Funding opportunities

New Groups, Units and Centres: The establishment of new Research Groups, Units and Centres has been put on hold until further notice. If and when the process is re-initiated, it will be implemented in accordance with the MRC’s new Research Strategy (2005-2010)

Existing Groups, Units, Centres & Lead Programmes. Existing MRC research entities undergo and/or participate in two major processes.

Annual progress report and budget application
The directors of MRC Research Groups, Units, Centres and Lead Programmes are required to submit and annual research progress report and budget application. This report address a number of progress related issues in that it:

• outlines the research achievements and/or progress realized in particular in the preceding 12 months and generally in the last 3 years,
• lists the research outputs produced during this period,
• outlines the research plans for the future as well as
• request a budget for the subsequent year.

The submission is made either on a diskette or as an e-mail attachment to the Division Manager for Research Administration (Dr T Maitin: thabi.maitin@mrc.ac.za).

Applications are considered by the Research Grants Committee during one of their meetings in November and/or March (will be stipulated at time of request for submissions). The MRC Grants Committee then recommends a performance rating based on the progress and achievements of each entity as outlined in the submission. This rating is used by the MRC’s Executive Management Committee to allocate the annual funding for the entity for the applicable year.

The Annual Progress Report and Budget Application should be submitted according to the new Annual Reporting format for MRC Groups, Unts and Centres/Lead Programmes. (MSWord format, 68 kb) As funding is allocated to the director based on progress and productivity of the centre/unit/group/lead programme, CVs of individuals are not required.

End-of-term review
The review of the performance of an MRC research entity  (Group, Unit, Centre or Lead Programme) is meant to test, amongst other things, the extent to which the entity has been successful in delivering on its stated and approved research mandate and other system-wide requirements (such as capacity development). Research Groups are reviewed in the third year of their approved four-year term. Research Units, Centres and Lead Programmes are reviewed in the fourth year of their approved five-year term.

The director of an entity that is due for review is reminded / notified by the MRC’s Research Administration Division  on or before the 28th February of the year of the review. In preparation for the review the Director and the Research Administration Division will undertake several steps:

• The Director supplies the MRC with a list of potential reviewers who can be part of the panel that will conduct an onsite review of their entity.
• A suitable date for the onsite review is be set.
• The Director submits in electronic format their comprehensive and updated Curriculum Vitae PLUS a complete and up to date list of the research outputs of the entity to the Manager for Research Administration (Dr T Maitin, thabi.maitin@mrc.ac.za) by the 13th  April. These documents are utilized by the MRC’s Informatics and Knowledge Management Directorate to undertake a scientometric analysis of the research outputs of both the Director and the entity.
• The Director submits a self-evaluation report in electronic format to the Research Administration Division by the 30th  April.
• The MRC identifies and recruits a panel of reviewers to conduct an onsite review of the entity concerned.
• A review report is written by the review panel and referred to the Director for comment.
• The review report is then submitted to the MRC’s Executive Management Committee and then to the Board for final ratification of the recommendations of the review.
• The outcome of the review is implemented by the MRC and the director of the entity (and/or their host institution in the case of extramural entities)

Contacts at the MRC

• Mr Clive Glass
  Administration enquiries and deadlines
  Tel: +27 (0)21 938-0891 / E-mail: clive.glass@mrc.ac.za