O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative

The O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI) builds on the work of Oliver Tambo, a prominent South African and pan-Africanist with a science education background, who believed in creating change through education and in cooperation and solidarity among African nations. The Initiative is in celebration of his legacy in building knowledge based economies for the advancement of Africa.

ORTARChI builds on and leverages existing continental frameworks and interventions geared towards institutional capacity strengthening; recruitment and retention of excellent researchers; and incentives to support research that contributes to socio-economic and transformative development. The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) in sub-Saharan Africa and the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Centres of Excellence are examples of prominent initiatives contributing to this mission.

Ten (10) O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs across seven (7) countries in the rest of the continent, namely; Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia have been selected for funding through a rigorous and competitive two-stage review process. The 10 chairs and host institutions were formally announced during a virtual launch on 27 October 2020.

These research chairs are focused on research priorities identified by each host institution in conjunction with, especially the SGCI, and in alignment with AU Agenda 2063 and STISA 2024. Each Chair will be applicable for one 5-year term in the first instance. In alignment to the global notion of research chairs, the chairs are granted in recognition of individual leadership and talent, and the commitment of universities to supporting high-quality research. Research chairholders are expected to meet set targets for staff development, and additional funds will be provided for supporting post-doctoral and postgraduate students under the supervision of the respective Chair holders. The NRF and DSI with core partners, the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation, and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) have partnered to implement the initiative.

For more information, contact:

Promise Shabangu
Professional Officer: Research Chairs and Centres of Excellence (RCCE)
Email: Shabangu@nrf.ac.za

Getting to know the O.R Tambo Chairs

Launching ORTARChI