Nominees announced: NSTF-South32 Awards 2023/2024

The National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) is pleased to announce the nominees for the 26th prestigious NSTF-South32 Awards.

The NSTF-South32 awards: The NSTF Awards were established in 1998 as a collaborative effort to recognize and promote outstanding contributions to science, engineering and technology (SET) and innovation by SET-related professionals, teams and organizations in South Africa (SA). This includes experienced researchers, engineers, innovators, science communicators, technical research capability builders, organizational managers/leaders, and data and research managers.

Our partner: South32 is a resources company and long-standing partner of the NSTF Awards, anchoring this commitment to safeguard the NSTF’s non-profit activities.

SA’s ‘Science Oscars’: The NSTF-South32 Awards are known as SA’s ‘Science Oscars’. They are the largest, most comprehensive and most sought after national awards of their kind in South Africa. They were also the first science prizes in the country.

Special annual theme prize: The NSTF theme for 2024 is the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in South Africa. The NSTF will also present a special award to recognize contributions in this area. The 26th Annual Awards Gala Event, taking place on July 11, 2024, will celebrate this theme.

Awards categories: The awards are for individuals, teams or organizations (as applicable) nominated in one of the 15 categories listed here:

1. Individual awards
A. Lifetime award – contribution over 15 years or more
b. TW Kambule-NSTF Researcher Award – contribution through research and its results over a period of 6 to 15 years of research work from the beginning of the research career, mainly in South Africa (Award sponsor: proSET)
c. TW Kambule-NSTF awards for emerging researchers – contribution through research and its results over a period of up to 6 years of research work from the beginning of the research career, mainly in South Africa (Award sponsor: SAYAS)
D. Management Award – contribution through the management of SET and innovation and related activities over the past 5 to 10 years in South Africa

2. Engineering Research Capacity Development Awards – contribution by an individual or a team over the past 5 to 10 years
3. NSTF-Water Research Commission (WRC) Award – contribution of an individual or organization to sustainable water management, knowledge generation and solutions in the past 5 to 10 years (sponsor since 2017: WRC)

4. NSTF-SAMRC Clinician-Scientist Award – contribution through research and its results over a period of up to 6 years of research work from the beginning of the research career, mainly in South Africa, and aimed at about work to improve lives and improve community health (sponsor since 2023: SAMRC)
5. Green Economy Award – contribution of an individual or organization to achieving biodiversity conservation, environmental sustainability and a greener economy in the past 5 to 10 years (sponsor since 2023: TIA)

6. Science Diplomacy Award for Africa – contribution of an individual or a team in South Africa, which has led to impactful solutions and/or collaboration in the field of SET and innovation over the past ten years, through science diplomacy between and among countries, for the benefit of South Africa and the African continent (Sponsor since 2024: SDCfA)
7. Data for Research Award – contribution of an individual or a team to promoting the availability, management and reuse of research data

8. Innovation Awards – for innovations and the research and/or development thereof, by:
A. Business organization – contribution of an individual or a team over the past 5 to 10 years;
b. Small, medium and micro enterprises (SME) – contribution of an individual or a team in an SMME over the past 5 to 10 years (Sponsor since 2019: NIPMO)
9. Communication Prize – contribution for outreach and creating awareness about SET and innovation by a team or individual during the past 5 years
10. Prize for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). – contribution from an NGO, including technology transfer and education and training activities over the past five to ten years

11. Special annual theme prize: 4IR Technologies – awarded based on criteria in one of the other categories. For 2023/2024, the prize is awarded for an outstanding contribution to SET and innovation through research, development and innovation in 4IR technologies