The NRF rating is a system introduced by the National Research Foundation (NRF) with the aim of building “a globally competitive science system in South Africa”.

Although the system in its form is unique to South Africa, it serves as a benchmarking tool to compare the quality of South African researchers to the best in the world across various research fields and/or disciplines.

Strategic Research Support at the Research Development and Support Division assists researchers with NRF ratings.

Researchers submit an application for a Rating, through their university, to the NRF.

Following a review process conducted by fellow experts in the field, the successful applicant is awarded a Rating which “is based primarily on the quality and impact of their research outputs over the past eight years, taking into consideration the evaluation made by local and international peers”.

Strategic Research Support within the Research Development and Support Division assists researchers with NRF ratings.

Category A

Researchers who are unequivocally recognised by their peers as leading international scholars in their field for the high quality and impact of their recent research outputs.

Category B

Researchers who enjoy considerable international recognition by their peers for the high quality and impact of their recent research outputs.

Category C

Established researchers with a sustained recent record of productivity in the field who are recognised by their peers as having 1) Produced a body of quality work, the core of which has coherence and attests to ongoing engagement with the field and 2) Demonstrated the ability to conceptualise problems and apply research methods to investigating them.

Category P

Young researchers (normally younger than 35 years of age), who have held the doctorate or equivalent qualification for less than five years at the time of application and who, on the basis of exceptional potential demonstrated in their published doctoral work and/or their research outputs in their early post- doctoral careers are considered likely to become future international leaders in their field.

Category Y

Young researchers (40 years or younger), who have held the doctorate or equivalent qualification for less than five years at the time of application, and who are recognised as having the potential to establish themselves as researchers within a five-year period after evaluation, based on their performance and productivity of quality research outputs during their doctoral studies and/or early post-doctoral careers.

More about the NRF Rating Categories and Sub-Categories