Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology

Research evaluation in South Africa operates differently than in Europe or North America—funding landscapes shift, policy priorities change rapidly, and measuring impact across unequal systems requires locally calibrated methods. The Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology builds the frameworks and conducts the studies that assess how research actually translates into economic growth, innovation, and social benefit in the South African context. Their work involves tracking research outputs through to commercialisation, examining science policy effectiveness, and identifying which types of investigation produce meaningful returns. By grounding evaluation practice in local realities rather than imported models, they help funders, universities, and government understand what research investments genuinely move the needle.