Abeda Dawood is the Division Manager of Research Capacity Development at the South African Medical Research Council. The SAMRC's Division of Research Capacity Development (RCD) is a well-established research funding division that runs streamlined funding programmes to support the growth of health research capacity, by offering multiple strategic capacity development grants in the national research priorities and directly contributing to National Targets for research capacity development as well as transformation.

The RCD Division runs two funding portfolios namely: the Research Grants Portfolio and the Scholarship Portfolio. Over the years the SAMRC RCD funding has been a great opportunity for funding early to mid-career researchers and postgraduate students, mainly PhDs at universities and research institutions with a particular focus on historically disadvantaged individuals as well as institutions previously constrained by inadequate access to resources to strengthen capacity development and ensure the ability to produce scientific knowledge for the advancement of health.

Prior to the SAMRC, Abeda has worked in various capacities, academic, funding administration, and managerial. She has a PhD in Zoology and MSc in Biochemistry from the University of the Western Cape, and an interest in molecular systematics. She is passionate about research capacity and postgraduate student development and is committed to education in SA.