Poliomyelitis Research Foundation (PRF)

The Poliomyelitis Research Foundation (PRF) is South Africa’s major funder of virology research. The PRF is an incorporated association not for gain, governed by an honorary board of trustees from business, industry and senior virology, and advised by a Scientific Advisory Panel of heads of virology departments from universities and institutions across the country.

Registered name

Poliomyelitis Research Foundation (PRF)

Type

Non-profit association (virology research funding)

Fields funded

Honours, master’s and doctoral study in virology

Website

prf.ac.za

Email

prf@nicd.ac.za

Phone

011 555 0395

Born from the polio epidemics

The PRF originated in the late 1940s as a response to poliomyelitis, which took a heavy toll in South Africa as it did in the United States and Europe. James Gear, a pioneer of South African virology, started a programme to develop a polio vaccine locally, inspired by America’s March of Dimes fundraising campaign. A not-for-profit trust fund was set up under Johannesburg’s deputy city treasurer H.W. Anderson.

The effort faced controversy. The Union government refused support, and prominent doctors criticised the plan. Nevertheless, £600 000 raised through events such as the Snowball Procession allowed the PRF to open its laboratories in 1953 under Professor Gear. Soon after Jonas Salk announced successful vaccine trials, South Africa became one of the first countries to administer polio vaccine widely.

From laboratories to an endowment

By 1976 the PRF laboratories had grown too large for a voluntary board, and the National Department of Health took them over. The PRF’s funds derive from the R1.1 million proceeds of that 1976 sale, invested in a managed share portfolio that an investment advisory committee reviews four times a year. The laboratories’ successor is today’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases, where the PRF is based.

Virology bursaries

The PRF awards bursaries for BSc Honours (one year), MSc (up to two years) and PhD (up to three years) in virology, broadly defined, at recognised South African institutions, with preference for citizens and permanent residents. Master’s and doctoral renewals depend on annual supervisor progress reports, and graduates must submit a final bursary form and publication list. Because research grants and bursaries need so much funding, the PRF has suspended post-doctoral fellowships and travel grants.

Bursary applications for 2027 close on 15 September 2026, and research grant applications close on 28 February each year. Late applications are not considered.

How to research the PRF

Talk to your supervisor early, because the application needs signed forms from your supervisor and institution. Read about James Gear’s work to understand the tradition you would join.

See our Postgraduate Bursaries page and the SAMRC scholarship.