The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) was established in 1969 with the aim to deliver on a mandate to promote the improvement of the health and the quality of life of the population of their country through research, development and technology transfer.
What They Do
The scope of the SAMRC’s research includes basic laboratory investigations, clinical research and public health studies. Research at the SAMRC focuses on the ten highest causes of death in South Africa and includes TB, HIV, chronic diseases, alcohol and drug abuse, and women’s health.
In addressing the ills of the people, the SAMRC has set up a dedicated funding department to pay for the development of novel treatment regimens, especially vaccines, as well as improved diagnostic tools. This project is intended to localise the production of new drugs and devices, and thereby allow the South African economy to grow.
The SAMRC further distinguishes and awards scientific excellence with its annual Scientific Merit Awards Gala Ceremony. These awards acknowledge the contributions of established scientists on the one hand, while recognising fresh scientists with ground-breaking efforts in their individual fields of science, engineering and technology.
The MRC’s Innovation Centre (Innovation Centre) is responsible for the managing and commercializing the Intellectual Property emanating from the MRC’s research. The Innovation Centre has uniquely qualified individuals with a lot of experience in the technology transfer and intellectual property issues. The Innovation Centre formulated the MRC’s intellectual property (IP) policy and implements this policy in line with the national policies and legislation. The Innovation Centre also provides comments and recommendations on the new national legislation or amendments to existing legislation relating to intellectual property and technology transfer issues, including amendments to the Patents Act, Biodiversity Act (Access and Benefit Sharing issues), IP Rights Bill on Publicly Funded Institutions, etc.
