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Nonprofit · Pretoria · South Africa

National Research Foundation

In research, National Research Foundation stands highest in Physical Sciences (#4,081 of 12,888 worldwide), 2022–2025.

nrf.ac.zaROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#6,093
of 28,054 · #6,289 all time
Rank in South Africa
#30
of 87
Research works
796
▲ 51% vs 2013–17
Citations
27k
34.2 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
27.0%
record average 16.5%
Open access
51%
world 28%

What is National Research Foundation known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #4,081 of 12,888 26.2%128 #4649

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where National Research Foundation sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 1.11× its world share, 10 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.83× its world share, 8 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 1.78× its world share, 3 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.23× its world share, 1 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0.44× its world share, 0 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemical Engineering: 2.71× its world share, 2 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 3.71× its world share, 11 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.20× its world share, 3 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 1.71× its world share, 5 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 5.71× its world share, 10 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.93× its world share, 27 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 2.26× its world share, 22 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 5.37× its world share, 36 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.43× its world share, 1 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 2.85× its world share, 12 worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 0.18× its world share, 0 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 0.29× its world share, 2 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.71× its world share, 26 worksMedicineNursing: 1.17× its world share, 1 worksNursingVeterinary: 1.24× its world share, 0 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 0.09× its world share, 0 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.20× its world share, 1 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 0.60× its world share, 1 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.22× its world share, 1 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.19× its world share, 1 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.26× its world share, 6 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Energy, 5.7×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at National Research Foundation?

Ranked on the composite score, Donald G. Broadley, R. Bucher and C. Mtshali lead among researchers whose main affiliation is National Research Foundation.

  1. 1 Donald G. Broadley South Africa · #879,123 worldwide 77 citations · 71 works
  2. 2 R. Bucher South Africa · #1,272,547 worldwide 64 citations · 17 works
  3. 3 C. Mtshali South Africa · #1,623,026 worldwide 11 citations · 15 works
All ranked researchers at National Research Foundation

Which keywords describe research at National Research Foundation?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Nanomaterials, Nanostructures, Toxicity, Graphene, Nanoparticles, Environmental Impact, Nanocrystals and Green Synthesis.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Nanomaterials25▲ 12×14 topics
  2. Epidemiology13▲ 1.74×37 topics
  3. Environmental Impact13▲ 3.9×18 topics
  4. Nanostructures13▲ 16×9 topics
  5. Nanoparticles12▲ 5.1×19 topics
  6. Graphene11▲ 8.1×9 topics
  7. Toxicity11▲ 13×11 topics
  8. Biomedical Applications9▲ 4.1×19 topics
  9. Nanocrystals9▲ 17×5 topics
  10. Green Synthesis9▲ 23×3 topics
  11. Water Splitting8▲ 12×4 topics
  12. Synthesis7▲ 10×10 topics
  13. Semiconductor7▲ 10×4 topics
  14. Visible Light7▲ 15×2 topics
  15. Antimicrobial6▲ 12×4 topics
  16. Cytotoxicity6▲ 24×4 topics
  17. Nanocomposites6▲ 4.1×14 topics
  18. Vaccine6▲ 8.1×8 topics
  19. Biological Synthesis6▲ 41×1 topic
  20. Silver6▲ 41×1 topic
  21. Drug Delivery6▲ 5.3×10 topics
  22. Energy Storage6▲ 4.4×7 topics
  23. Semiconductors5▲ 9.2×5 topics
  24. Hydrogen Production5▲ 10×4 topics
  25. Carbon Nanotubes5▲ 7.8×4 topics
  26. CO2 Reduction5▲ 11×2 topics
  27. Solar Energy5▲ 7.7×2 topics
  28. Characterization5▲ 19×3 topics
  29. Photocatalyst5▲ 14×1 topic
  30. Plasmonic5▲ 14×1 topic
  31. Heavy Metals4▲ 9.8×4 topics
  32. Wastewater Treatment4▲ 9.7×5 topics
  33. Biosensing4▲ 25×2 topics
  34. Efficiency4▲ 7.3×3 topics
  35. Adsorption4▲ 9.6×5 topics
  36. Ionic Liquids4▲ 7.2×3 topics
  37. Solar Cells4▲ 10.0×3 topics
  38. Semiconductor Nanocrystals4▲ 17×2 topics
  39. Molecularly Imprinted Polymers4▲ 47×1 topic
  40. Solid-Phase Microextraction4▲ 47×1 topic

Which research topics does National Research Foundation publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Nanoparticles: synthesis and applications, Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques, Analytical chemistry methods development and Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal.

Nanoparticles: synthesis and applications: 6 fractional worksAdvanced Photocatalysis Techniques: 5 fractional worksAnalytical chemistry methods development: 4 fractional worksAdsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal: 3 fractional worksCopper-based nanomaterials and applications: 3 fractional worksTransition Metal Oxide Nanomaterials: 2 fractional worksPharmaceutical and Antib…2Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts: 2 fractional worksZnO doping and properties: 2 fractional worksTuberculosis Research and Epidemiology: 2 fractional worksGraphene and Nanomateria…2Graphene and Nanomaterials Applications: 2 fractional works
Materials ChemistryRenewable Energy, Sustainability and the EnvironmentAnalytical ChemistryWater Science and Technology4 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Nanoparticles: synthesis and applications Materials Chemistry 6 works
  2. 2 Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment 5 works
  3. 3 Analytical chemistry methods development Analytical Chemistry 4 works
  4. 4 Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal Water Science and Technology 3 works
  5. 5 Copper-based nanomaterials and applications Materials Chemistry 3 works
  6. 6 Transition Metal Oxide Nanomaterials Polymers and Plastics 2 works
  7. 7 Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts Pollution 2 works
  8. 8 ZnO doping and properties Materials Chemistry 2 works
  9. 9 Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology Infectious Diseases 2 works
  10. 10 Graphene and Nanomaterials Applications Biomedical Engineering 2 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available51.4%not open48.6%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors58.6%domestic only41.4%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has National Research Foundation's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 51% higher than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Pretoria

All research institutions in Pretoria

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.