19-20 August 2017

Funding opportunities for South Africans Yolande Harley Research methods workshop Mthatha

“the health and well-being of most South Africans remain plagued by a relentless burden of infectious and noncommunicable diseases, persisting social disparities, and inadequate human resources to

provide care for a growing population”

Mayosi & Benatar, NEJM 2014

Health research: scope Proportional representation of subject areas in Africa (2011-2015)

Health research: scope Proportional representation of subject areas in Africa within ‘Medicine’ (2011-2015)

Health research: growth Growth in publication output 1996-2015 in Africa

Health research: growth Growth in publication output 1996-2015 worldwide

Health research: growth Growth in publication output 1996-2015 in South Africa

Health research: citation impact Change in Field-Weighted Citation Index within ‘Medicine’

Health research: excellence & relevance

•  Excellent globally, relevant locally •  Awareness of landscape: see the bigger picture – zoom out/in •  Finding niche •  Entrepreneurial approach to funding •  Never to early to start bringing in your own funding

Academic research entrepreneurship

•  Scientific research relies heavily on ‘soft’ funding •  There are insufficient scientific posts for all who wish to be

researchers (esp. research leaders) •  Finding funding is an integral part of the role •  We do not prepare early-career researchers well enough for

this

Academic research entrepreneurship

Funding: seeing the bigger picture

•  What is needed to do the research? •  Can you conduct it on your own? •  Who should you collaborate with? •  What are the relevant funding schemes? •  What is the contemporary funding situation like?

Funding: seeing the bigger picture

What is needed to do the research?

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Funding: seeing the bigger picture •  Funding would ideally include

•  researchers applying for own fellowships •  significant core support grant(s) •  strategic group/collaborative projects

•  Consider the gaps in your funding •  Avoid dependency on any one funder •  Take advantage of contemporary situation

Funding •  Practically:

•  Learn the schemes of major funders – and their timelines •  Subscribe to funding alerts •  As soon as you have a grant start looking for the next •  Apply for your own fellowships, but also co-apply on

project grants •  Do not wait for somebody else to find the funding (esp.

future research leaders) – build your own capacity

Funders •  Institutional •  Government, local/foreign

•  Country specific differences •  Charitable and NGOs (foundations, trusts) •  Industry •  Partnership initiatives

www.researchsupport.uct.ac.za/funding-0

National funding •  SA National Research Foundation (NRF)

•  www.nrf.ac.za/funding •  www.nrf.ac.za/bursaries/calls

•  SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC) •  www.mrc.ac.za/funding/rfa.htm •  www.mrc.ac.za/researchdevelopment/opportunity.htm

•  Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) •  www.cansa.org.za/category/recent-posts/cancer-

research/research-funding-and-grants/ •  Poliomyelitis Research Foundation (PRF)

•  www.prf.ac.za/how-to-apply/grant-information/ •  Technology Innovation Agency (TIA)

•  www.tia.org.za/funding

International funding •  European Commission research & innovation

•  ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/home.html

•  [European–South Africa Science and Technology Advancement Programme (ESASTAP)

•  www.esastap.org.za/funding/sa.php] •  The European & Developing Countries in Clinical Trials

Partnership (EDCTP) •  www.edctp.org/funding-opportunities/calls/

•  TDR •  www.who.int/tdr/grants/en/

International funding •  National Institutes of Health (NIH); and Fogarty

•  www.nih.gov/grants-funding •  www.fic.nih.gov/FUNDING/pages/fogarty-funding-

opps.aspx •  Wellcome

•  wellcome.ac.uk/funding •  Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

•  gcgh.grandchallenges.org/grant-opportunities •  Newton Fund

•  www.newtonfund.ac.uk/funding/funding-opportunities/ •  UK MRC

•  www.mrc.ac.uk/

Types of grants

•  Fellowships / investigator grants •  Seed grants •  Project grants •  Programme grants •  Training grants •  Travel / meeting grants •  Public engagement grants •  Infrastructure grants •  Technology development grants

Personal funding schemes (e.g. fellowships) •  Institutional schemes •  National

•  SA MRC •  SA NRF •  Poliomyelitis Research

Foundation •  Discovery Foundation •  Hamilton Naki Clinical

Scholarship

•  International •  UK MRC •  Wellcome Trust •  EDCTP •  NIH (K43) •  AXA •  Newton Fund

National Research Foundation •  Broad investment areas

•  Next generation •  Emerging researchers (incl. Thuthuka programme) •  Established researchers •  Strategic investments

www.nrf.ac.za/funding

SA Medical Research Council •  Some annual calls, e.g.

•  SAMRC Self-initiated Research Grants •  National and International Conferences

•  Some irregular, e.g. •  SAMRC Extramural Research Units •  Strategic Health Innovation Partnerships (SHIP)

•  Scholarships and Grants

SAMRC Self-initiated Research Grants •  To support original research initiated by a researcher at a

recognised research institution in selected areas of health •  Focus of 2017 call is early-career scientists; but mid-level &

established researchers can apply, provided clear focus on capacity building

•  Up to R200 000 / yr for max 3 yrs •  SAMRC deadline: 25 Aug 2017 •  An institutional deadline will apply (require institutional support) •  Online submission (you need to register on system) •  www.mrc.ac.za/funding/university.htm

Calls targeted at health professionals •  SAMRC Clinician Researcher Programme

•  For medical/dental graduates for doctoral study; 1-4 yrs •  SAMRC National Health Scholars Programme

•  For health professionals (e.g. clinical psychologists, nurses, registrars) for doctoral study; 1-4 yrs

•  Discovery Foundation Academic Fellowships •  For registrars or recently qualified specialists for

postgraduate research (masters or doctoral) •  Must work in SA public sector for min 2 yrs after

•  Hamilton Naki Clinical Scholarship (Netcare) •  For clinical specialists or subspecialists for doctoral or

postdoctoral research •  Must work in SA for min 3 yrs after

Finding niche in the landscape

•  Study the health research landscape •  Find your niche •  Learn to source funding •  No matter the size, keep it excellent, keep it relevant

Thank you

yolande.harley@uct.ac.za