Page 11 - SAMRC Annual Report 2023-24

GENERAL INFORMATION

years, from 2019/20 to 2023/24, with a matched last quarter of 2024. The focus of the programme is
R45 million per annum contribution from the on translational research that integrates laboratory-
SAMRC and is currently supporting 18 awards. based research, clinical research, and population-
Phase 2 of the programme included the original based research, with the long-term objective of
scientific areas of interest but was expanded to improving scientific understanding of, and providing
include sexually transmitted infections, parasitic solutions for, the unique attributes of NCDs, co-and
infections, arboviruses and emerging/re-emerging multi-morbidities involving both infectious diseases
viral pathogens, vector biology and control, and and NCDs, and One Health in African populations.
the impact of alcohol use on HIV/AIDS. It also
encouraged collaboration with underrepresented Partnership with ANRS on
groups of scientists and historically disadvantaged Tuberculosis Research
institutions in South Africa, and scientists in Kenya, A further exciting new partnership approved in
Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. 2023/24 is one with the ANRS-MIE (Agence Nationale

As a result of the success of the first 2 programmes, du Recherche du SIDA, Maladies Infectieuses
the SAMRC and the NIH concluded an agreement in Emergentes) in France on TB research. ANRS is the
2023/24 for a third phase of the programme starting principal French Government Infectious Diseases
in 2024/25. The SAMRC will contribute US $1M per Research Agency and is the main funder of infectious
annum for 5 years and the NIH around US $3M p.a. diseases research in francophone Africa. To extend
The collaborating institutions in the USA include this support to anglophone Africa in the hope
the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious of bringing together researchers from these two
Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Child Health continental regions into closer collaborative networks,
and Human Development (NICHD), National Cancer ANRS-MIE has committed up to €2 million over three
Institute (NCI), National Institute of Mental Health years to jointly support research in South Africa with a
(NIMH), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and contribution from the SAMRC of up to R19.5 million.
Alcoholism (NIAAA), and Office of AIDS Research The partnership will focus on supporting research on
(OAR). The call for proposals will be launched early TB, with some of the key research priorities being
in the 2024/25 financial year with awards starting in vaccines, transmission, sub-clinical TB, diagnostics
2025/26 and will see around 10 new collaborative and paediatric TB. A request for applications will be
projects being supported. released through ANRS during 2024 with the first
awards anticipated in early 2025.
Partnership with the UK Research and
Innovation Medical Research Council KfW Development Bank Investments
A new partnership between the SAMRC and the in Vaccine R&D and Production
United Kingdom Research and Innovation Medical In September 2023, the Department of Science
Research Council (UKRI MRC) was established during and Innovation (DSI) announced the conclusion
the 2023/24 financial year to promote collaboration of a financing agreement with Germany's KfW
between researchers in South Africa and the UK to Development Bank to produce vaccines. Under
tackle the health challenges of South Africa under the agreement, the German government, through
the umbrella of the UK’s International Science KfW, will provide South Africa with €20 million for
Partnerships Fund (ISPF). This joint research vaccine production over a period of five years. The
programme also aims to promote collaboration grant is exclusively for financing equipment for the
with researchers from other African countries. The development, production, and certification of active
UKRI MRC has committed just over £8 million and pharmaceutical ingredients for vaccine production
the SAMRC R24 million over 3 years to support in South Africa. The grant will be used, among other
research projects led by South African researchers things, to support the mRNA Technology Transfer
in the areas of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Hub that South Africa is hosting for the World Health
co-morbidity or multi-morbidity of infectious Organization as well as the South African vaccine
diseases and NCDs, and climate and health, one manufacturing strategy, led by the DSI. The DSI is
health and zoonosis. The requests for applications the recipient of the KfW financial support on behalf
in these priority areas were released in February of the South African government and the SAMRC
2024 and awards are anticipated to be made in the is the project executing agency. The programme

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2023-24 9