Dr Amanda-Lee Ezra Manicum from the Tshwane University of Technology’s Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, received a Research Excellence Award for Early Career/Emerging Researchers at the 2024 National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards. The event took place at the Sun City Resort in Northwest Province on 22 August 2024.
The 2024 NRF Awards honoured some of the country’s high-achieving researchers and scientists held under the theme Celebrating 25 Years of Research, Innovation, Impact and Partnerships, in recognition of the NRF’s accomplishments since its founding in 1999.
Dr Amanda-Lee Manicum, a Senior Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry’s research interest involves the design and development of novel organometallic drugs for diseases such as cancer and tuberculosis.
The annual NRF Awards recognise outstanding achievements made by individuals and teams whose excellence has significantly advanced science for the benefit of society. Their internationally competitive work is assessed for, among other things, the contribution to the field of study focusing on quality and impact. One of the objectives of the awards is to encourage the continued culture of advancing South Africa’s scientific knowledge and technological innovation by rewarding those who make use of research for the advancement and betterment of humanity.
Dr Manicum first received an NRF Thuthuka PhD track in 2015 and graduated with her Doctoral degree from the University of the Free State in 2017. Afterwards, she received a Thuthuka post-PhD and NRF Black Academic Advancement Programme Grant. She was an associate editor for the South African Journal of Sciences (SAJS) from 2021 to 2023, as part of the SAJS Associate Editor Mentorship Programme.
Dr Amanda-Lee Ezra Manicum
She received the TUT Institutional Award for Emerging Researcher of the Year (Female) in 2021 and the Early Career/Emerging Researcher Award in 2022. She is currently Deputy Director of the Centre of Applied Chemistry Research and has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles, two book chapters and has successfully graduated seven MSc students.
In her keynote address, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Nomalungelo Gina, applauded the winners of the 2024 NRF Awards and NRF for their respective sterling contributions to the country’s science and innovation system. “We are proud of each of you and thank you for your sterling contributions to the country’s knowledge base,” the Deputy Minister said.
