SAMRC Offers Up to R6 Million for South African Health Systems Research

SAMRC Health Systems Research funding is available through call SAMRC-RFA-GIPD-04-2026 under the National Health Research Enterprise programme. Eligible research teams may request up to R2 million a year for three years, with a maximum total of R6 million.

SAMRC Health Systems Research funding: overview and benefits

This is institutional research funding for eligible health-systems projects, rather than a personal scholarship or general small-business grant. The maximum is a ceiling: proposed budgets should reflect the costs needed to carry out the research. Applications must satisfy the call’s scientific, institutional and research-scope requirements.

Eligibility and requirements

• The principal investigator must be a South African citizen or permanent resident employed by an eligible South African institution.
• Eligible hosts include public universities, public research entities, science councils, national facilities and recognised institutions whose main purpose includes research and postgraduate training.
• PhD or medical qualifications apply. The published FAQ permits early-career and postdoctoral researchers with at least five years of post-PhD research experience, subject to the other criteria.
• The research must address the health-systems priorities in the full call. Private companies and organisations without the required research/training purpose cannot apply as lead institutions.

Documents to prepare

Prepare the online application, merged CVs of the principal investigator and co-investigators, the detailed proposal in the prescribed SAMRC template, and the budget in the prescribed template in rand. The proposal must include the required institutional authorisation. Allow for any earlier internal sign-off deadline.

How to apply

• Read the full request for applications linked from the official SAMRC page.
• Confirm investigator eligibility, institutional eligibility and alignment with the research priorities.
• Prepare the proposal and budget using the official templates and obtain institutional approval.
• Submit through the specific REDCap application below. Applications sent by email are not accepted.

Read the official announcement.

Application deadline

The deadline is 16 October 2026 at 23:59 SAST, which is also 23:59 in Harare. All supporting documents must be submitted by the deadline. Late, incomplete or unsigned applications are not accepted.

Frequently asked questions

Is R6 million available every year?

No. The ceiling is R2 million annually and R6 million across a maximum of three years.

Can I email my proposal?

No. Use the designated online application.

Is this open to any organisation?

No. Both investigator and host-institution eligibility must be met.

SAMRC Health Systems Research funding: practical application preparation

The following practical advice can help you organise your SAMRC Health Systems Research funding application. It is separate from the provider’s formal eligibility rules.

Before drafting the full proposal, confirm the lead institution’s eligibility with the appropriate research or grants office. A project can have an appealing topic but still be unsuitable if the institution cannot meet the call’s requirements. Establish who is responsible for the proposal, budget, supporting CVs and institutional signature so that an administrative omission does not undermine a completed research plan.

Build the budget from the work proposed rather than treating the maximum award as a target that must be reached. Explain the relationship between activities, timing and requested costs. Use the prescribed template and check the full call for allowable expenses. This is practical preparation advice; it does not replace SAMRC’s financial rules or an institution’s own grants-management procedures.

The proposal should make the connection between the research question and the call’s priorities clear. Review whether the planned methods, project timetable and team expertise are consistent with the work described. Do not add unsupported impact claims or imply that funding is assured. Where approvals or institutional processes are relevant, describe their actual status accurately rather than presenting pending steps as completed.

Plan the final submission around the institution’s internal approval process as well as the public deadline. Someone authorised to sign may require review time before the application can be submitted. Check that the uploaded proposal is the signed version, that the budget matches it and that the merged CV file contains the intended people. Retain any acknowledgement from REDCap and a copy of the exact documents submitted.

Before you submit

Compare your application with the official requirements before sending it. Check your contact details, make sure each attachment opens correctly, and keep a copy of your submission. Reign Gigs shares opportunity information; applications and selection are handled by the organisation responsible for this opportunity.

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