Discovery Foundation

The Discovery Foundation was launched in 2006 and is an independent shareholder of Discovery, with its own trustees. It forms one arm of Discovery Holdings’ black economic empowerment transaction. The principal aim of the Discovery Foundation is to invest in the education and training of medical specialists and the development of academic and research centres, with a particular focus on those areas with the greatest need.

Over a 10-year period, the Foundation will support the training of approximately 300 new medical specialists with four different awards that address the areas of greatest need. We expect that the value of these awards will be in excess of R100 million over this period. The Discovery Foundation Awards will include scholarships, bursaries, and research fellowships as well as support for teaching and research institutions.

The Discovery Foundation Awards recognises the achievements of outstanding healthcare champions and encourage specialist medical training and human resource development through four specific awards. The awards will be made annually.

1. Discovery Foundation Academic Fellowship Awards
   Aimed at promoting research-based focused training in Academic Medicine and the development of clinician scientists
2. Discovery Foundation Rural Fellowship Awards
   Aimed at attracting and retaining medical doctors in rural areas by facilitating access to resources and opportunities to develop professionally
3. Discovery Foundation Sub-specialist Awards
   Awards to address the shortage of funded training posts in HPCSA-registered sub-specialities at accredited South African academic and affiliated institutions
4. Discovery Foundation Excellence Award
   An award to boost healthcare resources by recognising an organisation that shows excellence in service delivery, training and innovation

These awards aim to promote:

1. Research-focused training in Academic Medicine in South Africa
2. Developing ‘clinician scientists’.

R4.8 million a year to be distributed among the three categories of awards:

1. Registrars with outstanding MMed projects: up to R200 000.
2. Clinicians embarking on full-time Masters by dissertation: up to R600 000.
3. Clinicians embarking on full-time Doctoral research: up to R800 0000.

Closing date: 4 October 2011

The recipients will receive funding for postgraduate research or salary
The recipients will have the opportunity to take on a period of full-time study and research towards Masters or Doctoral degrees.

The recipients will be able to do research overseas
During this time an academic fellow may choose to spend structured, research-focused time at a research centre overseas. Preference will be given to applicants who work full-time on research. However, limited clinical work in an academic setting will be acceptable.

The candidates should be registrars or recently-qualified specialists
These awards are targeted at individuals who are in the later years of registrar training or who have recently qualified as specialists.

Key principles and criteria

• Candidates must be South African citizens and residents.
• The Discovery Foundation will only consider candidates with clearly defined research projects that have the support of the host institution.
• Candidates’ work must be of value in its application to clinical teaching, research and development.
• Proposed research should contribute to medical knowledge and its application in public healthcare and Academic Medicine.
• For international studies, research projects must be structured and take place at one or two host institutions.
• In the case of full-time registrars, the award may be used for research or research-related travel. For those engaged in full-time Masters or Doctoral research, the funds are intended as salary to enable recipients to focus on their research, unencumbered by clinical duties.
• Preference will be given to partnerships between medical schools, where fellows will acquire skills at an established unit for transfer back to their home institution.
• Application and selection process
• Institutions are asked to publicise the awards internally to encourage the best candidates to apply.
• The number of applications from any one institution is unlimited.
• Short-listed candidates must be available for interviews.
• Applicants must complete the application form on page 12.

Payment and reporting

• Successful candidates are expected to report bi-annually, including both a narrative and financial report.

• Awards to address the shortage of funded training posts in HPCSA-registered sub-specialties at accredited South African academic and affiliated institutions.
• Successful faculties will receive funding for two years and will recruit trainees directly.
• Five awards, each up to the value of R1 300 000 (R650 000 p.a. x 2 years).
• Closing date: 4 October 2011

A need for sub-specialist training programmes
The first two years of the Discovery Foundation Specialist Awards highlighted the lack of sub-specialist training programmes at South African medical academic institutions. While many training programmes for registrars exist, few funded training positions are available for sub-specialist training.

An award to boost sub-specialist training and Academic Medicine
The Discovery Foundation Sub-specialist Awards aim to improve medical skills by boosting sub-specialist training and Academic Medicine in South Africa. The awards also aim to contribute towards the research output of departments that receive funding.

Funding for salary components of existing training programmes
The Discovery Foundation will contribute towards the salary of trainees in existing and accredited training programmes for up to five fellowships each year. The value of the awards is up to R1 300 000 for each fellowship over two years. The Discovery Foundation will award the funds once institutions have identified and recruited their best candidates.

Key principles and criteria

• Institutions should have existing HPCSA-accredited sub-specialist training programmes.
• The sub-specialist programmes should preferably be in areas of particular need.
• Preference may be given to programmes with a research component that is clearly defined in the training curriculum.

Application and selection process

• Faculties of health sciences, and not individual candidates, must submit applications.
• The funds will be awarded for two years, and the departments receiving the awards will be expected to recruit candidates directly.
• Institutions must give attention to recruiting trainees from previously disadvantaged groups.
• Individual faculties may send applications for up to three fellowship posts in different disciplines.
• The Discovery Foundation will only consider applications from departments accompanied by letters of support from the relevant institution.
• Preference will be given to partnerships between medical schools, where trainees will acquire skills at an established unit for transfer back to their home institution at the end of the training period.
• Applicants must complete the application form on page 14 of the application brochure.

Payment and reporting

• The value of the awards is up to R1 300 000 each for five fellowships, and will contribute towards the salary of trainees.
• An amount of R10 000 will be withheld from the final payment, payable on confirmation of sub-specialty certification by the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa.
• The Discovery Foundation must be informed as to how trainees will be paid. If paid via university payroll, cost recovery should be waived. The Discovery Foundation will consider specific payment arrangements, depending on circumstances, to maximize the value of the awards.
• Under exceptional circumstances the Discovery Foundation will consider making part of the award available for purposes other than salary. In such cases the relevant faculty or host department must state why the salary is not required and how funds are to be deployed.
• Recipients who leave a programme before completion will be required to refund 50% of received amounts.
• The host institution and specialist trainee must send written progress reports after the first year and a final report on completion of the two-year period.
• Recipients will be expected to sit for the certificate examinations of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa on completion of the training programme.
• Universities and recipients will be required to enter into a formal agreement with the Discovery Foundation in order to validate the above terms and conditions.

These awards aim to:

1. Attract and retain medical doctors in rural areas by facilitating access to resources and opportunities to develop professionally
2. Identify worthy medical graduates specialising in Family Medicine whose interests, training and future are mainly in rural medicine
3. Set up or improve a career in rural communities
4. Create opportunities to exchange knowledge between senior administrators and practitioners in rural medicine.

• Awards of between R250 000 and R500 000 (total available R3 million).
• Closing date: 4 October 2011

Awards in three categories will include:

1. Individual awards
2. Institutional awards
3. Distinguished Visitor awards.

1.   Individual awards

 Awards of between R250 000 and R500 000 each (total available R1 million) for:

• Family Medicine registrars whose interests, training and future are mainly in rural areas. The awards are for professional development or to invest in resources that will improve working conditions.
• Senior rural doctors or Family Medicine specialists working in rural medicine.

The awards are to provide for sabbatical leave of three to six months that has an academic focus (training, self-development or a research project) and is associated with an established academic institution.

2.    Institutional awards

Awards of between R250 000 and R500 000 (total available R1 million) for facilities in rural areas that need support for a training and development programme. This programme would strive to improve the quality and delivery of healthcare through capacity building of staff and resources. Facilities must be linked to an academic unit.

3.    Distinguished Visitor awards

Awards of between R250 000 and R500 000 (total available R1 million) for current or retired senior clinicians who would contribute towards improving rural health through sharing knowledge and transferring skills by giving their time to one or more health facilities in a rural area. The award covers salaries and arrangements for travel and accommodation that would normally extend over several months.

Applications may be from individuals or facilities, as long as there is an operational plan that defines what the visitor would do for the identified facilities. With facility applications, the proposed visitor’s willingness to provide the support must be documented. With individual applications, the request of the facility for the support of the visitor must be documented.

Key principles and criteria
Except for applicants in the Distinguished Visitor category, applicants must be South African citizens or permanent residents, or South African facilities.

Application and selection process

• Registrars applying for an award should be supported by their academic institution.
• Doctors applying for sabbatical support should provide a commitment from the academic institution which will host them or with which they will be associated.
• Facilities applying for institutional awards must include a supporting motivation from the academic unit to which they are linked.
• Institutions should publicise the awards internally to encourage the best candidates to apply.
• The number of applications from specialist trainees at any one institution is unlimited. Each application must include a formal confirmation that the candidate has been accepted for study in Family Medicine.
• Short-listed applicants must be available for interviews.
• Applicants must complete the relevant application form on page 16, 17 or 20 of the application brochure

Payment and reporting

• Each award will be paid in a lump sum directly to the successful individual.
• For the institutional awards, grants will be paid in a lump sum directly to the institution.
• A detailed written progress report should be sent within 12 months of receiving the grant.

Summary

• An award to boost healthcare resources by recognising an organisation that shows excellence in service delivery, training and innovation.
• One award of up to R1 million.
• Closing date: 5 January 2012

Key principles and criteria

Applicants must:

• be based in and operate in South Africa
• have operated for two years and have a proven track record
• quantify the impact of their work as far as possible.

Application and selection process

• Organisations must be actively engaged in work that improves delivery of healthcare to disadvantaged communities, whether through research and development, training, innovation, medical practice or the upgrade of services.
• Applicants are limited to not-for-profit organisations, public sector health facilities, universities or other organisations that show excellence in service delivery or training.
• Such programmes may include recruitment, support for, and retention of healthcare professionals.
• Projects could be aimed at education and training in health sciences.
• Programmes could also focus on upgrading healthcare services and piloting models aimed at boosting resources and improving the work environment of healthcare professionals.
• Mandated representatives of short-listed applicants must be available for interviews.
• Applicants must complete the application form on page 22 of the application brochure.

Payment and reporting

• This is a once-off monetary award of up to R1 million.
• The award will be paid in a lump sum directly to the successful organisation or institution.
• The recipient must send a detailed written progress report within

15 months, showing how the funding was used, the benefits of the projects taken on, and the lessons learned. A senior representative from the organisation may need to attend a function to report on the organisation’s progress.