SAMRC Scientific Merit Awards
SAMRC Scientific Merit Awards – Call for Nominations now closed |
Through these prestigious awards the SAMRC aims to acknowledge outstanding contributions to health research, recognise individuals who have demonstrated exceptional scientific acumen or made innovative strides in addressing public health challenges, potentially influencing policy and thereby enhancing the well-being of the South African population.
The South African Medical Research Council strongly supports excellence in health research and has established a set of Scientific Merit Awards to recognise world-class science. The Awards are open to South African citizens and Permanent Residents who meet the award criteria and are eligible to be nominated.
The Main Award Categories are as follows:
- Platinum Lifetime Scientific Achievement Award
- Gold Scientific Excellence Award
- Silver Scientific Achievement Award
- Bronze Scientific Achievement Award
- Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award
Special Awards
The SAMRC President, the SAMRC Vice President and/or the SAMRC Awards Selection Committee may make Special Awards to recognise exceptional achievements and contributions to South African health research or the support of health research. One example is the SAMRC President’s Award for Exceptional Contributions to Health Research, which is made at the discretion of the SAMRC President.
Special Gold Awards
In addition to the Gold Awards to honour scientists who are South African citizens and Permanent Residents, the Awards Selection Committee may award Special Gold Awards to the following scientists who meet the criteria for the Gold Award:
- An African scientist (from any country in Africa other than South Africa) who has significant collaborations with South African scientists and who has made significant contributions to health research in South Africa and on the Continent.
- An international scientist (from anywhere in the world other than Africa) who has significant collaborations with South African scientists and who has made significant contributions to health research in South Africa and on the Continent.
The Platinum Award is for outstanding, accomplished scientists who have raised the profile of South African science and helped build the foundations of health research in the country for future generations. They should be scientists who have made seminal scientific contributions and who have also made an impact on local and/or global health and/or health policy and/or clinical practice that impact on the health of people, especially those living in developing countries. Up to two Platinum Awards may be awarded each year.
Criteria for the Platinum Award:
- At least one exceptional scientific accomplishment, breakthrough or contribution to research which is acknowledged at national and international level.
- Meritorious contributions to enhancing the prestige of South African health research and/or extending health knowledge.
- At least 100 scientific papers published in leading journals, receiving high citation rates (>500-1000 citations) over the course of a lifetime in health research.
- Serve on national and international panels, advisory groups and working groups in their field of research.
- Recipient of other prestigious awards and commendations that recognize scientific achievement.
The Gold Award is for established senior scientists who have made seminal scientific contributions that have impacted the health of people, especially those living in developing countries. Up to four Gold Awards may be awarded each year.
Criteria for the Gold Award:
- A recent exceptional accomplishment, breakthrough, or contribution to health research (within the last 5 years) which is acknowledged at international level.
- This accomplishment/breakthrough/contribution can take the form of a patent/products/ software or publication in a leading and highly cited journal (a single or a set of related publications with >250 citations). This meritorious contribution must have clearly enhanced the prestige of South African health research and extended health knowledge.
- Demonstrated impact of the research contribution on health in South Africa or globally.
- Independently sourced grant funding for their research work.
The Silver Award is for early/mid-career scientists from either a MBBCh/MBChB background or from a PhD background. To qualify they must hold a PhD/MMed or equivalent in the case of clinicians e.g., FCP. The award is for important scientific contributions made within 10 years of receiving their PhD/MMed or equivalent qualification. Up to four Silver Awards for Scientific Achievement may be awarded each year.
Criteria for the Silver Award:
- Demonstrated scientific contributions that impact on the health of people, especially those living in developing countries.
- Acknowledgements at national and international level for meritorious scientific contributions and/or extending health knowledge.
- Publication(s) in a leading journal or have highly cited publications (> 100 citations).
- Independently sourced grant funding for their research work.
The Bronze Award is for emerging scientists who have between 5 to 10 years post-PhD experience. The award is not tied to chronological age but scientists should preferably be under 50 years of age.
Criteria for the Bronze Award:
- Leadership: Demonstrated potential to become an established scientist, with distinct and evident scientific and leadership potential.
- Capacity Development: Graduated Masters students and must be supervising (or have already graduated) PhD students.
- Grant writing: Independently sourced grant funding for their research work in the past 5 years.
- Transformation: Demonstrated commitment to transformation by either conducting their research in a historically disadvantaged and/or under-resourced institutions or being involved in capacity development initiatives in a historically disadvantaged and/or under-resourced institutions.
The Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award is for established scientists who have made substantial contributions to capacity building and transformation in health research in South Africa.
Special emphasis will be placed on the promotion of doctoral degrees (PhD) and student race and gender diversity in the health sciences; capacity development activities of emerging and early career scientists; research workforce development; and the contribution to promoting capacity development at historically disadvantaged and/or under-resourced institutions.
The Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award is not restricted to scientists based at historically disadvantaged and/or under-resourced institutions and any scientist who meets the criteria may be nominated in this category.
Criteria for the Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award:
- Demonstrated scientific contributions that impact on the health of people, especially those living in the underdeveloped regions of South Africa.
- Supervision and graduation of PhD and Masters students, including designated groups, who are South African citizens/SA Permanent Residents; and demonstrate continued mentorship of the students through publications.
- Mentorship of emerging and early career scientists through outputs and achievements, for example, joint publications, placements and trainings.
- Mentorship of emerging and early career scientists to develop their capacity to generate grants.
- Demonstrated contributions to research workforce development of research managers, research assistants and other research support staff mentored by the nominee.
- Demonstrated contributions to the transformation efforts of the SAMRC either by conducting their research at an historically disadvantaged and/or under-resourced institutions or being involved in capacity development initiatives at historically disadvantaged and/or under-resourced institutions.
- Nominated candidates will only be considered if a completed nomination form is submitted by the stipulated deadline.
- The nominee and nominator will be required to jointly submit a signed nomination form.
- Incomplete and inaccurate nomination forms will not be considered.
- The following individuals are not eligible to be nominated for an award –
- Members of the Award Selection Committee
- Members of the current SAMRC Board
- The serving SAMRC President and SAMRC Vice President
- Immediate family members of (a) to (c) i.e., parents, spouses & children
- The following individuals may not nominate someone for an award –
- Members of the Awards Selection Committee
- Members of the current SAMRC Board
- The serving SAMRC President and SAMRC Vice President
- Immediate family members of (a) to (c) i.e., parents, spouse and children
- The selection process is conducted by the SAMRC Awards Selection Committee, which includes the SAMRC President, a Board member, the Vice-President, one past recipient of an SAMRC Award, and a well-established senior scientist who is not employed by the SAMRC.
- The deliberations of the Awards Selection Committee are confidential. Award recipients are selected at the discretion of the Committee, taking into consideration both quantitative and qualitative measures.
- The Awards Selection Committee may decide to make an award that is different to that requested on the nomination form e.g. a nominee for the Gold Award may be re-assigned to the silver or platinum category.
- The Awards Selection Committee may decide not to make an award in any specific category, or not to award in all the listed categories if there are insufficient suitable candidates.
- The outcome of the selection process will be communicated to all successful nominees and their nominators.
- The formal announcement will be made at the annual SAMRC Awards function and until such time the outcome of the selection process is to remain confidential. A press release will be issued following the Awards function and thereafter the list of Award recipients will be published on the SAMRC website.
- A nomination can be regarded as unsuccessful if notification of the outcome of the selection process is not received from the SAMRC within three months of the nomination closing date.
- Awards in the Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum categories will include a trophy, certificate, and a cash prize:
- R10 000 for Bronze
- R15 000 for Silver
- R15 000 for Research Capacity Development and Transformation
- R30 000 for Gold
- R50 000 for Platinum
- Cash prizes are made to the primary institution/organisation that the Award recipient is affiliated with.
- Awards in other special categories will include a trophy, a certificate and a cash prize at the discretion of the SAMRC Board.
- Awards in other special categories will include a trophy, a certificate and a cash award at the discretion of the Board.
- Awards are progressive, with the Platinum Lifetime Achievement Award being the highest and final SAMRC Award.
- A recipient of an Award other than the Platinum Award may be nominated in a higher Award category after a minimum period of 3 years after receiving an Award in any lower category.
- The 3-year restriction does not apply in the case of a previous recipient of a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze Award to be nominated for the Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award.
- Recipients of a SAMRC Lifetime Achievement Award prior to 2013 are not eligible for consideration in any of the current Award categories.