Page 19 - AnnualReport2022-23

PAR T A: GENERAL INFORMATION

PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES

BRICS TB Research Network with under represented scientists and Historically
Disadvantaged Institutions (HDIs) in South Africa,
The Network, established in 2017, is an endeavour
to collaborate with BRICS Ministries of Health and and scientists in Kenya, Lesotho, Uganda and
scientists to address the problems of TB in BRICS Zimbabwe.
countries and to mobilise resources to find local Eighteen (18) joint US – SA projects are being
solutions. funded in Phase II of the programme. The total

• One virtual meeting – hosted by China – was funding awarded to these projects during 2022 was
held in June 2022. US $3,515,198 to which the SAMRC contributed
• The SAMRC hosts the Network’s website R45m during 2022.
(www.brics-tb.net) and is hosting the Network’s In addition, two (2) one-year supplemental awards
secretariat until further notice.
made by Fogarty International Center to existing
South Africa-US Programme D43 grantees in South Africa to support career
enhancement opportunities and enable under
for Collaborative Biomedical represented scientists to build research skills and
Research experience in biomedical research.

The US-South Africa Programme for Collaborative
Biomedical Research was established through BRICS STI Covid-19 Projects
a Memorandum of Understanding between the In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the BRICS
SAMRC and the US National Institutes of Health STI Framework Programme (http://brics-sti.org/)
(NIH) in 2013. Phase 1 of the joint programme was launched a call in July 2020 for multilateral basic,
initiated in 2015 and enabled US and South African applied and innovation research projects in an effort
scientists to collaborate on biomedical research in to facilitate cooperation among the researchers and
the fields of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and HIV-related institutions in the five BRICS countries.
co-morbidities, including malignancies.
The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI)
Phase 2 (2019-2024) expands on the original scientific invited the SAMRC to manage the above call for
areas of interest to also include sexually transmitted project proposals in South Africa on their behalf.
infections, parasitic infections, arboviruses and
emerging/re-emerging viral pathogens, vector Of the seven (7) collaborative projects awarded in
biology and control and the impact of alcohol use 2021-22 under this programme, the following six (6)
on HIV/AIDS. Phase 2 also encouraged collaboration collaborative projects are ongoing.

Project Title Principal Investigator Institution
Multidisciplinary platform based on artificial intelligence Prof. Kelly Chibale University of
for accelerating drug discovery and repurposing for Cape Town
COVID-19

BRICS-ICT Alliance for Smart Resource Utilization to Prof. Hanlie Smuts University of Pretoria
Combat Global Pandemic Outbreaks

SARS-CoV-2 Network for Genomic Surveillance in Brazil, Prof. Tulio de Oliveira University of KwaZulu-Natal/
Russia, India, China and South Africa Stellenbosch University

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2022-23 17