RFA: SAMRC Clinician-Researcher Development Programme

There is a national need to develop a cadre of clinician-scientists in South Africa; these are individuals with a degree in medicine, dentistry or nursing who possess a PhD and are equipped to conduct high-level research, aspiring to hold positions of leadership in the South African academic, clinical, and research sectors. Through its Division of Research Capacity Development (RCD), the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) is committed to addressing this need by encouraging the development of integrated clinical and research training programs for clinicians across all South African universities. RCD invites applications for PhD research and scholarship awards from South African citizens or permanent residents, who are students or graduates in medicine, dentistry or nursing, who meet the requirements specified on this call.

The main objectives of this funding instrument are to:

1. Support promising clinicians who want to obtain doctoral qualifications while retaining their employment or clinical duties.
2. Assist institutions in developing innovative and effective dual-training pathways, which provide the opportunity for PhD-level research alongside the conventional clinical training track.

The award is designed to offer flexible and realistic options to clinicians who want to pursue their PhD studies. It may be used to provide protected research time from clinical training or clinical service obligations to support PhD studies undertaken in parallel with clinical activities. The use of funds is strictly for research training, i.e., obtaining a PhD.

Categories of Awards

Requirements for all applications

1. South African citizen or permanent resident.
2. Medical doctors/dental specialists/nursing professionals employed to perform clinical duties in any South African institution or full-time students enrolled in a dual MBChB-PhD/ BChD-PhD program or full-time students in the above-mentioned degree tracks.
3. Must be registered for PhD studies at a South African university.
4. Officially approved research proposal and ethics clearance (if applicable) for the PhD project.
5. Research abstract to be provided (see example).
6. The research project must fall within the SAMRC priority research areas as listed below:
   1. Biomedical Research
   2. HIV, TB and other communicable diseases
   3. Health System Strengthening
   4. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
   5. Maternal, child and woman health
   6. Non-communicable diseases
   7. Public Health Innovation
   8. Violence, injury and trauma
7. A support letter from the supervisor who is willing to train and mentor the candidate for the entire duration of the degree. The support letter should clearly describe how the candidate will be supported for the duration of the award, available funding, and other resources that the candidate requires to successfully conduct research.
8. Supervisor’s abridged curriculum vitae showing the supervisor’s research track record in the last 5 years, focusing on research grant funding obtained, research outputs including h-index, and PhD student supervision.
9. Applicant’s motivational letter of approximately 500–1000 words demonstrating their suitability for the award. This letter should also describe how success in the SAMRC Institutional Clinician-Researcher Development Programme application will impact the candidate’s scientific career development as a Clinician Scientist.
10. The applicant’s abridged curriculum vitae detailing clinical training received to date, any prior or current research experience, research outputs (publications, conference presentations, etc.) and any meritorious achievements in the academic, clinical or research domains.
11. A proposed timeline of completion for clinical training, where applicable and/or completion of the PhD project (Gantt chart format). It should include a description of how the clinical training/duties and research training will be combined, including arrangements to be made where applicants are required to perform an internship, community service, complete specialist training time or fulfil employment obligations incurred because of bursaries or contracts upon which training is contingent.

Institutional Support

The SAMRC has a strong expectation that the universities where awardees are registered will extend their support by:

• Partnering with the health service organisations (e.g., hospitals) where awardees who are studying part-time are employed for the delivery of the research project/PhD, including assisting with negotiating for protected time to conduct research. 
• Facilitating the development of innovative and effective dual-training pathways which provide the opportunity for PhD-level research alongside the conventional clinical training track.
• Supporting the awardee for the duration of the award by providing, for example, co-funding, access to infrastructure, supervision, and in-house training.
• Receiving and administering the award to ensure compliance with the SAMRC regulations on the use of public funds and the general terms and conditions of the award.

How to apply

Opening date: 25 June 2025

Closing date: 22 September 2025, 23:59

Application Process

Application steps 1 to 3 below must be completed before or by 22 September 2025, 23:59.

• Step 1 – Applicant to complete the online application.
• Step 2 – Applicant to upload all the required supporting documents.
• Step 3 - Research supervisor or proposed supervisor must complete the research supervisor’s commitment form and submit the application.

Attached are four documents to assist you with your application (1.) Abstract example, (2) 2025 RFA SAMRC Clinician-Researcher Development Programme guideline which includes the checklist of the required supporting documents, (3) Budget request template and (4) Supervisor CV Template.

Pre-application Workshop recording and slides

The recording and slides below provide guidance on how to prepare your application, and it is therefore strongly recommended that you refer to this material before submitting your online application form and supporting documents.

• Pre-Application workshop recording
• Application process slides

The South African Medical Research Council reserves the right to disqualify ineligible, incomplete and/or inappropriate applications, change the conditions of the award, extend the closing date, or make no awards at all. Please note that only successful candidates will be contacted after completion of the review, selection, and approval processes. Should you not hear from the SAMRC by 31 December 2025, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

For enquiries contact Dr Lindokuhle Ndlandla at Lindokuhle.Ndlandla@mrc.ac.za / Tel. 021 938 0442.