In January 1968, as a prelude to the establishment of an administrative machinery to coordinate and plan scientific activities in post-colonial Sri Lanka, the Government created a Ministry for Scientific Research and Housing. This move was the result of a long drawn out agitation of the scientific community through the Ceylon Association for the Advancement of Science (CAAS, now SLAAS), for the creation of an independent and autonomous National Research Council for Sri Lanka. Records show that the CAAS was never in favour of a Ministry for Scientific Research, as an alternative to a National Research Council. However, in mid 1968, having accepted the needs and aspirations of the scientific community, the Government created the National Science Council (NSC) by the NSC Act No. 9 of 1968, as a statutory body within the Ministry of Scientific Research and Housing. This organization began functioning in May 1968.

The National Science Council was inaugurated on 28 May 1968, with Hon. Dudley Senanayake, the Prime Minister of Ceylon as the Chief Guest. Among the other distinguished personalities present were the Minister of Scientific Research and Housing, Minister of Agriculture and Food, Minister of Industries and Fisheries, Minister of Lands and Land Development, Minister of Education, along with a number of Members of the Diplomatic Corp. The meeting was presided over by Sir Nicholas Attygalle, the first Chairman of the Council, and was addressed by all Cabinet Ministers present. All speakers drew the attention of the new Council, to the need to formulate a National Science and Technology Policy for the country. Inspired by these sentiments, the newly appointed Council at its very first meeting held on 29 May 1968, established a sub-committee to prepare a draft statement on Science Policy, which was to be the basis for the first seminar to be organized by the National Science Council.

The NSC began functioning in a rented house in Horton Place, Colombo 7. Dr  C R Panabokke took office as the first fulltime Chief Executive Officer of the National Science Council in September 1969. Until that time Mr  B  J P Alles held office as the Acting Secretary General on a part time basis. The foundation stone for a new building for the National Science Council was laid by Hon. M D H Jayawardana, Minister for Scientific Research and Housing on 28 December 1969. The Secretariat moved to the new building located in Maitland Place, Colombo 7, in March 1973

Dr  Panabokke soon gave way to Dr  G C N Jayasuriya, who was responsible for piloting the institution in its formative stage. He was ably assisted at various stages by Dr Kamala de Soysa, Marina De Silva (now Wijesekera), Dr Seetha Rodrigo, who were joined by more ladies, Clodagh Fernando, Swarna Prelis, Irangani Thabrew and Eleanor Jurianz.

Distinguish scholars who held the Chairmanship and Secretary General positions during this period.

Prof. Sir Nicholas Attygalle
Founder Chairman
1968 - 1970

Dr A N S Kulasinghe
Chairman
1970 - 1972

Prof. O W Jayaratne
Chairman
1972 - 1977

Prof. E O E Pereira
Chairman
1977 - 1982

Dr C R Panabokke
First Fulltime Secretary General
September 1969 - Feburuary 1971

Dr G C N Jayasuriya
Secretary General
March 1971 - September 1978

Dr R P Jayewardene
Secretary General
November 1978 - May 1982

In 1980, the then Government realizing the need to widen the scope of activities of the National Science Council conceived of a revolutionary transformation of the organization by empowering it with the additional task of overseeing the scientific and technological development of the environmental and energy sectors. This issue was the subject of intense discussion and debate amongst various groups of scientists and engineers, most of whom were not convinced with this proposal. Nevertheless, in June 1982 the NSC Act was repealed. By Act No. 78 of 1981, the Natural Resources, Energy and Science Authority (NARESA) was created and placed under the President’s Office.

With the widening of the scope of activities NARESA got involved in initiating and coordinating many scientific research programmes. NARESA developed and executed a number of multidisciplinary and inter-institutional research programmes such as Inland Fishery Research Programme, Water Buffalo Research Programme, The Zoological Survey of Sri Lanka, the Potash Fertilizer Research Programme, the Water Weeds Survey Programme, The Mangrove Study Programme and the Coastal Ecology Research Programme. Most of these programmes received substantial foreign funding, and hence were coordinated and monitored by Scientific Advisory Committees, in addition to NARESA’s long standing research grants scheme, which received assistance from the Government’s Consolidated Fund.

While continuing to advice the government on specific issues relating to science and technology policy, NARESA engaged itself in enhancing the research capability of young scientists and thereby building a viable scientific community. In pursuit of these objectives, it continued to support curiosity-oriented research in all fields of science including the social sciences, giving preference to programmes which had opportunities for postgraduate studies.

In order to strengthen and enhance the research capability of scientific institutions, NARESA also took the initiative to establish two specialized laboratory-scale glass-blowing units, a well equipped workshop for maintenance and repair of electronic equipment to serve all scientists, and a grant scheme to provide any spare parts required for the repair of electronic scientific instruments. It also established the Sri Lanka Scientific and Technical Information Centre linking a number of local and international information networks of Science and Technology, to back up the country’s scientific and technical information system. These initiatives were often supported by foreign grants, particularly SIDA, SAREC and CIDA. With the change of government in 1989, NARESA was transferred from the President’s Office to the new Ministry of Industries, Science and Technology.

Distinguish scholars who held the Chairmanship and Secretary General positions during this period.

Dr R P Jayawardena
Director General
June 1992 - April 1992

Prof. Priyani E Soysa
Director General
April 1992 - December 1997

In 1994, based on a report prepared in 1991 by a Presidential Task Force on Science and Technology Development, the Science and Technology Development Act of 1994 was passed in Parliament. The Act was however, not implemented because of the impending parliamentary elections but four years later in 1998 it was reactivated and implemented. Thus, the National Science Foundation (NSF) was created in 1998, along with the National Science and Technology Commission (NASTEC), splitting the mandate of NARESA between these two organizations

Through provisions of this new Act, the Research Grants Scheme originally initiated in 1970 by the National Science Council, and continued to operate under its successor, NARESA was transferred to the National Science Foundation, while the role of formulating science policy was assigned to NASTEC. The National Science Foundation was also assigned the task of funding and promoting research and development for social-economic and natural resource development, International Scientific Liaison and Science Popularization while undertaking studies on science policy issues, and to carry out country-wide surveys on the scientific resource potential in order to generate viable statistics and indicators that may help in effective monitoring and decision-making in respect of science and technology development.

Since the journey started in 1968 as NSC, and through various stages of transition and transformations, we have managed to grow in strength and stature, with many milestones to our credit. Notwithstanding changes in government policy and limitations of funding, we have become a dynamic and world class institution recognized both nationally and internationally as a premier state institution for the promotion of science, technology and innovation in Sri Lanka.

The present day building of the NSF was constructed in 1968 to house a staff of around 35. However, with the expansion of the activities and functional reorganization and renaming of divisions as Research Division, Technology Division, International Liaison Division, Science Popularization Division, S &T Policy Research Division and the National Science Library and Resource Center and the increase in number of both scientific and administrative staff to around 140, the building required some modifications with physical organization of Divisions. These were carried out in 2005. This has given the NSF a ‘face-lift’ with an attractive court yard, a spacious reception area, well organized and spacious library and an administrative building with all modern amenities. Internal modifications ensured a separate work space for each staff member. Staff members were also provided with computers and other infrastructure facilities

Distinguish scholars who held the Chairmanship, Director, Director General positions during this period.

Prof Priyani E Soysa
Chairperson
January - September 1998

Prof. P Dahanayake
Chairman
September 1998 - August 2001

Prof. Eric Karunanayake
Chairman
August 2001 - January 2002

Prof. Ranjan Ramasamy
Chairman
February 2002 - April 2004

Prof. Sirimali Fernando
Chairperson
August 2004 - July 2013

Prof. W L Sumathipala
Chairman
July 2013 – February 2015

Mr Iqbal Mohamed
Chairman
February - June 2015

Prof. Sirimali Fernando
Chairperson
June 2015 - January 2019

Dr A Mubarak
Chairman
February 2019 - December 2019

Prof. Ranjith Senaratne
Chairman
January 2020 to date

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Mrs S P Prelis
Director
April 1998 - October 1998

Mr M Watson
Director
October 1998 - January 2005

Dr M C N Jayasuriya
Director
April 2005 – March 2009

Dr Sarath Abaywardene
Director
May 2009 - December 2011

Ms Anusha Amerasinghe
Director General
February 2012 – February 2016

Dr Ananda Jayawardena
Director General
January 2018 - January 2020

Ms. Nazeema Ahamad
Acting Director General
January 2020 - May 2020

Dr Thamara F Dias
Acting Director General
June 2020 - January 2021

Ms Damayanthi K Wijesinghe
Acting Director General
February 2021 - August 2021

Mr K Ravindra Pathmapriya
Acting Director General
August 2021 - March 2022

Dr S R S N Sudasinghe
Director General
March 2022 to date