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Wits Pulls Together R22 Million Relief Amid Major Health Research Funding Cuts

Published

4 months ago

June 19, 2025

Chiraag

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Wits Launches R22 Million Rescue for Health Science Scholars

In a decisive move to safeguard its health research community from a sudden financial crisis, Wits University has announced a R22 million emergency relief fund. This fund is designed to support postgraduate students and essential research staff within the Faculty of Health Sciences, following the abrupt withdrawal of major US government research grants.

Emergency Aid for 75 Students – and Counting

This urgent funding will enable approximately 75 postgraduate students to complete their studies and provide up to six months of support for key health researchers as they seek alternative funding sources. For many, this intervention arrives at a critical time, offering a much-needed lifeline.

Job Cuts Threaten SA’s Research Backbone

Despite this relief, experts caution that the measure is more of a lifejacket than a long-term solution. With up to 2,479 staff positions at risk and R1.8 billion in US government grants lost, the Wits Health Consortium – and South Africa’s wider health science sector – faces the possible dismantling of vital assets. These include:

Longitudinal health studies
Biobanks
Global health surveillance systems
Clinical trial platforms

US Cuts That Rock SA Research

The scale of the funding crisis is stark:

18 USAID/PEPFAR projects – worth over R230 million annually – have already ceased.
Five CDC-funded initiatives, valued at R600 million per year, will end by late September, affecting more than 1,100 staff.
Wits currently holds 126 NIH grants totalling over R410 million annually. Ten have already been terminated, with more at risk before year-end.

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Imgae 1: iStock

A National-Level Call to Action

Wits has formally appealed to National Treasury, via Universities South Africa and the Department of Higher Education, to help fill the R1.8 billion gap left by the US funding cuts.

In the meantime, the university is implementing several cost-saving strategies:

Reducing staff working hours
Reallocating existing grant funding
Using contingency reserves
Securing new support streams for affected postgraduate students

“The crisis caused by the funding withdrawal has immediate and severe consequences not only for Wits but for South Africa’s broader health, innovation, and higher education ecosystems.”
— Professor Lynn Morris, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation