Page 175 - SAMRC AnnualReport 2025-26

P E R FOR M A NC E I N FOR M A T I ON

decision-making in these areas. The SAMRC is
supporting participation of South Africa in HeLTI
through the BUilding Knowledge and a foundation 2025/2026 SIR GRANT
for HeALthy lIfe trajectories: BUKHALI Trial led by PORTFOLIO BY RACE
the University of the Witwatersrand. Bukhali is a
randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of
a complex continuum of care intervention. Starting
preconception and continuing through pregnancy, 9,8%
infancy and childhood, the intervention is designed
to improve nutrition, physical and mental health,
and health behaviours of South African women to
offset obesity-risk (adiposity) in their offspring. 90,2%

The project completed its 9th year in 2025/2026,
with completion of the preconception phase of
the trial. Baseline data has been collected on 7735
individuals and analysed to address four topics,
namely characterising the burden of disease among
young women living in Soweto, examining both the BLACK WHITE
prevalence and clustering of chronic conditions,
and exploring the social and behavioural factors
that shape these patterns; investigating the direct
and indirect effects of household socioeconomic
status (SES) and probable anxiety and depression 2025/2026 SIR GRANT
among young women aged 18 to 28 years in an PORTFOLIO BY GENDER
urban-poor community and determining the
extent to which household- and individual-level
factors mediate the relationship between SES
and anxiety and depression; determining the
prevalence of self-reported intention for self-harm
or suicidal thoughts in a sample of young women
and the association between social vulnerability
and intention for self-harm or suicidal thoughts; and 47% 53%
systematic characterisation of body composition
by whole-body Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry
and its associations with glucose tolerance and
blood pressure in young women residing in Soweto.
Although the final trial read-outs are only expected
once the infants born during the study reach early
childhood, the study has to date generated valuable FEMALE MALE
data on the baseline disease burden and practical
realities and challenges faced by young women in
this community and their impact on health and well- early-career scientists and mid-career to established
being.
researchers, with 45% of the grants awarded to
early-career researchers and 55% to mid-career
Self-Initiated Research Grants
and established researchers. The SAMRC continues
The distribution of these grants by ethnic group, to prioritise increasing support to early-career
gender, and institution is presented in the figures researchers, reflecting a significant effort to support
below. The application of a transformation matrix the development of emerging scientists.
has led to a significant year-on-year increase in
awards to black applicants, with the proportion of A new request for applications for SIR grants was
awards to black applicants rising from 27% in 2012/13 issued in October 2025, with a closing date for
to 90% in 2025/2026. The portfolio is split between submissions at the end of December 2025. Proposals

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