BUIDING RESEARCH CAPACITY & TRANSFORMATION Glenda Gray President & CEO SAMRC Fogarty Symposium IAS Paris July 25th 2017

Publications is the index closest to the GDP/capita Scientific Productivity is a much better predictor of economic wealth and human development than any other variables Jaffe K et, al Plos one, June 2013

Health science growth in ssa Reference: Scopus 2012 Publications in STEM & Health Sciences

Current status of science in africa Africa shares 12% of the Global Population yet produces less than 1% of total science output The increase between 2003-2012 was driven by health science research (4% annual growth) & represents 45% of all SSA research Reference: Scopus 2003-2012 Compound Annual Growth rate of Publications

Africa’s Burden of Disease

GLOBAL AIDS DEATHS GLOBAL HIV/AIDS DEATHS

GLOBAL SCIENCE GROWTH

STRATEGIC GOALS OF THE SAMRC Administer health research effectively and efficiently Lead the generation of new knowledge Support innovation and technology development to improve health Build capacity for the long-term sustainability of the country’s health research

INTERNATIONal collaboration to improve health outcomes in RSA Develop collaborative networks Improve grant-writing capacity Conduct world class research World class Scientists

SAMRC NIH Collaboration Joint MRC-NIH Summit on HIV/AIDS, TB and HIV related Malignancies - 17 & 18 June 2013 in Durban ZAR 320 000 000 investment

Research capacity enhancement and sustainability Individual ↕ Departmental Institutional Sustainable research capacity Build research capacity Improve, refine and grow research expertise and portfolios Form collaborative research networks and partnerships Establish independent researchers, departments and institutions Leverage research capacity for research translation contributing to the knowledge economy and GDP Realise the development of skilled researchers, globally competitive departments and excellent institutions Identify and conduct research niches that fit into national burden of disease but it also globally relevant Successful grantmanship from diverse sources to fund research and attract new partnerships Reciprocal complementary and value added partnerships to leverage synergies

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT in RSA Build capacity for the long-term sustainability of the country’s health research Capacity development in health research Succession and sustainability Clinical scientists trained to respond to South Africa’s health needs Highly skilled researchers for global competitiveness

GROWING OUR KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

INVESTING: NEXT GENERATION OF BLACK SCIENTISTS

RESEARCH CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FUNDING CATEGORIES, 2016/17 Funding mechanism Target Purpose 1 SAMRC Clinician Programme Research training fellowships for Clinicians to pursue doctoral degrees To build clinician health research teams 2 SAMRC Internship Scholarship Programme Masters and doctoral research training internships for Black candidates Directly supports transformation In-house research skills transfer programme 3 SAMRC Career Development Award Excellent postdoctoral researchers Incentivise early investigators Leadership incubation programme 4 SAMRC Researcher Development Grant Once-off, last year of doctoral funding for strategic candidates in the university or health sector Fast tracks doctoral completion of senior employees at institutions and/or in strategic roles

National Health Scholarship Programme 5 National Health Scholarship Programme Doctoral (and select Masters) research training internships Public Private Partnership for PhD development in South Africa 6 SAMRC Research Capacity Development at Selected Universities Targets selected universities Project leaders in selected under resourced institutions To develop institutional research capacity To close the gap in rate of generation of knowledge between established research intensive universities and under resourced universities 7 Mid-career Scientist Award Mid-career scientists To retain the health/clinical research community by funding strategic research To transition mid-career scientists to independent researchers To strengthen SAMRC partnerships 8 International Masters in Vaccinology Programme Health/clinical graduates To offer an e-learning facilitated collaborative programme with the University of Lausanne, Switzerland (http://imvacc.bio-med.ch/cms/)

Strengthening institutional research capacity Objectives To strengthen research capacity at selected universities Leverage funding For research projects and programmes (collaborative) Essential infrastructure to conduct research To create an enabling research environment To gear the universities for self-sustainability To initiate, maintain and grow a robust and sustainable research culture

LAUNCH (JUNE 2015)

Capacity development at Walter sisulu university: SAMRC/NIH/JHU collaboration Research Capacity Development Data on HIV prevalence and linkage to care in the Eastern Cape Recapacitation of the HIV CRU in Mthatha to participate in HVTN 702 and other studies Increase in number of researchers, especially clinicians, and research outputs Increased research funding to WSU Enhanced support for research, including grant management Building Research Management Capacity Building Research Capacity Supporting Research – Focus on HIV Spin-offs Funding 2-3 research support staff Training of research support staff Training in grants management by WHC and support of a grants manager Training of researchers –proposal writing, research methods etc. Training of clinicians to do research (A&E study) Facilitating collaborations (NIH, JHU) Funding A&E HIV prevalence study Funding pilot grants for proposals from grant writing workshops Funding Mthatha HIV CRU site development SAAVI Funds – hiv focus

Self-Initiated Grants, 2012-2015 The transformation framework demonstrates impact

HVTN investment in capacity development in SSA HVTN investment via the NIAID & BMGF > 200 million dollars in next 5 years South African HIV AIDS Prevention MD/PHD programme established in 2012: 2 MD/PHDs completed, under transition for maximum impact. HIV early investigator Programme (HIP) established: 2013 Site Capacity Development for HVTN expansion NHP early investigator programme

HVTN/HIP Goal To support novel investigator-driven research proposals within the scope of the HVTN research agenda using HVTN procured clinical, laboratory, and/or behavioral data.

HIP 2016 Mark Pilkinton, "Molecular analysis of vaccine-induced T cell responses" Anoma Nellore, "Up-regulation of T-bet in B cells as a Predictor for Long-Term Antibody Responses after HIV Vaccination" Juilee Thakar, "Assessing Impact of Vaccine Regimen on Vaccine Induced Antibody Durability" John Cullen. "Exploring the Use of an eScreen Tool to Meet the Needs of Potential HVTN Study Participants" Magda Sobieszczyk, "A Pilot Study Evaluating the Use of Novel Self-administered Dried Blood Spot Device - HemaSpot™ - to Monitor PrEP Use among Men Who Have Sex with Men" Kathy Mngadi, "A Pilot Study of Mobile Technology to Assess Reactogenicity." 11/15/2018

HIP 2017 In 2017, 8/11 of the HIP applications were from Africa

HVTN Activity 2017: 25 new sites   01 Oct 2015 - 30 Sept 2016 01 Oct 2016 - 30 June 2017 01 Oct 2016 -30 Sept 2017 (Projected) Percent change 2016 -> 2017 Number of Vaccinations/ Infusions Administered 2,277 9,350 12,467 447.52% Number of Resolved Clinical QCs (eg, queries) 1,234 3,045 4,060 229.01%

HVTN 705 Sites Ndola Lusaka -ZEHRP Lilongwe Lusaka -Matero Seke South Legend: Lusaka -ZEHRP 705, only (6) Lilongwe 702 &705 (9) Lusaka -Matero 703/081 & 705 (6) Seke South Soshanguve Medunsa 702, 703/081, 705 (5) Elansdoorn Rustenburg Mamelodi Soweto – Kliptown Tembisa Soweto – Baragwanath Maputo Klerksdorp Ladysmith Isipingo Verulam Cape Town-Emavundleni Cape Town-Khayelitsha Bloemfontein Chatsworth Tongaat Mthatha eThekwini Masiphumelele

TIME FOR REFLECTION Currently the research opportunities and needs outstrips our ability to develop world class scientists in Southern Africa especially the MD/PHD scientist This is the time we need Fogarty more than ever, to collaborate with African based institutions to support this scientific development The scientist pipeline is not robust and needs support to ensure sustainability

“Building a healthy nation through research and innovation” http://www.mrc.ac.za “Building a healthy nation through research and innovation”