SA universities need R2-billion to save research programmes
JOHANNESBURG - South African universities are in crisis mode.
The freeze in US funding has left major institutions scrambling to save critical health research programmes.
In an urgent appeal, universities, led by the University of the Witwatersrand, have approached National Treasury, requesting R2-billion in local aid to prevent a collapse in research infrastructure that supports everything from HIV and reproductive health to broader public health systems.
The freeze has already resulted in project terminations, staff retrenchments, and massive uncertainty with more cuts looming.
Professor Glenda Gray has been at the forefront of HIV Aids research for decades.
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