UCT researchers shortlisted for top science awards

Several University of Cape Town (UCT) academics and projects have been named as finalists across multiple categories of the 2024/2025 National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Awards.

Hosted annually in partnership with metals and mining company South32, the NSTF Awards are considered the largest and most comprehensive national honours of their kind in South Africa. The awards recognise and promote outstanding contributions to science, engineering, technology (SET) and innovation.

This year’s theme, “Quantum Science and Technology,” aligns with the United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, commemorating 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics. In addition to raising public awareness of the importance of quantum science and its applications, the initiative also aims to spotlight breakthroughs with global implications.

UCT researchers, innovators, science communicators, data managers and teams have been recognised as finalists for their outstanding contributions in the following categories:

Lifetime Award

Professor Brenda Morrow, a clinician-scientist in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, has dedicated her career to improving child health in resource-limited settings through interdisciplinary research on severe paediatric conditions.

TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Researcher

Dr Mubeen Goolam, senior lecturer in Cell Biology, Department of Human Biology and Neuroscience Institute, is pioneering the development of the first African-specific brain models to study neural development and disorders from a uniquely African perspective.

TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher

Dr Rachael Dangarembizi, senior lecturer in the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa), has advanced neuroinfectious disease research, earning her global recognition for her groundbreaking work on cryptococcal meningitis.

NSTF-SAMRC [South African Medical Research Council] Clinician-Scientist Award

Associate Professor Aneesa Vanker, a paediatric pulmonologist at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, is leading research on the impact of environmental factors on child health and lung disease.

Data for Research Award

• The BioSCape team, represented by Dr Jasper Slingsby, has collected the largest airborne and ground biodiversity dataset in Africa, advancing the continent’s ability to measure, monitor and understand global biodiversity through remote sensing.
• Ibali: Digital Collections, represented by digital scholarship specialist Dr Sanjin Muftić, has pioneered an open-access, interactive repository for showcasing and building digital cultural heritage collections.
• ZivaHub: Open Data, represented by Thandokazi Maceba, data curation officer, leads an open-access data repository that serves as a publishing and access platform for research data and scholarly outputs, accessible to students, staff and the public.

Communication Award

• Professor Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan from the Department of Biological Sciences has led efforts to communicate the relevance of prehistoric biodiversity to the present, raising awareness and public interest.
• The Cosmic Savannah podcast team, led by Dr Jacinta Delhaize as co-producer and co-host, has provided listeners worldwide with a behind-the-scenes look at Africa’s dynamic astronomy and astrophysics landscape, showcasing groundbreaking discoveries, incredible telescopes and diverse voices, while inspiring the next generation of African scientists

The winners will be unveiled at a hybrid gala dinner on 31 July, held simultaneously in Johannesburg and Cape Town.