HERI receives prestigious NRF 2026 Science Team Award

The Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has been honoured with the prestigious National Research Foundation (NRF) Science Team Award, celebrating its pioneering research into human origins and commitment to African-centred scientific leadership.

The honour was announced at the annual NRF Awards ceremony on Thursday 4 September 2026 at the Boardwalk Hotel in Gqeberha. Considered South Africa’s benchmark celebration of academic and scientific distinction, the NRF Science Team Award specifically honours collaborative research groups extending the boundaries of science across the continent.

“This award honours HERI’s scientific excellence and our commitment to transforming how human origins research is done,” says HERI Co-Director, Professor Rebecca Ackermann. “By embedding socially responsive practices into palaeoscience, we are not only shifting who tells these stories, but also reshaping science globally from right here in South Africa.”

HERI advances human origins research through landmark discoveries in fossil analysis, ancient biomolecules, isotope dating, and stone tool technology. Combining world-class laboratory infrastructure - including partnerships with the Department of Science and Innovation’s Biogeochemistry Research Infrastructure Platform (BIOGRIP) - with community-focused initiatives, the institute is shifting how human origins research is conducted globally.

HERI was founded to deliver world-class research while dismantling historical inequalities in palaeoanthropology. It actively invests in the next generation of researchers through the Pan-African Consortium for Human Evolution (PANACHE) and its signature #campHERI initiative.

The team also drives public engagement with human evolution science, notably through the award-winning HUMANITY exhibition, produced in partnership with the Iziko South African Museum in Cape Town. The collaboration brought together research, collections, and expertise to advance archaeology while also making new discoveries accessible to the public.

“HERI was founded to produce groundbreaking science while addressing a deeply unequal history in South African human evolution research,” says Co-Director, Associate Professor Robyn Pickering. “We are proud to be recognised for breaking down barriers and putting long-overlooked African talent at the centre of research excellence.”

Alongside Ackermann and Pickering, the award recognises key team members including Dr Wendy Black, Dr Precious Chiwara-Maenzanise, Dr Tara Edwards, Dr Palesa Madupe, and Associate Professor Lauren Schroeder, as well as the contributions of HERIs research associates, postdocs and students.

“HERI is proof that you don't have to import expertise to do world-class science in South Africa,” adds Schroeder. “We are demonstrating that African scientists can lead international research on African soil and transform the global narrative of human evolution.”