US funding cuts put R2.5bn SA sci-tech research at risk
The US funding cuts expose that South Africa’s science, tech and innovation funding model is not sufficiently resilient, as nearly R2.5 billion in research activities remain at risk.
US funding cuts to South Africa's national system of innovation have put nearly R2.5 billion in research activities and over 2,000 research positions at risk, according to a Ministerial Working Group report. The cuts, which stem from the US federal research funding withdrawal following allegations of anti-white discrimination and targeted killings of Afrikaner farmers, threaten major research programs, especially in public health.
Clinical trials have been halted, research and development value chains disrupted, and vital public health services compromised. While the broader shocks have exposed South Africa's heavy reliance on limited foreign funding, with foreign funders accounting for 17.3% of the country's gross expenditure on research and development, the report emphasizes the need for a stronger and more resilient domestic funding architecture.
The working group recommends prioritizing measures to ensure scientific sovereignty, meaningful engagement with international collaboration, and protection of intellectual assets while placing science at the center of societal efforts.
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