Stage 1: Funds seeking

The call for SAMRC-SIR grants opens annually. Open SAMRC-SIR calls are published via these channels:

• SAMRC website: Self-Initiated Research
• UCT Research Announcement newsletter (subscribe)
• UCT Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) Research Noticeboard
• FHS Funding Alerts (subscribe)

Note: Applicants are only allowed to submit one application for the SAMRC-SIR per cycle.

Stage 2: Proposal development and approval

/ Step 1: Plan your proposal

Confirm your eligibility

Before starting the proposal, confirm your eligibility for a SAMRC-SIR award. Check the opportunity announcement for specific requirements, but typically, applicants must:

• Be an SA citizen or permanent resident
• Be employed at UCT
• Have completed a research doctorate (PhD or equivalent) or MBChB
• Have a demonstrated ability to conduct independent research through their bio/CV
• Be in a position to supervise postgraduate students – embedded capacity development of PG students is important

Queries about SAMRC-SIR applications, including eligibility can be directed to SIRApplications@mrc.ac.za.

Flag your intent to UCT and plan for support

Complete UCT’s online Intention to Submit: Research funding form to indicate your intention to submit a SAMRC-SIR grant application.

Plan for internal deadlines

UCT eRA’s internal deadlines are earlier than the call’s closing date. Diarise and plan for these deadlines as published in the funding opportunity announcement.

Consider whether ethics approval is required

Before submitting the application, consider whether ethical clearance is required for the research. Ethical clearance is only needed once the proposal is awarded, as SAMRC will not release funds without confirmation that ethics approval is in place, but it is important to plan for it in advance.

• Already have ethics approval, include the valid certificate in the application.
• If not, use the provided SAMRC Ethical Clearance letter template (.docx) to draft a letter to SAMRC stating that the research will not begin without the necessary approval from the relevant faculty ethics committee. Upload this letter under the tab "Resourcing Ethics and Biosafety" via UCT eRA.
• If ethics approval is not required, use the provided SAMRC Ethics Waiver letter template (.docx) to explain why the study is exempt and attach this to the application.

/ Step 2: Develop the proposal and have it approved

Proposals are developed in the Research & Innovation Management System (RIMS), the platform SAMRC uses to manage research funding applications. Once the proposal is complete, download it from RIMS for internal review by UCT via UCT’s electronic Research Administration (eRA) system. After UCT approves the proposal, submit the final version through RIMS to UCT’s Research Contract & Innovation Office (RC&I), who submit it to SAMRC on behalf of the institution.

SAMRC RIMS

Review this process guide on the proposal development and approval process for SAMRC-SIR grants.

Process guide: SAMRC-SIR grants

Review this process guide on securing pre-award approval via UCT eRA.

Note: SAMRC and UCT often host workshops and webinars to assist with application completion and scheme details. Look out for email announcements about these events.

Stage 3: Proposal submission

/ Step 1: Forward confirmation of submission

UCT's Research Contracts & Innovation (RC&I) is notified that the application is ready for submission and submits it to SAMRC via RIMS on behalf of UCT. RC&I will only submit the application once it is fully approved via UCT eRA and the pre-submission process via RIMS has been completed. 

You receive an email confirmation from SAMRC that the application has been received. Forward this confirmation to:

• The FHS Research Development team and
• Research Contracts & Innovation (RC&I).

RC&I updates the status of the application to “Submitted” via UCT eRA and captures the confirmation email.

/ Step 2: Update the status via UCT eRA to reflect the proposal outcome 

SAMRC reviews applications, and eligible ones undergo peer review and rankings to determine the final list of awardees. Applicants are notified via email of the outcome of the application. 

Update the application status via UCT eRA to reflect the outcome: 

• If successful, select “Awarded – contract required” to trigger the contracting process with RC&I
• If not successful, select “Unsuccessful” to update the UCT eRA record

Updating the status of the application with the outcome via UCT eRA ensures that the record is complete, enabling smoother future submissions, providing visibility on funding outcomes and supporting effective tracking of the PI’s research progress.

Stage 4: Contracting

/ Step 1: Sign the acceptance of grant letter

If awarded, an acceptance of grant letter will be emailed to you. This letter outlines the terms and conditions of the SAMRC-SIR grant and serves as formal acceptance of the award. See example: Generic acceptance of SAMRC-SIR grant letter. 

Three signatures are required on the acceptance letter:

1. The grant holder – you, as the Principal Investigator (PI)
2. Financial Registrar – a duly authorised representative from UCT’s Central Research Finance (CRF)
3. Institutional representative – a Legal Advisor from UCT’s Research Contracts & Innovation (RC&I)

Add your electronic signature to the PDF acceptance letter and email it to the FHS Research Development team.

The FHS Research Development Team will batch acceptance letters and submit them to Central Research Finance (CRF) for signature. Once signed by CRF, the acceptance letters are forwarded to RC&I for the final institutional signature. They will also ensure that RC&I is made aware of the awardees and the need for their signature.

You award will be assigned to a legal advisor in RC&I who will sign the acceptance letter and return the fully signed document to you.

/ Step 2: Send signed award letter to the funder

Once you receive the acceptance of grant letter signed by all three parties (yourself, CRF and RC&I), forward the fully signed document to SAMRC.

SAMRC will acknowledge receipt of the signed acceptance letter. At this point, the acceptance letter is considered binding.

/ Step 3: Await contract logging and closure

While RC&I is signing your acceptance of grant letter, as part of Step 1, they simultaneously log the award via UCT eRA and upload a copy of the fully signed acceptance letter against the contract record, using a reference number starting with “UCT”.

The Legal Advisor in RC&I will update the UCT eRA contract status to one of the following:

• “Initiate fund opening” – if this is a new fund
• “Signed contract, existing fund” – if a fund already exists triggering sales order processing and notification to debtors

The Legal Advisor will the change the status to “Completed in RC&I” to close the contract record.

UCT eRA will then automatically generate a unique reference number beginning with “PRJ”, confirming that the award has moved into the post-award module.

No further action is required from you unless RC&I contacts you for additional information.

Stage 5: Project setup and management

/ Step 1: Setup

Request a SAP fund to be opened

In the first year of the SAMRC-SIR grant, a SAP fund needs to be opened from which to track and control the project's revenue and expenses.

Complete the relevant sections of the FM003a form and email it to Central Research Finance (CRF).

A Senior Finance Officer (SFO) in CRF will review the completed sections of the FM003a form and contact you with any questions. They will then complete the form, sign it and upload the signed version to the tab "fund opening approvals" on the UCT eRA record. The SFO will assign a SAP number to the fund, and Ledgers will receive a notification to open the fund in SAP. The SAP number will be recorded via UCT eRA in the tab "fund information" against the appropriate project number, beginning with "PRJ".

For more details on opening a SAP fund, visit Stage 5: Proposal setup and management.

Await confirmation that the budget is loaded

SAMRC-SIR grants are "spend and claim projects" meaning that UCT provides upfront funds to you to start the project, which are later reimbursed by SAMRC.

Once the fund is opened, Ledgers update the record via UCT eRA to "Fund opened" and notify CRF via email that the budget can be loaded. CRF access the final, approved budget via UCT eRA and load the required amount into the fund.

For more details on loading a budget, refer to Stage 5: Proposal setup and management.

/ Step 2: Project management

Stage 6: Project closure

At the end of the three-year period, the SAMRC-SIR funding cycle has ended, and the project needs to be officially closed. Any unspent funds will be returned to the funder. 

The steps below outline the key activities required to close the SAMRC-SIR grant project. 

Step 1: Funder requirements

Submit the final report

At the end of the approved project, you must submit an End of Project Report (EPR) using the SAMRC EPR Template. This report must be with the SAMRC within 3 months of the project's end date. Failure to submit the EPR will prevent you from receiving further support from SAMRC until the report is submitted. 

Send the EPR report to UCT Central Research Finance (CRF) to sign off and submit to SAMRC on behalf.

Disseminate the findings and log publications

SAMRC has clear guidelines and statements on how SAMRC funding for the Self-Initiated Research project must be acknowledged in all related publications or publicity materials. Review the acceptance of grant letter for specific requirements and be sure to comply.

Step 2: UCT requirements

Close the SAP fund

Complete section A of the FM007: Application to close a fund form to close the SAP fund. Send the completed form to the Senior Finance Office (SFO) in UCT CRF for sign-off. Once authorised, the form is sent to Ledgers who close the fund in SAP. 

Close the UCT eRA record

Follow the steps under Stage 6: Project closure to close the UCT eRA record. 

The Senior Finance Officer (SFO) in CRF will be responsible for answering the finance-related questions in UCT eRA and completing the final declaration. When everything is in order, the UCT eRA status of the project will be changed to "Project award closure review by PI". 

Go to the tab "Project Award Closure Information" to review the record. 

Verify that all the project information is correct and all deliverables have been met, then tick the declaration to confirm.

Finally, update the record status to "Project award closed" to complete the project closure.

Roles and responsibilities

Resources

Contacts