Fellowships

Data Science Initiative for Africa (DSI-A) training program:

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Data Science

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Scholarship in Health Data Science.

Start date: June 2023

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), in collaboration with Harvard Chan School of Public Health, and Heidelberg University, has been awarded a training grant (U2RTW012140) by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Fogarty International Centre (FIC) known as “WASHA Takwimu” which is Swahili for Ignite Data. WASHA is also an acronym for “Working on Applications for Data Science and Health in Africa”.

This research training programme seeks to build data science research capacity in Africa in the following two global health priorities: 1)  Health systems strengthening, and 2)  Food systems, climate change and planetary health.

UKZN is the hub, and our four spokes in sub-Saharan Africa include, Nigeria (University of Ibadan), Uganda (Makerere University), Tanzania (Muhimbili University), and Ghana (University of Ghana).

Eligibility Criteria:

  • A doctoral degree obtained in the past five (5) years, with a strong background in mathematical sciences in particular Statistics, Data Science, Computer Science
  • The candidates should have a strong interest in health science.
  • All candidates from Sub-Saharan Africa will be considered, but preference will be given to suitably qualified South African citizens or permanent residents.
  • NB: Applications are welcome from staff currently employed at UKZN

Postdoctoral scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis, considering the applicant’s academic achievements.

Please submit the following as part of your application:

  1. A cover letter by the candidate motivating suitability to the position available
  2. A one-page summary outlining your research interest (Health systems strengthening, or Food systems, climate change and planetary health) and how this opportunity may advance your future professional trajectory
  3. A proposal for a postdoctoral research project which will be evaluated on the basis of peer review for its excellence.
    • Rationale,
    • Global health priority area of interest: health systems or food systems, climate change and nutrition
    • Study design
    • Feasibility
    • Details of proposed research site
    • Please indicate clearly if a research supervisor has been identified; if so, provide details
    • Plans for research translation and information dissemination
    • Potential impact of the proposed research project
  4. A curriculum vitae, including (maximum 5 pages)
    • Education (all qualifications),
    • Employment History
    • A complete list of publications to date
    • Conference presentations
    • Other meritorious achievements
    • Current research projects
    • Previous postgraduate support from other training programmes or any previous grant awards.
  5. All qualification certificates and academic transcripts
  6. A copy of your identity document or passport
  7. Two reference letters
    • One letter should be from the institution outlining the career plan of the applicant upon completion of the post-doc

 

Details of the fellowship:

  • The successful applicant will be expected to engage in a two-year training fellowship under the supervision of a team of mentors and the Principal Investigators of the training grant.
  • Programme:
    • The successful candidate will be expected to spend at least 3 months in Boston at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH), 3 months at the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH) and the remaining time at UKZN.  This programme is subject to change.
  • The postdoc award will provide the following:
    1. A flight from home country to South Africa (for candidates outside of Durban).[1]
    2. Two economy round-trip tickets to travel from Durban to Boston (Harvard) and from Durban to Germany (Heidelberg)[2]
    3. Visa costs for entry into the United States of America and Germany
    4. A stipend to support accommodation and other living costs during their time at partner institutions.
    5. Seed funding of up to a maximum of $ 15,000 for research, equipment and software costs, subject to submitting an accepted research proposal.
  • The successful candidate, if not an employee of UKZN, will be expected to complete an employment form under Human Resources regulations for staff members, to access facilities such as the library, personalized e-mail address and receive their monthly payment timeously.

 

Expected Outputs:

  • The successful applicant will be expected to lead research projects and produce scientific publications in the field of health data science.
  • They will participate in teaching and supervision to build their academic profiles. Any teaching and supervision workload will be in accordance with relevant policies of UKZN, including funding guidelines.
  • They will assist in developing course material for the Masters in Health Data Science to be launched in 2026 and to develop and sustain short courses under the direction of faculty mentors.
  • The renewal of the fellowship for the second (2nd) year, will depend on:
    • a minimum of two Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) accredited creative research outputs, in particular journal articles;
    • a satisfactory report from the postdoctoral fellow and supervisor.

Enquiries and completed applications should be forwarded to Dr. Nisha Nadesan-Reddy (Nadesanreddy@ukzn.ac.za). Please use the subject heading: Application for Postdoctoral Fellowship: Health Data Science.  Please note: Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered.

Completed applications need to be submitted by no later than 5pm SAST  on Friday, 27 January 2023.

[1] Visa costs and medical insurance for international students are not included in the award.

[2] Mandatory vaccinations required for entry to the US and Germany are not included in the award