About

The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) invites proposals to advance national health priorities by addressing critical gaps in maternal, neonatal, child, and women’s health. This initiative seeks to generate new knowledge, evidence, tools, and interventions that strengthen South Africa’s health research enterprise and contribute to improved outcomes and capacity. Priority research areas include epidemiology, diagnostics, treatment, disease management, and prevention across women’s health (e.g., gynaecological and menstrual conditions), maternal health (including multimorbidity, infectious and non‑communicable diseases, and reproductive conditions), and neonatal and child health (such as congenital disorders, preterm infants, and prevention of neonatal sepsis). Cross‑cutting themes emphasize affordable, scalable, and locally relevant solutions, particularly for primary care and rural settings. Funding is available for three‑year projects with support of up to R5 million per annum, not exceeding R15 million over the full duration. Budgets must be realistic and well‑justified, as lower requests may enable more awards. Successful projects are expected to begin in March or April 2027.

Eligibility

Applications are open to researchers based at South African public universities, public research entities, science councils, national facilities, and other recognized institutions whose primary purpose is research and postgraduate training. Principal Investigators must be South African citizens or permanent residents employed by an eligible institution. Non‑profit organizations, NGOs, private companies, civil society groups, and non‑South African entities are not eligible to apply as lead applicants but may participate as collaborators. Each Principal Investigator may submit only one proposal, though they may serve as co‑investigators on other projects. Proposals must demonstrate alignment with the stated priority areas, scientific merit, feasibility, ethical and regulatory readiness, institutional support, and a clear pathway to scientific advancement, public health impact, policy uptake, product development, or implementation.

Post Date: August 16, 2026