The University of Johannesburg (UJ) emerged among South Africa’s top-performing universities at the 2025/26 National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)-South32 Awards, claiming two national honours when the country’s premier science awards were announced on Thursday, 16 July 2026. Widely regarded as South Africa’s “Science Oscars”, the awards recognise outstanding contributions to science, engineering, technology and innovation that advance knowledge and contribute to national development.
UJ’s success follows its performance in the prestigious awards, with six finalists across five categories competing alongside the country’s leading scientists, engineers and innovators. The University claimed two national winners, reaffirming its growing reputation for research that delivers practical solutions to some of society’s most pressing challenges.
The University’s award recipients are Dr Edith Phalane, who won the TW Kambule-NSTF Emerging Researcher Award, and the JENano Research Group, led by Professor Tien-Chien Jen, which received the Innovation Award: Corporate Organisation.
Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, UJ said the awards recognise the University’s commitment to producing research that not only advances scientific knowledge but also delivers practical solutions to real-world challenges.
“This national recognition reflects the calibre of research being undertaken at UJ and its growing contribution to South Africa’s scientific and innovation landscape. Our researchers are not pursuing knowledge for its own sake, they are developing solutions that improve public health, strengthen food security, advance clean energy technologies and accelerate scientific discovery. We congratulate Dr Edith Phalane and the JENano Research Group on this outstanding achievement, while also celebrating all our finalists whose work reflects the depth, diversity and excellence of UJ’s research enterprise. Together, they demonstrate how UJ is translating research excellence into meaningful societal impact.”
Dr Edith Phalane, Manager of the Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research (PACER) in UJ’s Faculty of Health Sciences, received the TW Kambule-NSTF Emerging Researcher Award for her contribution to generating critical public health evidence to better understand local epidemics and strengthen preparedness for future pandemics. Her research has informed disease surveillance, public health policy and health interventions, contributing to improved health outcomes across communities.
The JENano Research Group, led by Professor Tien-Chien Jen, Director of UJ’s Atomic Layer Deposition Research Centre and DSTI-NRF SARChI Chair in Green Hydrogen, received the Innovation Award: Corporate Organisation for advancing green hydrogen technologies, nanotechnology and advanced materials. The award recognises the group’s contribution to developing innovative technologies that support South Africa’s transition towards a cleaner, more sustainable energy future while simultaneously strengthening national engineering research capacity through postgraduate training and cutting-edge scientific research.
Beyond the two national winners, UJ’s representation among this year’s finalists reflected the breadth and impact of the University’s research excellence. Professor Samuel Oluwatobi Oluwafemi was a finalist in the TW Kambule-NSTF Researcher Award category for his pioneering work on advanced nanomaterial-bioconjugates that combine therapeutic and diagnostic functions for precision cancer treatment. Dr Mahlatse Kganyago was recognised for harnessing satellite technology, remote sensing and artificial intelligence to strengthen food security and climate resilience, while Associate Professor Krishna Govender was shortlisted in the newly introduced Research Software Award category for developing innovative software that enables researchers to make more effective use of South Africa’s national high-performance computing infrastructure.
The six finalists collectively demonstrated UJ’s research strength across public health, cancer research, food security, advanced computing, green hydrogen and engineering innovation. Their achievements reinforce the University’s strategic commitment to producing research that advances scientific knowledge while addressing national and global challenges.
Established in 1998, the NSTF-South32 Awards are South Africa’s premier platform for recognising excellence in science, engineering, technology and innovation. Often referred to as the country’s “Science Oscars”, the awards honour individuals, teams and organisations whose work advances scientific knowledge, drives innovation and contributes to national development.
