(AGENPARL) – Mon 26 January 2026 MEDIA RELEASE FROM WITS UNIVERSITY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
26 January 2026
Helping hand for health sciences students
Oppenheimer Memorial Trust grant brings some relief to Wits health sciences researchers and students hit by US funding cuts.
Wits University has received a R7 million grant from the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, providing much-needed relief to postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and staff in the Faculty of Health Sciences who have been affected by recent funding cuts from the United States.
The grant will run for two years and is intended to support salaries and operational costs for researchers whose work was placed at risk following the sudden withdrawal or reduction of US funding streams. The support comes at a critical moment for Wits and South Africa’s health research sector, which has faced significant uncertainty as international funding landscapes shift.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at Wits, Professor Lynn Morris, welcomed the support, noting that it would help protect both people and programmes at a time of considerable pressure. “The withdrawal of US funding has had a profound impact on health research in South Africa,” says Morris. “This grant from the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust allows us to retain critical skills, support emerging researchers and ensure continuity in work that has direct relevance to the health and wellbeing of our communities. We are grateful for this support.”
She adds that postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers are particularly vulnerable during funding disruptions. “These researchers represent the future of our health sciences workforce. Supporting them now is an investment in the long-term sustainability of health research and innovation in the country.”
Earlier this year, Wits highlighted the impact of the loss of US funding on health research, warning that vital projects and highly skilled researchers were at risk of being lost to the system. Wits’ Council allocated R22 million to help ease the burden but it was a long way off from the funding that was withdrawn.
“This grant provides critical support to our staff and postgraduate students at a time of great uncertainty, helping to protect livelihoods, sustain training and keep essential health research on track. We are deeply grateful for this support, which makes a tangible difference to the people at the core of our Faculty,” says Professor Aletta Millen, Assistant Dean for Research in the Wits Faculty of Health Sciences.
About the Grant
The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust grant will support postgraduate students, postdoctoral fellows and staff members for both operational and programmatic costs, allowing Wits to respond flexibly to the most urgent needs within the Faculty.
Tracey Webster, CEO of the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust says that the Trust recognises the urgency of the situation facing South African universities. “Health research is a public good, and the loss of funding places not only individual researchers at risk, but the broader research ecosystem,” says Webster. “This grant is intended to provide breathing room for talented researchers and students whose work remains essential, even in a changing global funding climate.”
The grant forms part of the Trust’s Higher Education funding portfolio.
“As universities continue to navigate a volatile global funding environment, partnerships such as this play a crucial role in safeguarding our research excellence and ensuring that critical health research can continue despite external challenges,” concludes Morris.
Link https://www.wits.ac.za/news/latest-news/general-news/2026/2026-01/helping-hand-for-health-sciences-students.html
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Tiisang Monatisa
Communications Officer