Scientists from eight SA universities and research institutions are set to benefit from a R400-million research allocation over the next five years.
The funding‚ announced at a press conference in Cape Town on Monday‚ will come from a collaborative effort between the SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC)‚ and the US National Institute of Health (NIH).
It will make SA one of the leading recipients of the prestigious NIH funding‚ awarded to the most promising research after being subjected to the strictest methods of peer review.
US ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard said the collaboration was absolutely critical because of South Africa’s influence in Africa.
“As goes South Africa‚ so goes Sub-Saharan Africa‚” said Gaspard.
“This country is a critical point of entry‚ and as South Africa develops its health care infrastructure…[then] that has effects on the rest of the region and the continent.”
About one third of the research projects would focus on tuberculosis‚ with 25% on social sciences and behavioural issues‚ while the remaining 40% concerned HIV/Aids‚ basic science and cancer treatment.
F Gray Handle‚ from the NIH‚ said that even though SA scientists would be collaborating with their US counterparts on the research‚ it would be SA that took the lead on all projects.
“All of these grants go directly to South African investigators…and then they have a subcontract with their American colleague‚” said Handley.
Both the NIH and SAMRC‚ through government‚ will contribute equally to the annual funding of R80m‚ to be spread across 31 collaborative biomedical and behavioural research grants.
“There is funding coming from the department [of health]‚” said national health deputy director-general Dr Anban Pillay.
The University of Cape Town‚ Wits University and a SAMRC laboratory are among the institutions set to benefit‚ and scientists will look to continue to do the type of research which‚ according to Handley‚ has seen South Africa drive international health policies.
Handley added that success of the partnership would be measured if the programme fostered scientific discovery that further enhanced SA medical and public health practice‚ while also providing discoveries of global benefit.
SA a recipient of prestigious NIH funding
Scientists from eight SA universities and research institutions are set to benefit from a R400-million research allocation over the next five years.
The funding‚ announced at a press conference in Cape Town on Monday‚ will come from a collaborative effort between the SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC)‚ and the US National Institute of Health (NIH).
It will make SA one of the leading recipients of the prestigious NIH funding‚ awarded to the most promising research after being subjected to the strictest methods of peer review.
US ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard said the collaboration was absolutely critical because of South Africa’s influence in Africa.
“As goes South Africa‚ so goes Sub-Saharan Africa‚” said Gaspard.
“This country is a critical point of entry‚ and as South Africa develops its health care infrastructure…[then] that has effects on the rest of the region and the continent.”
About one third of the research projects would focus on tuberculosis‚ with 25% on social sciences and behavioural issues‚ while the remaining 40% concerned HIV/Aids‚ basic science and cancer treatment.
F Gray Handle‚ from the NIH‚ said that even though SA scientists would be collaborating with their US counterparts on the research‚ it would be SA that took the lead on all projects.
“All of these grants go directly to South African investigators…and then they have a subcontract with their American colleague‚” said Handley.
Both the NIH and SAMRC‚ through government‚ will contribute equally to the annual funding of R80m‚ to be spread across 31 collaborative biomedical and behavioural research grants.
“There is funding coming from the department [of health]‚” said national health deputy director-general Dr Anban Pillay.
The University of Cape Town‚ Wits University and a SAMRC laboratory are among the institutions set to benefit‚ and scientists will look to continue to do the type of research which‚ according to Handley‚ has seen South Africa drive international health policies.
Handley added that success of the partnership would be measured if the programme fostered scientific discovery that further enhanced SA medical and public health practice‚ while also providing discoveries of global benefit.
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