/ 10 July 2015

Shining light on science

The new NTSF trophy is manufactured by the National Laser Centre from titanium using a 3-D printing technique.
The new NTSF trophy is manufactured by the National Laser Centre from titanium using a 3-D printing technique.

The National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) hosted the 17th annual NSTF Awards, in partnership with South32, last night. These are the biggest science, engineering, technology and innovation (Seti) awards in the country, akin to the Oscars for Seti. South32 (a spin-out company from BHP Billiton) has been a long-standing partner of the awards.

These national awards are unique. Nominations are open and anyone, including the public, can participate. Categories include teams in corporates, SMMEs and nongovernmental organisations, as well as academia. While pure research is recognised, capacity building, commercialisation of the research and the impact on society are taken into consideration. 

“The awards focus on disseminating information to the public. This includes a year-long engagement with students and learners through our Share ‘n Dare programme after the award ceremony,” says Jansie Niehaus, NSTF executive director. The NSTF Awards were the first in South Africa to use this approach.

“While it’s very important to celebrate the top South African minds in Seti, we are also profiling role models and drawing attention to the various fields and opportunities within Seti,” says Niehaus. She emphasises that the NSTF Awards and associated activities create a public platform to showcase the outstanding Seti work conducted in South Africa. Informing the public and other stakeholders is one of the NSTF’s missions as a representative non-profit stakeholder body for all Seti organisations in the country. Other NSTF functions include collaboration, consultation and lobbying. 

Evaluation of past NSTF Awards winners shows a group comprising 34% female and 43% black individuals. The increasing representation of these groups is a sign of the positive changes within Seti, says Niehaus.  

Endorsed by the department of science and technology, the NSTF Awards are also part of a collaboration with the department of basic education through the annual Brilliants programme. This initiative recognises outstanding matric performance in mathematics and science and includes bursaries sponsored by the Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP), a flagship research and development programme of the department of trade and industry and the National Research Foundation (NRF).

The theme of the NSTF Awards this year is “light”, aligned to UNESCO declaring 2015 the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies. There is a special award for photonics-related research and the new awards trophy was created using additive manufacturing (industrial 3D printing) with laser technology. 

Following are the 2014/2015 awards for an outstanding contribution to science, engineering, technology or innovation: 

For a contribution over a lifetime

Professor Helen Rees is an internationally renowned researcher and policymaker working in HIV prevention, reproductive health and vaccinology. Her ability to translate research into policy has seen her chair over 100 global and national science and policy committees. She is founder and executive director of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, professor in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of the Witwatersrand, honorary professor at the department of clinical research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a fellow of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge University. 

Professor Robert Scholes is one of the top 1% of environmental scientists globally. He is recognised worldwide as a leading researcher within environmental science, systems ecology, savannah ecology and global change. His work on savannah dynamics has significantly influenced the management of ecosystems in South Africa. Scholes was also one of the first scientists in Africa to address the issue of global change. He is now considered a leading expert and has had a key role in drafting national policies, communications and research plans in relation to climate change. His expertise is acknowledged globally concerning the impacts on the terrestrial carbon cycle, biodiversity change and impacts on ecosystem services. Scholes has worked for two decades in the design and implementation of earth observation systems, which monitor the health of the planet. Having left the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at the end of 2014, he is currently distinguished professor of systems ecology at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Special Photonics Award in celebration of Unesco’s International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies

Over the past 10 years, Professor Andrew Forbes has put South African photonics on the map through expanding research areas, developing laser innovations for commercialisation and establishing new photonics programmes at previously disadvantaged South African and African higher education institutions. He is based at the School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, having just left the CSIR National Laser Centre.

TW Kambule-NSTF Awards for research and its outputs over the last five to 10 years 

Professor Zander Myburg has, over the past ten years, significantly advanced the field of tree genomics and biotechnology. He is based at the department of genetics’ Forest and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute and the Genomics Research Institute at the University of Pretoria.

One of the most highly published and cited clinician-scientists in Africa, Professor Dan Stein has made major contributions to advancing basic and clinical neuroscience with a focus on neuropsychiatric disorders. He is based at the department of psychiatry and mental health and the Brain-Behaviour Initiative, both at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and at the Stellenbosch University/UCT Medical Research Council unit on anxiety and stress disorders.

For research capacity development over the last five to 10 years 

One of the first physiotherapists in South Africa to obtain her doctorate, Professor Jennifer Jelsma has been developing a culture of research in the rehabilitation sciences. She is at the department of health and rehabilitation sciences in the faculty of health sciences at the University of Cape Town. Professor Nigel Bennett has made significant research contributions within mammalogy, extensively mentoring students in the process. He holds the South African Research Chairs Initiative Austin Roberts Chair of Mammalogy, and is based at the department of zoology and entomology at the University of Pretoria.

TW Kambule-NSTF Awards to an emerging researcher 

Dr Thulani Makhalanyane’s research focuses on the microbial ecology (study of microbes and their interactions) of hot and cold deserts. He is a lecturer at the department of genetics and researcher at the Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, University of Pretoria.

Dr Grant Theron, senior research officer at the department of medicine, University of Cape Town, has advanced tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis through, among other things, the invention of a device to measure patients’ infectiousness. His work has influenced global and national health policy. 

NSTF-GreenMatter Award: towards achieving biodiversity conservation, environmental sustainability and a greener economy 

The Rhodes University Biological Control Research Group helps to return invaded aquatic ecosystems to functioning states through biological control, using host-specific insects to target invasive aquatic weeds. This is done through the engagement of affected communities and wide-ranging knowledge transfer activities. 

For communication and creating awareness

Marina Joubert, from the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology at Stellenbosch University, has made a leading contribution to the development of science communication in South Africa over the past 20 years. This includes pioneering science communication at the NRF and the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement. 

For research leading to innovation by a corporate organisation

Professor Deon de Beer, chief director at Technology Transfer and Innovation, North West University, focuses on making additive manufacturing accessible to as wide an end-user community as possible. His research is also identifying new opportunities, developing new programmes and generating support funding.

For research leading to innovation by an SMME 

Better diagnostics are urgently needed to limit transmission, illness and death by TB. The IRISA-TB assay developed by Antrum Biotech is designed to provide rapid, same-day diagnosis of extra-pulmonary TB.

To an NGO through technology transfer or education and training activities

The Western Cape Primary Science Programme is a nongovernmental organisation that provides primary school teacher development focusing primarily on science and maths. Its programme, the Joint Membership Project, has received international acclaim as a contextually relevant model of support for new teachers.