Jobs at The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)

Remuneration

• R1,290, 482 per annum

Description

• We invite applications for an experienced health economist to lead the Health Economics Focal Area at the Health Systems Research Unit (HSRU). HSRU is an intra-mural research unit at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) that supports evidence-based decision-making in health and social policy to strengthen health systems to achieve universal health coverage (UHC).
• The position will involve engaging stakeholders across government and all relevant communities to identify research priorities, will lead collaborative grant writing and grant management in the field, support the development of national, regional and global health economics research to advance and strengthen health systems, services and policy.
• This individual will lead or co-author peer reviewed articles and present research findings at key meetings, conferences and workshops. They will collaborate across HSRU, SAMRC and other research institutions to advance their field. Their role includes coordination and project management of the Focal Area, commitment to capacity development and transformation including student supervision, and contribution to the HSRU and SAMRC leadership and citizenship activities.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the Health Economics Focal Area within the Health Systems Research Unit.
• Develop and implement a strategic health economics research programme that informs health policy and strengthens health systems.
• Initiate, lead and manage innovative research projects and multidisciplinary collaborations.
• Secure external research funding through competitive grant applications.
• Produce high-quality scientific outputs, including peer-reviewed publications and technical reports.
• Translate research findings into policy, practice and decision-making processes.
• Build and maintain partnerships with government, academia, funders and other stakeholders.
• Mentor and supervise postgraduate students and emerging researchers.
• Contribute to the leadership, administration and strategic objectives of HSRU and SAMRC.

Location of the post

• Cape Town or Durban

Duration

• Permanent

Requirements

Minimum requirements

• PhD in health economics or PhD in public health or related health field with health economics focus
• 7 years’ experience in health economics research.
• Principal investigator of successful income generation/grant application of = R 600 000 (Note: funds raised as a co-I/PI on a sub-project are not counted, neither are non-research funds such as conferences, course fees, etc.).
• Record of 20 lifetime publications (ISI journal articles, editorials or book chapters and technical reports) with at least 6 as first/senior author.
• Successfully supervised =4 post-graduate students to graduation.
• Record of translating professional, scientific or clinical expertise, new knowledge and research findings into public understanding, policy, and/or practice, in order to improve health.
• Experience in leading research project(s), including mentoring and managing a research team.
• Experience in budgeting, financial and risk management.
• Excellent interpersonal relations and communication skills.

Advantageous:

• PhD with an undergraduate qualification in health economics, public health, and/or clinical epidemiology
• More than 10 years’ experience in health economic research
• Excellent track record in grant writing and fund raising for health economics research
• Management of project staff on research projects
• Participation in technical committees nationally or globally applying economics principals to inform healthcare decision-making

Closing Date

• 4 September 2026

go to method of application »

Remuneration

• A salary in the region of R624,773.00 per annum, cost-to-company, will be negotiated in consideration of experience and qualifications.

Description

• The South African Medical Research Council’s (SAMRC) Research Capacity Development (RCD) Division is seeking to appoint a Project Coordinator to take responsibility for coordinating a portfolio of scholarship awards funded by the SAMRC. The incumbent will also provide administrative and coordination support to the Scholarships Manager across all scholarship programmes.

Key Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Scholarships Manager, the successful candidate will be responsible for the following strategic and core areas:

• Project Management: Administer a portfolio of scholarship awards by ensuring compliance with award conditions, managing disbursements, monitoring progress, reviewing technical and financial reports, and maintaining accurate project documentation.
• Programme Administration and RFA Facilitation: Support the facilitation of Requests for Applications (RFAs) under the guidance of the Programme Manager. This includes coordinating selection and approval processes, liaising with applicants and institutions, preparing award letters and funding agreements, and contributing to programme reports and statistics.
• Stakeholder Liaison: Coordinate and participate in internal and external stakeholder meetings, workshops, and events. This includes assisting with logistical arrangements, preparation of agendas and meeting materials, drafting of minutes, monitoring action items, and contributing to communication materials such as reports, presentations, and website content.

Location of the Position

• Pretoria

Contract Duration

• 3 years

Requirements

Core Requirements:

• 3-year relevant tertiary qualification in a science discipline or similar qualification or higher
• At least 2-3 years’ experience coordinating/managing projects and grants or scholarships (i.e. proven project management skills)
• Proven experience administering funding, stakeholder communication and coordinating meetings

Advantageous:

• BSc degree in biomedical or health sciences field
• Demonstrated experience working in a public funding and/or research environment or similar, managing or coordinating projects, grants, fellowships or scholarships
• A good understanding of the public research environment and capacity development
• Preferably demonstrated experience in working across academia, government departments, industry, and philanthropy
• Experience in using research management systems, such as RIMS or REDCap, supported by successful completion of relevant training courses

Closing Date

• 1 September 2026

go to method of application »

Remuneration

• A salary in the region of R537 033.00 per annum, cost-to-company, will be negotiated in consideration of experience and qualifications.

Description

• The SAMRC’s RCD division is seeking to appoint a Project Coordinator to take responsibility for managing a portfolio of awards in the RCD grant and career award programmes funded by the SAMRC. The incumbent will also provide administrative support to the Programme Manager for all RCD grants and career award programmes.
• The incumbent will report to the Programme Manager and will be responsible for the following strategic and core areas:

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of research capacity development grants and career development awards, ensuring effective pre- and post-award administration.
• Liaise with beneficiaries, host institutions, and key stakeholders to support programme implementation and compliance.
• Monitor progress award, review technical and financial reports, and provide recommendations to management.
• Coordinate grant disbursements, review meetings, and programme documentation.
• Facilitate the administration of funding opportunities, including Requests for Applications (RFAs), peer review processes, and award approvals.
• Support the preparation of funding agreements, award communications, and management reports.
• Collect, analyse, and report on programme outputs, achievements, and performance indicators.
• Coordinate stakeholder meetings, workshops, and events, including logistics, meeting documentation, and action tracking.
• Contribute to the development of reports, presentations, website content, and other stakeholder communication materials.
• Ensure accurate record-keeping and compliance with organisational policies, funding requirements, and governance processes.

Contract Duration

• 1 year

Location

• Cape Town

Requirements

Core Requirements:

• 3-year relevant tertiary qualification in a science discipline or similar qualification or higher
• At least 1 to 2 years of experience coordinating/ managing projects and grants (i.e. proven project management skills)

Advantageous

• BSc Honours degree or equivalent in a biomedical science or related discipline
• Demonstrated experience working in a public funding and/or research environment or similar, managing or coordinating projects, grants, fellowships or scholarships.
• A good understanding of the public research environment and capacity development

Closing Date

• 1 September 2026

go to method of application »

Remuneration:

• R225 428.00 per annum (CTC)

Description

• The South African Medical Research Council’s Gender and Health Research Unit has been awarded funding from Welcome Trust for a large study, entitled: Fediša Modikologo which aims to describe the impact of severe intimate partner violence on women and their families, to understand risk factors for intimate partner femicide, and drivers of intergenerational cycling of violence.
• A suitably qualified and experienced fieldworker is needed to screen, recruit, and enroll research participants, to complete informed consent procedures, undertake interviews, provide counselling and support, and follow up participants as per the protocol.

Responsibilities:

• Cohort retention
• Enroll participants completing informed consent processes
• Set-up and schedule follow-up appointments with participants
• Conduct face to face interviews with participants, maintaining excellent quality control of all data collected for the study
• Ensure quality control of data and record keeping (Informed consent forms, reimbursement forms, daily logs etc.)
• Provide psychological support for participants.
• Loading payments for reimbursement on SAMRC Cashless system

Duration:

• 1 Year

Requirements

Core Requirements:

• Grade 12/Matric or similar relevant qualification or higher
• Experience obtaining consent and conducting research survey interviews.
• Understanding of how to maintain quality control of data collected
• Excellent communication skills
• Understanding of gender-based violence and the needs of trauma -exposed persons
• Experience of research with children
• Experience counselling research participants
• Fluency in speaking and writing in English and Afrikaans and isiXhosa

Advantageous:

• 2 -3 years
• Diploma or degree in Social Work, Social Science or health-related field or auxiliary social worker training
• Experience working with gender-based violence research
• Proven experience in data entry and usage of Redcap
• Experience giving psychological support to traumatized populations

Closing Date:

• 2 September 2026

Location:

• Western Cape: Stellenbosch research site