The Annual Meeting of the Department of Science and Technology-National Research Foundation Centre’s of Excellence was hosted by the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal on Thursday 25^th and Friday 26^th August.  Directors of the Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB), Prof. Emma Steenkamp, Prof. Mike Wingfield together with team members Ms. Heidi Fysh (Programme Manager), Dr. Alistair McTaggart and Dr. Awelani Mutshembele represented FABI and the CTHB at this meeting.  The gathering included presentations by the Director General (Dr. Mjwara) and Deputy Director General (Mr. Thomas Auf de Heyde) of the Department of Science and Technology as well as Prof. Albert van Jaarsveld (Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal) and the Deputy CEO of the National Research Foundation (Dr. Gansen Pillay).  Some 300 learners from Kwa-Zulu Natal Schools had the opportunity to visit exhibitions presented by the 15 CoE’s and to learn more about key research being undertaken in South Africa.  Directors of CoE’s visited the facilities of the Centre for the AIDs Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) in Durban and led by Prof. Salim Abdool Karim and Prof. Mike Wingfield made a presentation on behalf of the first six CoE’s entitled “Beyond 2019: Options and Opportunities” that focused on the long-term sustainability of the DST-NRF CoE’s