s Strategic Goals NRF’s Strategic Goals (%)(%)

NRF Strategic goals (Vision 2015)

43.80

16.27

2.79 6.03

31.12

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

30.00

35.00

40.00

45.00

50.00

Internationallycompetitive

science,technology and

innovationsystems

Representatioveresearch and

technialworkforce

World-classscience

benchmarkingand grantsystems

Leading edgeresearch,

technology andinnovationplatforms

Vibrant nationalscience system

Perc

en

tag

e (

%)

NRF investment

Current NRF Investment Current NRF Investment in DST Grand Challenges in DST Grand Challenges

DST strategic goals

17.06

35.19

14.44

0.64

4.71

0.82 0.582.41

8.51 8.45

2.383.07

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

30.00

35.00

40.00

Farm

er

to P

harm

a:

Lif

e s

cie

nces a

nd

Healt

h

Exp

an

din

g t

he l

imit

s o

f sp

ace s

cie

nce

an

d t

ech

no

log

y

In s

earc

h o

f en

erg

y s

ecu

rity

Scie

nce a

nd

tech

no

log

y i

n r

esp

on

se

to g

lob

al

ch

an

ge

Hu

man

an

d S

ocia

l d

yn

am

ics

Hu

man

cap

ital

develo

pm

en

t

Insti

tuti

on

al

en

vir

on

men

ts f

or

kn

ow

led

ge p

rod

ucti

on

Astr

on

om

y

Hu

man

pale

on

tolo

gy

Bio

div

ers

ity

An

tarc

tic R

esearc

h

Ind

igen

ou

s k

no

wle

dg

e

Pe

rce

nta

ge

(%)

NRF Investment

NRF Funding BaseNRF Funding Base

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15

Year

Fu

nd

ing

(R

M)

Core

Contracts

Total

Conservative

Mandate

R 1961589

R 2278052 R 2201485

Relationship between Vision, Relationship between Vision, Mission and Strategic Mission and Strategic ImperativesImperatives

NRF Core Competencies NRF Core Competencies

across Business Unitsacross Business Units

Science advancement expertise

State-of-the-art research platforms

Research capacity

Science and technology management expertise

Strategic knowledge management and information systems

Capacity to catalyse local and international science cooperation networks and partnerships

RISARISA SAASTASAASTA FACILITIESFACILITIES

Science advancement expertise and platforms

State-of-the-art research platforms

CO

MP

ET

EN

CIE

SC

OM

PE

TE

NC

IES

Grant making and management systems

Research evaluation systems

RISA OrganogramRISA OrganogramVP and MD RISA

(Dr Gansen Pillay) Personal Assistant (Ms Bronwen Cloete)

ED: GrantManagementSystems &

Administration(GMSA)

(Dr Bernard Nthambeleni)

ED: Human & Institutional

Capacity Development

(HICD)(Dr Romilla Maharaj)

ED: Knowledge Management & Evaluation

(KME)(Dr Daisy Selematsela)

ED: AppliedResearch &Innovation

(ARI) (Dr Tally Palmer)

Man: Monitoring

and Evaluation

Services(Ms Joyce Olivier)

Man: Information

Resources & Services

(Mr Heinrich Spingies) Prog Dir: Human Cap Development (Interns,

Pre + postd, free)(Dr Thandi Mgwebi)

Prog Dir: PhD project(Dr Carol Nonkwelo)

Grants Dir: StratKnowledge Fields

(Mr Lebusa Monyooe)

Grants Dir: Cap &Strat Platforms

(Ms Anthipi Pouris)Prog Dir:

THRIP(Mr Zolani Dyosi)

Prog Dir: Rated and Unrated Res.

(Dr Linda Mtwisha)

Prog Dir: Strategic Platforms

(Facilities & Infrastructure)(Ms Rakeshnie Ramoutar)

Grants Dir: Scholar-ships & Fellowships(Ms Yolanda Davids)

Prog Dir: HCD-RDI

(SANHARP, (Mr Gcobane Quvile)

Grants Dir:SARCHI & CoE

(Mr Sibongile Sowazi)

Prog Dir: InstitutionalCapacity Dev. (RNAs)

+TTK(Dr Claire Botha)

Finance (Ms Rentia Hamilton)

ED: Knowledge FieldsDevelopment

(KFD)(Dr Andrew Kaniki)

Prog Dir: Strategic

Initiatives A(vacant)

Prog Dir: Strategic

Initiatives B(Ms Candice Steele)

Prog Dir: Centres

of Excellence(Vacant)

ED: International Relations and Cooperation

(IRC) (Mr Robert Kriger)

Prog Dir: ISL

(Ms Siphokazi Ndudane)

Prog Dir: STAF

(Ms Ethel Masihleho)

Grants Dir:Int. Res. Grants

(Mr Raven Jimmy)

ED: South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA)(Ms Beverley Damonse)

Applied Research & Applied Research & Innovation: Innovation: three key goals, one three key goals, one premisepremiseWHAT ?• move applied research outcomes through the innovation

value chain towards commercialisation(THRIP & SANHARP);

• support applied research that informs the policy, legislation and implementation that underpins societal well-being – values (AKILI, THRIP & SANHARP)

HOW ? • broker relationships & processes that invigorate the

applied research and practice community

WHY? • the planet comprises social-ecological systems that are

complex and adaptive – we need to engage with complexity to solve societal problems

Planning commission

DST

dti

Environment & Water

Agriculture Forestry & Fisheries

Para-statals…..

Provincial & local government

How does ARI work? How does ARI work?

NRF

Industry /Sector

Students Researchers

relationship clients

innovation broker

SANHARPSANHARP

• The South African Nuclear Human Asset & Research Programme

• Vision: – Industrial and technological leadership to secure

alternative energy resources for the future through the development of a globally competitive infrastructure for the peaceful utilisation of nuclear energy and technology.

Akili Akili Research ProgammeResearch Progamme

• Accelerate societal uptake of innovation to benefit human well-being

• Government Medium Term Strategy Framework includes focus on– Rural development– Sustainable use of natural resources– Poverty relief

• DST Grand Challenges

Thuthuka is a partnership programme, implemented in collaboration with publicly funded South African research institutions and Universities and funded by the NRF parliamentary core grant as an intervention targeting redress and increased access to research funding opportunities.

Thuthuka ProgrammeThuthuka Programme

Revised Thuthuka ProgrammeRevised Thuthuka Programme

• Support researchers from designated groups in their pursuit to attain a formal post graduate qualification or an NRF rating;

• Improve the research capacity of researchers from designated groups;

• Foster a culture of research excellence and to aid in the development and expansion of the national knowledge-based economy; and

• Effect a transformation in the demographic composition of the established researcher community with respect to gender, race and persons with disabilities.

Thuthuka Grant Funding per Thuthuka Grant Funding per InstitutionInstitution

R 321,400.00

R 549,000.00

R 938,390.00

R 1,150,015.00

R 1,614,258.00

R 2,270,945.65

R 2,680,078.00

R 2,976,475.00

R 3,281,159.15

R 3,741,222.57

R 4,169,328.00

R 5,069,868.00

R 5,910,722.38

R 6,291,629.00

R 7,775,577.31

R 9,106,541.08

R 10,508,465.62

R 13,249,882.00

R 14,918,285.68

R 14,944,716.21

R 7,382,695.89

R 23,112,128.80

R 19,911,350.00

MUT

UNIZULU

VUT

WSUTS

UFH

RU

UNIVEN

CUT

UWC

TUT

UL

CPUT

NMMU

UNISA

UP

DUT

UJ

UFS

UCT

NWU

WITS

US

UKZN

Brain Drain vs Brain Drain vs Brain CirculationBrain Circulation

• Part of the global knowledge economy • Acceptance – if you depend on the global talent pool you

are likely to contribute to it• Balance talent retention, gains and losses• African high-end skills set approx. 4% of population • Some 40% of emigrants have high end skills

5 DST/NRF Interventions:– Incentive funding for rated researchers – SARCHI– CoE– SA PhD project – Provision of world-class research infrastructure

• Target: 210 Chairs by 2010

• 30% International appointments (target 66%)

• Aligned with

- R&D strategy (Science missions; Areas of Geographic Advantage)

- DST ten year Innovation plan (Grand challenges)

South African Research South African Research Chairs Initiative Chairs Initiative [SARChI][SARChI]

Number of awarded p/a

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Operating 2 32 69 69 82/79

21 51 0 10 8*

*5 SKA and 3 Research and Development Chairs (2 South African Numeracy and Literacy Chairs and 1 FirstRand Foundation South African Maths Education Chair and Anglo Chairs?)

Centres of Excellence Centres of Excellence (CoEs) (CoEs) • Biomedical TB Research: New tools for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of

tuberculosis (WITS, Stellenbosch)

• Birds as Keys to Biodiversity Conservation [P Fitz Institute]: Understanding and maintaining biodiversity using birds as indicators (UCT)

• Invasion Biology: Biodiversity consequences of biological invasions (Stellenbosch)

• Tree Health Biotechnology [FABI]: Understanding and combating diseases of South Africa’s indigenous trees (Pretoria)

• Catalysis: Innovation in catalysis as a key process in the chemical and manufacturing sector (UCT)

• Strong Materials: Understand and improve properties of advanced strong materials to increase efficiency and reduce cost (WITS)

• Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis [SACEMA]: Mathematical Modelling to understand, predict and combat diseases (STIAS)

• Applied Centre for Climate and Earth System Science (ACCESS): Modelling approaches to better understand coupled Southern Oceans, Atmospheric and Earth systems (CSIR/UCT)

New NRF Programmes New NRF Programmes

To grow disciplinary strengths

(i) Incentives for Rated Researchers (ratings are discipline based)

(ii) Blue Skies

(iii) Collaborative Research at National Facilities

(iv) Research into Community Engagement

(v) Competitive Support for Unrated Researchers

(vi) Competitive Support for Rated Researchers

SAIABSAAO

SAEONHMO

HartRAO (SKA)

The National Research The National Research FacilitiesFacilities

iThemba Labs

What is a National What is a National Facility?Facility?

“A National Facility is centered on substantial

instrumentation, equipment or skills base and is established

to satisfy an identified national social, economic or

technological need and which, because of expertise and

capabilities, is justified on the basis of shared research

and/or service use by external organisations.”

Review of the National Facilities DACST - 1997

World-Class InfrastructureWorld-Class Infrastructure

Strategic use of the NFs for Strategic use of the NFs for advancing R&D within the advancing R&D within the NSINSI

Placing the National Facilities (NFs) in context

Ensuring the NFs are an extension of universities and Science Councils

The role of NFs in HICD

NFs as an adjunct to CoEs

The role of IRC within the NFs

NFs: A fertile space for applied research and innovation

NFs as a hub for knowledge creation

SAASTA within the NFs

Critical Questions to be Critical Questions to be answeredanswered

Issues that may have an impact on the way funding agencies interact with Universities of Technology:

• Role and relationships of TIA with Institutions / NRF with TIA

• Different roles of Universities of Technology in different environments

• Outcome of differentiation debate

• Format and objectives of SARChI

• Changing nature of CoE’s / CoC’s

– To be refined [expectations, designation, etc]

Enkosi, Thank you, Re a leboga, Enkosi, Thank you, Re a leboga, Siyabonga, DankieSiyabonga, Dankie