south african clinical research association

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Wed, Nov 01

SACRA Conference - Converge for Africa

The South African Clinical Research Association, is hosting an international conversion of clinical research industry leaders, experts, investors, and professionals in an alliance drive for the conduct of clinical trials in Africa.

Time & Location

Nov 01, 2023, 7:30 PM – Nov 03, 2023, 2:00 PM

Pretoria, Future Africa Campus, University of Pretoria, South St, Koedoespoort 456-Jr, Pretoria, 0186, South Africa

About the event

Discover the Road to Progress:   Join SACRA at the most anticipated conference of the year! Immerse yourself in a world of ground-breaking strides made for the future of clinical trials in South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa. Gain valuable insights from industry stakeholders, explore revolutionary technologies, and connect with potential collaborators, colleagues, and industry leaders. Get ready to unlock new frontiers and pave the way for clinical trials in South Africa and beyond. Stay tuned for more information to follow soon regarding a conference that will leave a lasting impact on all participants, shaping the future of research in South Africa & Africa.

Secure your spot at the upcoming conference on clinical trials in Sub Saharan Africa and take advantage of exclusive benefits.   Register to enjoy discounted rates and special perks. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the pioneering discussions and network with industry leaders.  Act now to reserve your place!

Pre-Conference Activities  (1-Nov-2023)

• Golf Day (8 Fourballs available)
• Investigator Site &  Historical Tour (Transport and Lunch included)
• Exhibitor Welcome Event  (Drinks & Food will be provided)
• Leadership Dinner  (invites only)

Conference Agenda Day 1  (2-Nov-2023)

• Keynote Speaker (Dr Bernards Ogutu)

Break Out Sessions:  

• Focus on Funders: Why Africa & Future Investment Plans
• Focus on CROs: Lessons  learned & Case Studies from CROs across Africa
• Focus on local service providers.
•   Networking:  Cocktail Event (live music + interacting with exhibitors)

Conference Agenda Day 2  (3-Nov-2023)

• Keynote Speaker (Professor Glenda Gray)
• Focus on Research Sites & Participants: Panel Discussion & Case Studies
• Focus on RECs and Regulatory: Update on AMA and Africa CDC 2033 vision + Launch of new Regulatory Platform (SAHPRA)        

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The South African Clinical Research Association (SACRA) Conference 2023 – Converge for Africa

• November 6, 2023

Clinical research trials play a significant role in the advancement of modern medicine. In asking some simple yet fundamental questions such as, ‘Does this new treatment work?’, ‘How does it work in comparison to existing treatments?’ and ‘How severe are its side effects?’, clinical research trials aim to close the gaps in current medical knowledge and widely adopted principles.

Often overlooked, is the positive, knock-on effect of conducting clinical research trials in underdeveloped regions burdened by higher rates of disease. This was the focus of the South African Clinical Research Association (SACRA) Conference in 2023. With the motto ‘Converge for Africa’, the conference aimed to underscore the need for both local and foreign investment in the field of medical research throughout Africa.

In her keynote address, physician, scientist, activist and president of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Professor Glenda Gray, highlighted the disconcerting gap between South Africa’s high disease burden and the low number of locally hosted clinical trials, which account for a mere 10% of the global total. While Professor Gray, Margaret Williams from Margan Clinical Research Organization (MMARCRO), and other speakers stressed the need to host trials locally, they also mentioned the attached benefits for foreign investors:

• As the country facing the largest HIV epidemic, conducting HIV-related clinical research in South Africa would surely support the realisation of the 2030 HIV control goals set out by UNAIDS (The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS).
• It is well known that South Africa has a high incidence of non-communicable diseases, where 4.2 million South Africans were living with diabetes alone in 2021, according to a statistic cited by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). This presents an opportunity for rigorous research, as diversity of disease areas exists in a large portion of the population.
• Due to the comparatively low cost of business, South Africa is an affordable and attractive host location, especially as the race toward new drug development intensifies.
• South Africa, commonly known as the ‘Rainbow Nation’ and regarded as the Cradle of Humankind, possesses a broad genomic diversity. This diversity can facilitate the improvement of participant recruitment for diverse studies, in line with the recent guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the inclusion of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in research.

These are just a few of the learnings at SACRA and only a few of the motivations we can use to advocate for conducting more clinical research on our continent.

Often overlooked, is the positive, knock-on effect of conducting clinical research trials in underdeveloped regions burdened by higher rates of disease.

As we walked away from these sessions with a weighty sense of responsibility, our BioInformatiCo team also walked away with an awakened sense of purpose and drive. We contemplated our role in providing reliable, robust data management systems to the clinical research space. The more we engaged with other SACRA conference attendees in the coffee breaks between sessions, the more insight we gained.

Overall, our insights were two-fold:

• It takes a village of dedicated service delivery teams to conduct medical research that contributes to advancing modern medicine.
• The overwhelming sense of passion for clinical research was palpable amongst SACRA attendees.

We at BioInformatiCo share this passion, which will propel us forward in our collective journey towards Accelerating Medical Discovery .

View the conference details here:

https://www.sacraza.com/event-details/sacra-conference-converge-for-africa

• South African HIV Statistics https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9265818/
• UNICEF Statistic on Diabetes in South Africa https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/my-body-my-health-my-wealth
• FDA Guidelines https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/diversity-plans-improve-enrollment-participants-underrepresented-racial-and-ethnic-populations

Rachel Edelstein

Related resources.

Why we love working with engineers at BioinformatiCo 

Why Contract Research Organisations (CROs) have improved study timelines and outcomes 

Our Pioneering Journey in Clinical Data Management: The UBUNTU Study

We are a trusted and responsive clinical and laboratory biometrics partner, offering a range of data management, analytics and other related services. We give funders, sponsors and clinical researchers the data confidence needed to advance medical discoveries.

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• Adapt Office Suites, 3 Gwen Lane
Sandton, Johannesburg South Africa
• [email protected]
• +27 10 500 7546

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Advancing Clinical Research and Clinical Trial Standards in Southern Africa

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Don't Miss Out On Our Night Of Glamour: 19 November.

Services on Demand

Related links, samj: south african medical journal, on-line version  issn 2078-5135 print version  issn 0256-9574, samj, s. afr. med. j. vol.100 n.7 pretoria jul. 2010.

CORRESPONDENCE

Clinical trials in South Africa: need for capacity building and training

To the Editor: The Lancet recently highlighted the importance of prioritising clinical research in South Africa. 1 However, public hospitals do not encourage young medical professionals into clinical research. A plan to revitalise clinical research in South Africa is urgently needed. 2

The focus of research and development (R&D) in South Africa is clinical trials. 3 The South African Clinical Research Association (SACRA) estimates that in 2008 approximately R2.2 billion was generated through conducting internationally sponsored RCTs. 4 This figure was limited by local regulatory approval times and insufficient suitable research sites. The Medicines Control Council (MCC) has recently made significant strides in reducing approval times. The deficiency in suitable trial sites must be addressed specifically by increasing capacity.

International sponsors have favoured South Africa for research as the population is genetically and socio-economically diverse, relatively drug-naïve and in need of safe and effective therapies for a broad range of diseases. 5 Moreover, South Africa has a sound regulatory framework and efficient telecommunications, stipulates mandatory good clinical practice (GCP) training with 3 yearly updates, and is widely English-speaking.

The future of clinical trials depends on many factors, including recruitment efficiency and quality data. Despite recent growth in the industry, clinical research is not recognised as a speciality with formalised training (other than GCP), and proven expertise and competence is not assessed. 6 Training programmes and certification processes must be standardised, with a core curriculum and reliable accreditation. Such training would improve investor and patient confidence and promote the generation of quality data. An increase in the number of trial sites would also increase patient recruitment potential and contribute towards capacity building. Such training is neither easily defined nor easily accessible. Internationally, a Masters in Public Health is regarded as the traditional degree for clinicians interested in research. International associations offering investigator certification programmes include the American Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA) and the Drug Information Association (DIA); 7,8 however, a minimal number of researchers obtain such certification.

Recently, several foreign universities have been offering master's degrees in clinical research, and the Royal Colleges of Physicians' Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine offers a Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine. In South Africa, numerous GCP courses are offered 9 and specific clinical trial-related courses are slowly emerging. The Health Science Academy offers a course entitled Introduction to Clinical Research and another in Project Management for Clinical Trials. The Wits Health Consortium recently launched a quality control course for research sites; future courses include Starting Up a Research Site. Stellenbosch University offers a post-graduate Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine.

Clinical research is finally starting to receive the recognition it deserves. For the industry to be regarded with academic credibility, we must generate original research in peer-reviewed journals. Editors have previously not been amenable to publishing work of this nature, but there is gradual progress in this area. Additionally, we need to focus on capacity-building conferences where we can share information with colleagues in the industry.

For clinical trials to grow, standardised training and accredited certification processes must be implemented, which would foster sponsor investment, promote patient confidence and, above all, ensure rigorous data quality and integrity - the cornerstone of the research industry.

L J Burgess N U Sulzer TREAD Research/Cardiology Unit Department of Internal Medicine Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University, W Cape [email protected]

1. Lawn JE, Kinney MV. Health in South Africa: Executive Summary of the Series. Lancet 2009; 347: 2-6.         [  Links  ]

2. Gevers W. Clinical research in South Africa: a core asset under pressure. Lancet 2009; 347: 760-762.         [  Links  ]

3. Kahn M, Gastrow M. Pharmacologically active: clinical trials and the pharmaceutical industry. S Afr Med J 2008; 98(2): 114-116.         [  Links  ]

4. Richardson M-A. Focus on Africa. African Clinical Research Organisation (ACRO) Online November 2009. www.acro.co.za (accessed 17 December 2009).         [  Links  ]

5. South African Department of Health. Guidelines for Good Practice in the Conduct of Clinical Trials with Human Participants in South Africa . 2nd ed. Pretoria: Department of Health, 2006.         [  Links  ]

6. Burgess LJ, Sulzer NU. GCP accreditation - a worthwhile investment? S Afr Med J 2006; 96(3): 161-162.         [  Links  ]

7. Hartnett T. Investigator certification: A pivotal role in assuring trial quality. Clin Res 2003; 3(8): 11-16.         [  Links  ]

8. Arant T, Soo Bang, MS, Boepple P, et al . Advancing your clinical research career through educational opportunities. The Monitor 2007; September: 19-23.         [  Links  ]

9. Emanuel S, Sulzer NU, Burgess LJ. A step-by-step guide to establishing a cardiology research unit. SA Heart 2004; June: 8-15.         [  Links  ]

South Africa Profile Updated

The South Africa profile in ClinRegs has been reviewed for accuracy and updated with the following information:

• Updated SAHPRA contact information (See Regulatory Authority )
• Updated application to conduct a clinical trial and updated application for a protocol amendment to an approved clinical trial (See Submission Process and Submission Content )
• Ethics committee (EC) guidance related to the National Health Research Ethics Council (NHREC), the application to register an EC, and the annual report form for ECs registered with the NHREC (See Authorizing Body )
• Updated guidance on electronic submission of clinical trial documents (See Submission Process and Safety Reporting )
• New guidance on how to apply for a license to manufacture, import, and/or export investigational products (See Manufacturing & Import )
• Updated information on supplementary documents to be included with an application for a license to manufacture or import an investigational product (See Manufacturing & Import )
• Updated SAHPRA compensation guidance (See Compensation )

Sources Added During this Update :

(Guidance) Guideline for Release of Import Health Products at Ports of Entry ( G-ImprtPorts ) (Version 2) (June 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Guidance) Guideline on How to Apply for a License to Manufacture, Import, and/or Export Medicines and Scheduled Substances ( G-ManuImpExp ) (Version 3) (June 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Form) Annual Report Form for Human Research Ethics Committees Registered with the National Health Research Ethics Council ( ZAF-54 ) (Version 2.21) (May 13, 2021) National Health Research Ethics Council

(Form) Application to Register a Human Research Ethics Committee ( ZAF-53 ) (Version 2.21) (May 13, 2021) National Health Research Ethics Council

(Form) License Application to Manufacture, Import, or Export (HCR) Medicines and Scheduled Substances Including Contract Testing Laboratories ( ZAF-55 ) (Effective August 26, 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Webpage) Clinical Trials Ethics in South Africa ( ZAF-51 ) (Current as of September 26, 2022) South African Clinical Research Association

(Webpage) National Health Research Ethics Council ( ZAF-52 ) (Current as of September 26, 2022) Department of Health

Sources Revised During this Update :

(Guidance) Application to Conduct a Clinical Trial - Guidance in Conditions of a Public Health Emergency ( G-CTAPHEmerg ) (Version 2) (Effective June 1, 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Guidance) Clinical Guideline ( G-Clin ) (Version 3) (August 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Guidance) Guideline for Clinical Trial Participant Time, Inconvenience & Expense (TIE) Compensation Model ( G-TIECompensation ) (Version 2) (Effective August 1, 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Guidance) Electronic Submission of Clinical Trial Documents ( G-CTA-Electronic ) (Version 3) (September 5, 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Guidance) Emergency Procedures for Clinical Trial Sites ( G-EmergencyProc ) (Version 3) (August 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Guidance) Good Pharmacy Practice in South Africa ( SA-GPPs ) (2018) South African Pharmacy Council

(Guidance) Liability Insurance for Clinical Trials ( G-Insurance ) (Version 3) (August 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Guidance) Oversight and Monitoring in Clinical Trials ( G-Monitor ) (Version 4) (August 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Guidance) Guideline for Post Clinical Trial Access (PTA)/Continued Access ( G-PostCTAccess ) (Version 4) (August 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Guidance) Guideline for the Procedure of Consultation Meetings with Clinical Trial Applicants ( G-ConsultMtg ) (Version 2) (August 3, 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Form) Application for Additional Investigator(s) or Change of Investigator(s) and Application for Additional Sites ( ZAF-21 ) (Version 4) (GLF-CEM-CT-01D) (September 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Form) Application for Protocol Amendment to Approved Trial ( ZAF-20 ) (Version 4) (GLF-CEM-CT-01C) (September 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Form) Application to Conduct a Clinical Trial ( ZAF-23 ) (Version 7) (GLF-CEM-CT-01A) (June 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Form) Biomedical Research Ethics Committee Application Form ( ZAF-24 ) (Version 2) (2017) Biomedical Research Ethics Committee, University of Kwazulu-Natal

(Form) Notification Studies: Phase IV ( ZAF-17 ) (Version 4) (Effective September 5, 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

(Form) Research Ethics Committee Application Form ( ZAF-22 ) (Version 3) (January 2022) Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), South Africa

(Form) Six Monthly Progress Report Form for Clinical Trials ( ZAF-18 ) (Version 4) (June 2022) South African Health Products Regulatory Authority

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Why is there a paucity of clinical trials in Africa?

S d taylor-robinson.

1 Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, St Mary’s Hospital Campus, London W2 1NY, UK

C W Spearman

2 Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa

A A A Suliman

3 Department of Medicine, University of Khartoum, PO Box: 2850, Khartoum, Sudan

Disproportionately few clinical trials are undertaken on the African continent, in part due to lingering neocolonial attitudes in the Global North which keep research activity primarily in developing countries, while being skeptical of the abilities of those in the Global South to undertake organized clinical studies. In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, applicable research and clinical trials should be undertaken in relevant populations in order to extrapolate to a population level. This is all the more important in Africa, which has a rich genetic diversity. We suggest that a lack of organized research ethics committees across the continent and a deficiency of appropriate training are responsible in part for the reluctance of clinical trial organizers in the developed countries of the Global North to engage with medical leadership in Africa. We consider ways of alleviating this problem, including suggesting a pan-continental surveillance of ethics committee agendas and of training, either through the auspices of the African Union or the World Health Organization. In addition, medical leadership in African nations must be encouraged to take ownership of their medical ethics agendas to facilitate decent international clinical trial participation for the good of the continent as a whole.

We should like to discuss some of the reasons why international randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are not often conducted in Africa, outside South Africa or Egypt, despite the fact that Africa as a continent remains a major marketplace for medicines and medical devices from Big Pharma and from medical device companies from the Global North. In an era of globalization, it could be assumed that research, and particularly clinical trials, might be conducted equally around the world for the benefit of the international community, but a recent assessment of clinical trials on clinicaltrials.gov would suggest that of over 2.74 million studies, barely 7000 were conducted in Africa. 1 This has been brought into focus in the COVID-19 pandemic, where out of 157 clinical trials worldwide, only three are or have been conducted in Africa (in this case, Egypt). 2 However, without adequate representation in RCTs, trial findings cannot easily be extrapolated to large populations in Africa, given the continent’s rich genetic diversity.

Although the colonial period has long since disappeared in Africa, what can be called neocolonialism still affects the social, political and economic standing of those living between Cairo and the Cape nowadays. The previous relationship of the colonial powers in the Global North to the ex-colonized nations of Africa has continued well beyond the colonial period, owing to sustained cultural and economic influence. 3

Clinical trials that have been designed by medical researchers or Big Pharma in the Global North to be undertaken in Africa have until recently, frequently shown a paucity of ethical oversight. The expansion of research in African countries is frequently seen as a promising way of alleviating economic disparity and a means of addressing local health problems, but the applicability of some clinical trial designs to Africa has been at best tenuous. While it can be argued that participation in international RCTs brings about global medical benefit, it may be difficult to justify the ultimate societal value when the study objectives are not pressing health concerns to the developing nations of Africa. Glickman and colleagues 4 observed that many of the US-funded Phase III clinical trials in the Global South were for culturally irrelevant complaints, such as allergic rhinitis or overactive bladder, rather than pertinent health problems to the continent, such as malaria, TB and African neglected tropical diseases.

The issue of translating research outcome to clinical practice is complicated in Africa by poor infrastructure, lack of adequate human healthcare resources and a scarcity of research funding. Adequate planning must occur in study design and the applicability of research interventions should be paramount, thus placing more weight on conditions relevant to Africa, such as malnutrition, infectious diseases, genetic problems such as sickle cell diseases, non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular problems, hypertension and diabetes, and cultural malpractices, which have associated morbidity and mortality.

Given the marked rise in prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Africa, such as coronary heart disease, participation of African centers in international Phase III RCTs of medications and medically related devices is particularly important. 5 This is highlighted by the fact that African genetic differences can mean that responses to medications such as antihypertensives may be different in the continent, compared to those of participants from the Global North. 6 Furthermore, in the presence of a global pandemic, COVID-19 clinical trials of medicines and medical devices should also be undertaken in African countries to assess applicability of treatments and vaccine regimes to the continent. 2

One of the issues that holds back African participation in clinical trials is the widespread presence of poorly structured ethical review committees in Africa, where the constituent members are either inadequately trained or non-independent. An assessment of research ethics committees in 33 African countries revealed that more than half of these were formed after the year 2000. 7 The study also highlighted that only a third of the ethics committees included individuals who had knowledge or training in medical ethics, and the study also found that most of those committees did not provide continued training for serving committee members. 7 In a different case study that looked at the composition of 12 African ethics committees, deep-seated problems with regularly timed meetings, committee member training, incompetent administration and financial transparency were highlighted. 8

Solutions that address current Global North exclusion of many African research centers in RCT participation require an ethical system that is relevant to African countries, but equal to those of the developed world. Resolving North–South medical relationships in Africa requires each African country to adopt sensible medical leadership. We believe that the African Union (AU), the World Health Organization (WHO) or the World Health Assembly may need to provide initial guidance in setting up transparent and independent stewardship of clinical trials throughout the continent.

The major question of funding and of research training is not easy to surmount, even with international aid or sponsorship from Big Pharma. However, the need for African academic centers to build capacity in order to conduct reliable international RCTs could also be resolved through AU or WHO oversight. We have previously proposed the creation of an international RCT review board under the auspices of the WHO, perhaps in Addis Ababa, where independent representatives from a pan-continental African ethical body should attend to deter unethical trials from being approved and grant permission for those RCTs of continental importance (such as may be required in the COVID-19 pandemic). 9 Although this is a counsel of perfection, WHO or AU surveillance may smooth the progress of international RCTs in the continent and this would not be difficult to set up, given the number of related pan-African meetings that take place in the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa regularly. This approach should enhance the quality of research performed in Africa and negate worries in the Global North about the scientific interrelationships with Africa.

In conclusion, the de facto medical rift between the pharmaceutical bodies in the Global North and African countries is grounded in social and political factors that mirror neocolonial and postcolonial prejudices. However, we have highlighted some important areas that can be addressed to encourage ethical standards and future, more widespread international Phase III RCT involvement in Africa. Solutions dictate a wide international input, ranging from the WHO and AU to Big Pharma. Equally well, medical leadership in African nations must be encouraged to take ownership of their individual medical ethics agendas. We are hopeful that with a determined approach to this problem, strained North–South medical relationships can be resolved in Africa through true partnership, with decent RCT participation for the good of the continent as a whole.

Acknowledgments

S.D.T.-R. is grateful to the UK National Institute for Healthcare Research (NIHR) Biomedical Facility at Imperial College London for infrastructure support and to the Wellcome Institutional Strategic Support Fund at Imperial College for fostering research collaborations.

Conflict of interest . None declared.

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SAMRC Clinician Researcher Programme

The SAMRC’s Division of Research Capacity Development (RCD) invites applications from eligible South African citizen or permanent resident health professionals who hold an MBChB or BDS qualification to apply for PhD scholarship funding under the SAMRC Clinician Researcher Programme. The aim of the SAMRC Clinician Researcher Programme is to increase the number of clinician-scientists in South Africa who possess a PhD and have the capability to conduct high-impact research and occupy leadership positions in the South African academic, clinical, and research sectors. The full time PhD scholarships will only be awarded to candidates with a degree in medicine (MBChB) or dentistry (BDS).

The 2023 SAMRC Clinician Researcher Programme (CRP) Request for Applications (RFA)

This funding opportunity is aimed at individuals who are already enrolled for PhD studies. The overarching goal of the SAMRC  in this programme is to increase racial diversity and gender balance in the pipeline of clinician-scientists. As such, we encourage participation from underrepresented groups.

Requirements for application

• Must be a South African citizen or permanent resident.  
• Must have an officially approved PhD research proposal.
• Must be registered as a full-time PhD student at a South African university.
• Must provide written commitment of participation by an experienced research supervisor who is willing to train the student for the entire duration of the degree.
• The research supervisor must have research funding for the project and appropriate facilities for the scholar to effectively conduct the PhD research project.

Scholarship Conditions

• Scholarship holders are expected to spend at least 90% of their time conducting research towards their PhD.
• Teaching and clinical activities may not take up more than 10% of the time of the scholar.
• Scholarship holders may not receive, concurrently with this scholarship, other bursaries, grants, or remuneration which bind them to enter the service of any organization without prior agreement of the SAMRC.
• Candidates may not hold a bursary from more than one South African Government or statutory entity at any given time.
• Scholarship holders may not receive, concurrently with this scholarship, other non-binding remuneration/fellowships and grants without prior agreement of the SAMRC.
• Scholarship holders may not, without seeking approval from the SAMRC, register at a university other than that through which the application has been submitted.
• Once the scholarship has been awarded, the scholarship holder may not change his/her supervisor or research project without informing the SAMRC.
• Scholar will be expected to submit six-monthly progress reports endorsed by the supervisor.
• Application for renewal of funding will be considered on an annual basis, and success thereof will be subject to satisfactory progress being made.
• Successful applicants will be required to enter into an agreement with the SAMRC to complete their studies within the specified period.

Application Process

Application steps 1 to 3 below must be completed.

• Step 1 - Complete the  online application  before or by  15 August 2023, 23:59 ( Extended to 29 August 2023, 23:59 ) .
• Step 2- Complete the application form PhD Scholarships for Clinician-Scientists Request for Applications
• Step 3- E-mail the required supporting documents together with the application form from step 2 in a single pdf file to the dedicated e-mail address:  [email protected]  on or before  15 August 2023, 23:59 ( Extended to 29 August 2023, 23:59 )

The South African Medical Research Council reserves the right to disqualify ineligible, incomplete and/or inappropriate applications, change the conditions of the award, extend the closing date, or make no awards at all. Please note that only successful candidates will be contacted after completion of the review, selection, and approval processes. Should you not hear from the SAMRC by 30 October 2023, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

For enquiries contact Dr Lindokuhle Ndlandla at [email protected] / Tel. 021 938 0442.

Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) As of the 1st of July 2021, the new Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) came into full effect. The law is designed to protect how all juristic persons use, store and process data. You can read the full details on the act here:  https://popia.co.za/ .

The SAMRC as a responsible statutory science council complies with POPIA. The SAMRC will receive personal information through applications submitted to the SAMRC for the purposes of applying for funding. The personal information requested on the application template is necessary for the SAMRC to fully evaluate the applications for funding. This information will be shared with members of Scholarship Selection Committees of the SAMRC and external funders and/or stakeholders, where applicable, as well as the SAMRC management for the purposes of processing the applications. The SAMRC will process this personal information strictly in accordance with POPIA. The SAMRC undertakes specifically to process the personal information on the basis that (a) it was provided voluntarily, and (b) the information will be processed only as far may be necessary and within the limitation and ambit of the purpose of evaluating the application for funding (i.e., the purpose with which the personal information was received). The SAMRC confirms that it is lawfully processing the information since the purpose of processing is to seek quality applications for funding which the SAMRC is mandated to do in terms of Section 4 of the SAMRC Act 58 of 1991, thus the SAMRC is fulfilling its legislated and lawful mandate, and strategic objectives as provided for in the SAMRC Act.