National Survey of Research and Experimental Development - Statistical Report (2014/15)

This report provides analysis and commentary on the results of the 2014/15 South African National Survey of Research and Experimental Development.
This Main Analysis Report is accompanied by the Statistical Report, which presents key findings and trend data. The analysis in this report is presented in terms of the following categories of indicators:
• Gross domestic expenditure on research and experimental development (GERD);
• GERD by R&D-performing sectors;
• Sources and flows of funding for R&D;
• R&D expenditure by economic sector, field of research and socio-economic objective;
• R&D personnel by occupation (researchers, technicians and support staff) and full-time equivalents (FTEs);
• R&D expenditure in multidisciplinary and selected areas of policy interest, namely biotechnology, nanotechnology, environment-related, open-source software, new materials, and tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS and malaria research;
• R&D involving local and international collaborations.
The survey covered the main institutional sectors that perform R&D in South Africa, namely the business, not-for-profit, government, science council and higher education sectors. This approach is followed in order to satisfy national data needs and, at the same time, maintain consistency with the international sector categorisation for measuring R&D recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in The Measurement of Scientific and
Technological Activities: Proposed Standard Practice for Surveys on Research and Experimental Development, commonly known as the Frascati Manual (OECD, 2002).