The SA Medical Research Council (MRC) has secured financial commitments totalling R400m from international donor organisations, reported BusinessLive (6 May 2025).
“This funding addresses a critical gap resulting from significant cuts to scientific research support from the US government during the Trump administration. However, the SA government must match the contributions rand-for-rand to access these funds.
“In light of this opportunity, the MRC has increased its request for emergency funding from the National Treasury from R150m to R400m.
“The urgency for these funds is underscored by the ongoing retrenchments at research-intensive universities like the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Wits University, which have relied heavily on US grants.”