The HSRC was established in 1968 as South Africa’s statutory research agency and has grown to become the largest dedicated research institute in the social sciences and humanities on the African continent, doing cutting-edge public research in areas that are crucial to development.
Their mandate is to inform the effective formulation and monitoring of government policy; to evaluate policy implementation; to stimulate public debate through the effective dissemination of research-based data and fact-based research results; to foster research collaboration; and to help build research capacity and infrastructure for the human sciences.
The Council conducts large-scale, policy-relevant, social-scientific research for public sector users, non-governmental organisations and international development agencies. Research activities and structures are closely aligned with South Africa’s national development priorities.
The organisation is home to about 500 staff members, all dedicated to support the conducting of 150-200 projects per year on social science and humanities research. Their dedicated professional researchers, located in four provinces, are supported by a strong physical and institutional infrastructure, including technical and support positions, deployed countrywide to enable the organisation to respond efficiently and comprehensively to research needs.
Research Areas
The HSRC’s integrated research programmes provide single points of entry – complete with a critical mass of researchers – for interdisciplinary and problem-orientated research in the following areas:
What They Do
On another level, the HSRC seeks to serve as a knowledge hub to bridge the gap between research, policy and action, thereby increasing the impact of research. This role is implemented through collaboration with key constituencies, including government and other research organisations, multilateral agencies, universities, and non-governmental, donor and development organisations. These relationships are being strengthened by the fact that many of their leading researchers serve on international scientific bodies.
They also monitor and evaluate policies and programmes providing objective information to assess the country’s progress in achieving its goals. Three examples of these are their contributions to monitor the country’s performance in implementing the South Africa’s national HIV and AIDS strategic plans and policies; assessments of numeracy and literacy in education; and conducting an annual research and development (R&D) survey that informs the national R&D strategy.
They have a strong footprint in other African countries through their affiliation with CODESRIA, participation in SADC and NEPAD, as well as hosting African Research Fellows in the organization.
The Council’s research outputs include reports for users, occasional papers and scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals, books and a news magazine that allows us to improve the public understanding of science. These are disseminated in print through the HSRC Press, through policy briefs aimed at government and policy-makers, and through the media, including social media platforms, their website, conferences and extensive research networks.
