Conference Applications

Call Name Closing dates Application Documents
Conference Applications December (of each year)

Background
The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) seeks applications for funding to host national and international conferences, including summits and symposia. The theme of the conference should be aligned to the vision and mission of the SAMRC.

Funding caps
The maximum amount that may be requested is R200 000 for international conferences and R100 000 for national conferences.

Eligibility
South African Higher Education Institutions (HEI), science councils or other non-profit organisations whose core business is conducting medical/health research are eligible to apply for funding.

The proposed conference must have medical/health research as its central theme and be hosted at a venue in South Africa.

Application requirements

Applications should not exceed (five) 5 pages (Arial 10 pt font, single spaced), including the cover page.

Applications must contain the following information:

  1. A cover page duly completed and signed off (use template).
  2. Details of the conference/summit/symposium/:
    1. Date(s) for the meeting
    2. Conference programme and speakers
    3. Proposed participants
    4. Proposed number of attendees, broken down by local and international attendees.
    5. Expected conference outcomes.
  3. Narrative on how this conference will support the MRC’s mission and significance to South Africa.
  4. Budget (use template).
    1. List all potential and confirmed sources of funding including the proposed SAMRC funding that you wish to apply for. Mention any applications submitted to other organisations to fund this conference and the status of those applications (denied, pending, or funded). If pending or funded, indicate the Rand amount requested. Participant conference fees must be included as revenue.
    2. Document all planned expenditures by budget categories (e.g., personnel, supplies, travel, marketing/promotional, speaker fees, meals, facility rental, etc.).

Please note that the SAMRC funds may not be used to pay for equipment, capital expenses, computers, gifts, prizes, cash awards, entertainment, alcohol, lobbying activities, and proposal development.
Proposal Evaluation

All applications will be evaluated against the following criteria:

  1. Responsiveness to the RFA (timely submission, eligibility, completeness etc.)
  2. Relevance to MRC’s mission
  3. Level of direct impact on health research and/or health.
  4. Available/current conference information (e.g., agenda, topics, speakers, marketing and organisational plans, budget, etc.)

Application deadlines
For international conferences, applicants should submit applications up to two years prior to the conference.  For local conferences, applicants should submit their applications up to one year prior to the conference.

Year of Conference National Conference International Conference
2019 Closed Closed
2020 20 December 2019 Closed
2021 20 December 2020 20 December 2019
2022 20 December 2021 20 December 2020
2023 20 December 2022 20 December 2021
Application review and notification of outcome
Applicants will be notified by the 31st March of each year on the outcome of their application. Successful applicants may request funding two (2) months prior to the date by which the funds are needed.  It should be noted that payment can take up to 30 working days from receipt of invoice.
Conditions of funding
As a condition of award, the SAMRC shall be acknowledged as a conference sponsor and branded appropriately subject to approval by the SAMRC.  Furthermore, the SAMRC reserves the right to propose other conditions which will be contained in the letter of award.
Conference Report

The recipient institution must provide the SAMRC with a report describing the outcomes of the conference. The report is due within three (3) months of the end date of the conference and should include details such as:

  1. The number of conference attendees
  2. A financial report showing all sources and amounts of project funding along with expenditure detail for the SAMRC funds
  3. Copies of all conference promotional materials
  4. Details on how the SAMRC was acknowledged as a sponsor
  5. Any additional information that helps document the success of the conference and its value to the SAMRC’s mission.

Applicants must submit their applications (including signed cover page) by e-mail to:

Mr Alfred Thutloa
E-mail: Alfred.Thutloa@mrc.ac.za
Ms Natasha Crouch
Email: natasha.crouch@mrc.ac.za