Call for nominations: 2023/2024 NSTF-South32 Awards

The National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) calls for nominations for the 26th NSTF-South32 Awards. These prestigious awards focus on science, engineering and technology (SET) and innovation in South Africa (SA). South32 is the co-branding sponsor for the past nine years. As such the name of the awards is the NSTF-South32 Awards.
 
NSTF’s theme for 2024: The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in SA theme was chosen in response to new developments in technology and its uses throughout the world and in SA, affecting people’s lives and opportunities. New electronic (digital) technologies are developing at an ever-increasing pace, making it difficult for an emerging economy like SA’s to catch up and make full use of the economic opportunities these technologies have to offer. However, these technologies affect almost every aspect of people’s lives and the economy as a whole, and the global waves of innovation are unstoppable. SA has pockets of excellence where such technologies are developed and rolled out. Although the social ramifications of the 4IR are not always good news, it is a source of pride that SA scientists, engineers and technologists contribute to making the world a better place through innovation.
 
The Special Annual Theme Award for 2024: The NSTF is making a special theme award this year for an outstanding contribution to SET and innovation through research, development and innovation (RDI) in 4IR technologies in SA. 4IR technologies include: artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and Big Data analytics amongst others. NSTF wants to showcase the excellent work being done at South African institutions that should take the country forward in its socio-economic development. See a more detailed explanation of the 4IR on the website.

Contributions recognised: Register nominations for individuals, teams, partnerships and organisations for an outstanding contribution to SET and innovation in SA . The contributions recognised are in the following broad areas:
 

• Scientific research

• Management and related activities

• Capacity building in engineering research

• Water management solutions

• Clinician-scientists NEW in 2023

• The Green Economy

• Science diplomacy NEW in 2024

• Data for research

• Innovations and their research and/or development

• Communication and creating awareness

• Non-governmental organisation activities, which could include technology transfer, education and/or training activities

• RDI in 4IR technologies NEW in 2024

The NSTF supports the principle of collaborative, widely-inclusive awards. The NSTF is proud to welcome a new category and partner, as well as the continuation of the two new category partnerships of 2023 and prize sponsors as follows:
 
New awards and sponsors

• NEW in 2024 Science Diplomacy for Africa Award : The NSTF is partnering with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) through their Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa (SDCfA) initiative, on a new award for Science Diplomacy for Africa . The award will recognise an outstanding contribution to SET and innovation by an individual or a team in SA which has led to impactful solutions and/or contributions through science diplomacy between and among countries for the benefit of SA and Africa.

• NEW in 2023 NSTF-SAMRC Clinician-Scientist Award: This is the second year of a new award which is sponsored by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) for an outstanding contribution by a clinician-scientist , with a focus on work to enhance life and to improve the health of the community. This new category is modelled on the emerging researcher category .

• NEW in 2023 G reen Economy Award: The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) came forward last year in the run up to the 2023 awards to sponsor the green economy category .

Prize sponsors

• NEW in 2023 SAYAS continues this year as a new prize sponsor: The South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS) is the new prize sponsor for the TW Kambule-NSTF Emerging Researcher category for the second year.  Prizes of R20 000 each will be awarded to the two winners to supplement their research funding.

• NEW in 2023 A prize for an established category : The TW Kambule-NSTF Researcher category now has a prize sponsor for the second year, which is pro SET (the Professional Bodies and Learned Societies sector of the NSTF). The prize money is R20 000 to supplement the winner’s research funding .

• As usual, National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO) provides a prize which they sponsor for the Innovation: Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME) category . The winning SMME receives R60 000 (when there is a single winner).

We remind you of some earlier changes which continue this year:

1. Terms and Conditions:   The NSTF tightened the timelines. No late entries will be accepted. Extensions to the closing date will only be granted on application in writing where force majeure circumstances apply. Where, at the closing date, the number of nominations are considered by the adjudication panel to be insufficient, either overall, or in certain categories, an appropriate extension will be announced.

2. Engineering Research Capacity Development Award : This award was broadened two years ago to allow for teams to be nominated and for engineering capacity development, which leads to engineering research capacity development to be recognised. The framework of the award remains the same.

3. Criteria: There are no changes from last year to the criteria of established categories.

A transformed country where SET and innovation contribute to an optimal quality of life for all, where STEM and innovation education and training are effective, and SET professionals are representative of the population. (STEM = science, technology, engineering and mathematics.)
 
The NSTF Awards are one of the ways in which the NSTF strives to realise its vision.

This is a two-stage nomination process:
 
Stage 1 – Register a nomination by Thursday 14 December 2023

1. Please note that the registration of a nomination is only the beginning of the two-stage nomination process. When you register a nominee, the NSTF Office will respond with the official category nomination form, to be completed by 6 March 2024 (Stage 2).

2. Notify the nominee that you intend to nominate him/her/them (team/organisation). Ensure that you receive their agreement to participate.

3. Complete and submit the online registration . The nominee will receive an email notification from awards@nstf.org.za confirming receipt of the registration of their contact details. Please alert the NSTF Office at awards@nstf.org.za should the nominee not receive this notification and the relevant forms (the subject line says: ‘Subscription Confirmation’).

Stage 2 – Submit completed nomination documents by Friday 6 March 2024

• Ensure that the fully completed nomination form/s that you received from the NSTF office are emailed to the NSTF before the final deadline and that you receive a confirmation from the NSTF Office.

• Please note that planning and time are required to complete the nomination document. Hence there is a two and a half months period (December to March) provided for this preparation.

Full title of categories: All the awards are ‘for an outstanding contribution to science, engineering and technology (SET) and innovation in SA…’ (The complete title of each award starts with this wording in place of “contribution”.)
 

Complete and submit your online registration now!