South Africa confronts a unique and urgent set of health system challenges, compounded by deep socio-economic inequalities. In response, Economic Research Southern Africa (ERSA) is launching a research initiative that focuses on the economics of health and health care in South Africa and strengthens health policy.
Research Themes
The project’s goal is to produce robust, evidence-based research that can guide South African policymakers in developing a health system capable of supporting the country’s broader development. Researchers are encouraged to propose work that focuses on (i) Health System Performance and Financing, (ii) Health Service Design, Costing and Implementation, (iii) Health Technology Assessment, (iv) Equity, Access, and Social Determinants, (v) Behavioural and Informational Economics in Health and (vi) Global and Context-Specific Comparative Health Economics.
For more detailed guidance on research questions under each of these themes along with important guidance on data sources can be found here.
Submission Guidelines
ERSA invites proposals for working papers that provide in-depth analysis of topics that broadly fit within the six thematic areas.
We encourage interdisciplinary approaches combining household, facility, and administrative data. When using such approaches, researchers should be mindful of policy timelines, fiscal cycles, and sectoral silos.
While no restrictions are imposed on data and empirical methods used, studies that use novel data, including survey data, will be prioritised. Still, descriptive and qualitative research remain highly valued.
Compelling proposals that require primary data collection will also be considered, although the budget for this type of research is limited, and such projects also need to be completed within 12 months.
To summarise, proposals should demonstrate:
- Clear policy relevance
- Academic novelty
- Feasible use of available data sources
- Alignment with one or more of the priority themes
- Click here for proposal template and guidelines
Proposals are to be submitted by completing the submission form below. The deadline for the submissions is 2 February 2026. Proposals will be reviewed by ERSA’s Research Committee, with external feedback as needed. To reduce the risk of impartiality, committee members will be prevented from commenting on proposals from their colleagues. Authors of successful proposals will be notified by 23 February 2026.
Expectations Placed on Accepted Proposals
- Present preliminary findings at a researchers’ workshop in July 2026.
- Present near-final findings at a conference in December 2026.
- Submit final papers to the ERSA Working Paper Series by January 2027.
- Submit policy brief or executive summary by April 2027.
Ownership and Dissemination
Researchers will retain ownership of their work. ERSA reserves the right to promote and disseminate the research findings to the broader academic and policy community. The Research Committee may request periodic progress reports.
Funding
Final papers will be published in the ERSA Working Paper Series, subject to the formal review process. Papers accepted for publication will receive R50,000. Researchers must also provide a policy brief, executive summary, or economic note summarising their findings. Additional funding of up to R100 000 is available for primary data collection, subject to an assessment of value for money.
