The National Institutes of Health (NIH), in collaboration with the South African Medical Research Council, invite applications for:

U.S.-South Africa Program for Collaborative Biomedical Research – Phase 2

Key words: Biomedical, R01, U01, HIV/AIDS, Infectious Diseases

The NIH deadline for all four schemes within this call is July 26, 2019 by 5:00 PM SA time

The UCT Research Contracts and Innovation (RC&I) internal submission deadline for all four schemes is July 19, 2019 by 5:00 PM

All prospective applicants will need to follow internal Faculty approval processes for final submission of their applications to the NIH by RC&I. All Faculty of Health Sciences applicants are requested to inform David Choveaux of their intention to submit, while applicants in all other Faculties are requested to inform Dionne Miles of their intention to submit by 31 May 2019. Details of the internal approval process to follow will be communicated to prospective applicants thereafter.

Please direct all queries to:

Faculty of Health Sciences: David Choveaux david.choveaux@uct.ac.za

All other Faculties: Dionne Miles dionne.miles@uct.ac.za

Background

Two R01 and two U01 Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), covering HIV/AIDS and infectious disease research, have been released as Phase 2 of the U.S.-South Africa Program for Collaborative Biomedical Research. An overarching goal of this bilateral program is to engage underrepresented groups of scientists in South Africa, defined as members of the South African Black, Coloured and Indian population groups, and/or scientists employed by South African historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs) and/or other Universities of Technology.

Key R01 guidelines and eligibility criteria

• Up to USD 350,000 total costs (direct and indirect) per annum over a maximum period of five years (at least 50% of which must support activities in South Africa)
• Applications must include at least one Principal Investigator (PI) affiliated with a U.S. institution and a PI from an eligible institution from South Africa
• A multi-PIs partnership is required between U.S. and South African investigators (one of the South African PIs must be the contact PI)
• Applicants are highly encouraged to include an optional career enhancement partnership for fostering and enhancing research skills and experience of underrepresented scientists in biomedical research
• Applicants are encouraged to engage investigators from Kenya, Lesotho, Uganda, and Zimbabwe
• Basic, translational, behavioural, clinical, preventive, or epidemiological research may be proposed

• Applications proposing the topics below will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed: Stage III or IV clinical trials; Research using select agents; Applications without the appropriate PI requirements.

R01 funding opportunities:

RFA-AI-19-022 HIV/AIDS (R01 Clinical Trial Optional): Research areas supported under this program include HIV/AIDS and associated malignancies

RFA-AI-19-024 Infectious Diseases (R01 Clinical Trial Optional): Research areas supported under this program include: tuberculosis; sexually transmitted infections; parasitic infections; arboviruses and emerging/re-emerging viral pathogens; and vector biology and control.

R01 frequently asked questions

Key U01 guidelines and eligibility criteria

• Up to USD 250,000 total costs (direct and indirect) per annum over a maximum period of five years (annual limits: USD 200,000 for the South African institution(s); USD 50,000 for the NIH intramural investigators)
• Applications must include at least one U.S. investigator from the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) serving as Project Scientist and one investigator from an eligible institution from South Africa serving as the PI
• The partnership can be the U.S. NIH IRP investigator (serving as NIH Project Scientist) and South African investigators as PI (single), or multi-PIs (only South African investigators may serve as PIs; one of the South African PIs must be the contact PI)
• Applicants are highly encouraged to include an optional career enhancement partnership for fostering and enhancing research skills and experience of underrepresented scientists in biomedical research
• Applicants are encouraged to engage investigators from Kenya, Lesotho, Uganda, and Zimbabwe
• Basic, translational, behavioural, clinical, preventive, or epidemiological research may be proposed
• Applications proposing the topics below will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed: Stage III or IV clinical trials; Research using select agents; Applications without the appropriate PD/PI requirements.

U01 funding opportunities:

RFA-AI-19-023 HIV/AIDS (U01 Clinical Trial Optional): Research areas supported under this program include HIV/AIDS and associated malignancies

RFA-AI-19-025 Infectious Diseases (U01 Clinical Trial Optional): Research areas supported under this program include: tuberculosis; sexually transmitted infections; parasitic infections; arboviruses and emerging/re-emerging viral pathogens; and vector biology and control.

U01 frequently asked questions

Application and submission process

Applications should be made through the NIH’s ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online: https://public.era.nih.gov/assist

A brief summary of the steps to follow:

1. Create an NIH eRA Commons account (contact Maghmuda Ockards - )
2. Initiate a new application using the FOA number (e.g. RFA-AI-19-022)
3. Upon completion of all sections, validate the application in order to pass various system and business validations at both the overall application and individual component levels
4. Once validated the application status should be updated to Ready for Submission
5. Following status update, your application will go to the UCT Research Contracts & Innovation Office (RC&I) for final submission to the NIH (RC&I will only submit your application once internal approval by your faculty has been processed; RC&I require the faculty approved application by 19 July 2019).

Information Workshop

David Choveaux and Dionne Miles will host a workshop on the Health Sciences campus on Thursday 23 May at 13h00-15h00 to provide a general overview of what is required and how to go about completing the application. If you would like to attend, please RSVP Jacqui Steadman (jacqui.steadman@uct.ac.za) by 17 May. She will communicate the venue and other details closer to the time. 

                                                               Call for Applications
 
                                         Faculty of Health Sciences Research Committee (FRC) 

                                                                               Start-up Emerging Researcher Awards

 
Deadline for Submission: 31 May 2019

Application Form
 
Emerging researchers up to the level of Senior Lecturer or equivalent, who have been appointed in the Faculty of Health Sciences within the last 12 months, are invited to submit applications for a Faculty of Health Sciences Start-up Emerging Researcher Awards.
 
The Faculty has made available funding for eight (8) awards of R100,000 each.
 
The purpose of the award is to support such emerging researchers to start up their research. Supported activities include generation of preliminary data, fieldwork, consumables, purchase of equipment, incentives for research participants, and statistical advice.
 
Interested staff members are required to submit the following: 1.    Completed application form, 2.    Research proposal (max 1 page) and a budget not exceeding R100,000, 3.    List of publications, and 4.  Record of postgraduate student supervision.
 
Applications need to be endorsed by the Head of Department of the applicant.
 
Completed and endorsed applications must be submitted as a single pdf file to the Faculty Research Office by email to research.health@uct.ac.z a  by  31 May 2019. Hard copies will not be accepted.
 
Emerging researchers who are not eligible but feel that their application should be considered need to submit a letter of motivation with their application. It is envisaged that awards will be made available by 28 June 2019. Conditions: • Applicants must hold at least a Master’s or MBChB degree. • Applicants must hold an academic or joint appointment. • Awards may not be used for student scholarships. • Awards may not be used for conference travel and attendance. • A  brief  report  of  the  activities  supported  by  the  award  and  a  financial  report  needs  to  be submitted to the Faculty Research Office to Committee  by email to research.health@uct.ac .z a by 30 June 2020.

Joint NAM S&T Centre-ICCBS Fellowship for 2019-20

Centre for Science and Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing

Countries ICCBS Fellowship in Natural Products Chemistry, Drugs and Pharmaceuticals:

Call for Applications for 2019-20

Enquiries and submissions must be directed to Karabo.Mphogo@dst.gov.za

Fellowship guidelines and application form attached or visit www.namstct.org

The NAM S&T Centre is pleased to invite applications from suitable candidates for the Joint NAM S&T Centre - ICCBS Fellowship in Natural Products Chemistry, Drugs and Pharmaceuticals for the year 2019-20.

This Fellowship is offered to scientists and researchers of the Member Countries of the NAM S&T Centre for affiliation with the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) of the H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry and Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan [http://www.iccs.edu/] for a period of up to 3 months to work in the areas of Natural Products Chemistry, Herbal Medicines, Drugs, Pharmaceuticals and Neutraceuticals, Molecular Medicine, Medicinal Chemistry, Computational Chemistry, Structural biology, Nanotechnology, Proteomics and Genomics, Drug Research, Clinical Research etc. in order to enhance their research skills, facilitate exchange of information and contacts and create a network between the scientists and researchers from Pakistan and other developing countries. Under this scheme, The NAM S&T Centre pays the return international airfare from the home country to Karachi to the selected Fellows only from those Member Countries of the NAM S&T Centre or Members of the NAM S&T – Industry Network, which have no outstanding dues towards the annual membership subscription to the Centre. The ICCBS provides free furnished accommodation and a monthly allowance of US$250 for meals and out of pocket expenses to the selected Fellows.

Applications recommended by the parent institutions of the applicants may be submitted to the NAM S&T Centre through E-mail in the relevant format.

There is no last date for submitting applications and selection will be made on first-cum-first basis strictly based on the professional details of the applicant, plan of work to be carried out and mutual research interests of the applicant and ICCBS. Copies of the guidelines for the Fellowship and the application form are attached (also available at the Centre’s Website www.namstct.org).

Scientists from countries which are not the Members of the NAM S&T Centre, and also Pakistan, are not eligible to apply for this Fellowship. Lists of the Member countries and the NAM S&T – Industry Members of the Centre and the details of the Focal Points of the Centre in these countries/ Network Members are available at the Centre’s Website www.namstct.org.

Announcement, guidelines and application form

Application Form for NAM S&T Centre - ICCBS Fellowship

NAM Centre- CV Format

Call for Applications

UCT Enabling Grant Seeker Excellence Awards

Application Deadline: 30 June 2019

Please address all queries to robyn.udemans@uct.ac.za

Under the leadership of the acting DVC for Research & Internationalisation, Prof Kevin Naidoo, and as part of a three-year pilot initiative, the Research Office announces the launch of UCT Enabling Grant Seeker Excellence Awards. In the context of an increasingly unpredictable national research funding environment, the purpose of this intervention is to encourage applications to external – particularly international – funders and to decrease research funding dependency on the university (and ultimately, beyond this call, also the NRF). The challenge is to use our limited resources to encourage a desire for excellence that is built on independence. The call will be repeated annually on a rolling basis for three years with applications due on 30 June each year. Researchers are encouraged to continuously seek research funding from external-to-UCT sources (including the NRF).

CRITERIA

Applications for Enabling Grant Seeker Excellence awards are encouraged from researchers who meet both of the following eligibility criteria:

1. Researchers appointed on permanent or contract UCT academic conditions of service, including joint Provincial Government of the Western Cape/UCT academic staff (excluding registrars), on condition that the employment contract is valid for the duration of the grant period.

2. Researchers

2.1. who as principal investigator or UCT lead of a collaborative project [1] are applying (or have applied) for the first time in their careers for external-to-UCT grants between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2019[2].

OR

2.2. who are not currently in receipt of external-to-UCT grants and are applying (or have applied) as principal investigator or UCT lead for an external-to-UCT grant between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2019.

OR

2.3. whose external-to-UCT grant as principal investigator or UCT lead is ending in the course of 2019 (at which point they will hold no other external-to-UCT grants) and are applying (or have applied) as principal investigator for an external-to-UCT grant between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2019.

ONLINE APPLICATION

The e-application form is available here.

In order to access the form please sign into Google using your UCT network ID and password.

AWARD VALUES

The awards will be sized according to the following sliding scales, which are linked to the amount the UCT principal investigator or lead researcher will bring into the University should the external-to-UCT grant application be successful:

• R100 000 UCT awards for external-to-UCT grant applications of R5m or more
• R50 000 UCT awards for external-to-UCT grant applications of less than R5m but more than R1m
• R20 000 UCT awards for external-to-UCT grant applications of less than R1m and more than R100k
• R10 000 UCT awards for external-to-UCT grant applications of less than R100k and more than R50k

NOTES

All eligible researchers are encouraged to submit an application although the number of awards available each year are limited. Should demand be greater than the budget allocation, preference would be given in order of priority 2.1. – 2.3. as stipulated under criterion 2 above.

In the application, the researcher will be asked to detail how the UCT enabler award will be used in relation to the work detailed in the external-to-UCT grant. Researchers are cautioned to make considered and careful submissions to external agencies as inadequate proposals to funders risks reputational damage to themselves and affect their own future success with such funders. 

[1] In all cases, only principal investigators or the single UCT lead researcher on a collaborative grant would be eligible. Team members on collaborative grants are not eligible.

[2] In all cases, going forward, the cycles will be adjusted to 12 months, e.g. 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020 and so forth.