NRF Annual Report 2018

PART A: STRATEGIC OVERVIEW
2
LEGISLATIVE AND OTHER MANDATES
2.1 Policy environment
The NRF mandate is influenced by national policies
and strategies and its strategic objectives and key
performance indicators (KPIs) are a response to these.
2.2 Contributors to the NRF mandate
The mandate of the NRF is “to support and promote research
through funding, human resource development and the
provision of the necessary research facilities to facilitate
the creation of knowledge, innovation and development in
all fields of science and technology, including indigenous
knowledge, and thereby to contribute to the improvement of
the quality of life of all the people of the Republic”.
The NRF also supports and promotes awareness of, and
engagement with, science to improve science literacy and
public participation in Science Technology Engineering
Mathemethics and Innovation (STEMI). In executing this
mandate, the organisation supports the commitment to
“improve the quality of life of all the citizens of the Republic”.
The NRF mandate supports the NDP 2030 as contextualised
through the MTSF priorities (2014–2019), as well as
strategies and policies of the DST, the DHET and other
government departments if applicable. Figure 4 sets out
this policy environment. Over and above these factors, the
organisation considers shifts in the global research agenda
in the pursuit of research excellence with relevance.
The NRF takes cognisance of and responds to national
priorities, including the urgent need to reduce poverty,
inequality and unemployment through knowledge
production and human capacity development.
FIGURE 4: NRF POLICY ENVIRONMENT
NATIONAL
POLICIES, PLANS
AND STRATEGIES
SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
STRATEGIC
PLANS AND
POLICIES
INTERNATIONAL
STRATEGIES
• National Development Plan Vision
2030 (NDP)
• National Research and Development
Strategy (NRDS)
• National Plan for Higher Education
• Human Resource Development
Strategy (HRDS)
• White Paper on Science and
Technology
• White Paper on Post-school
Education and Training
• Ten-Year Innovation Plan of 2007
• Strategy for Human Capacity Development for
Research Innovation and Scholarships
• DST Science Engagement Framework
• South African Research Infrastructure
Roadmap (SARIR)
• Ministerial Guidelines for Improving Equity in
the Distribution of DST/NRF Bursaries and
Fellowships
• Discipline specific strategies and plans
• Science, Technology and
Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024
(STISA)
• 2013 Agenda for Sustainable
Development
• Agenda 2063 of the African Union
• SADC Protocol on Education and
Training
NRF Annual Report 2017/18 27