Call for applications for the TDR Postgraduate Training Scholarship- University of the Witwatersrand

Call for applications for the TDR Postgraduate Training Scholarship in Implementation Science for the 2022 Academic Year (starting January 2022)

Background

The University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Public Health invites suitably qualified candidates to apply for a full-time funded Master Degree Programme in the field of Implementation Science. The scholarship is provided by TDR, the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases – hosted at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.

The goal of the scheme is to enhance graduate training capacity in implementation research and boost the number of researchers in low- and middle-income countries. The focus is on implementation research on infectious diseases of poverty, including the neglected tropical diseases, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/TB co-infection and COVID-19. The training is focused on courses relevant to a career in implementation science. Implementation science is a growing field that supports the identification of health system bottlenecks and approaches to address them, and is particularly useful in low- and middle-income countries where many health interventions do not reach those who need them the most.

Further information on implementation research is available at: https://tdr.who.int/home/ourwork/strengthening-research capacity/implementation-research-training-materials and on neglected tropical diseases at https://www.who.int/teams/control-of-neglected-tropical-diseases.

DEGREE PROGRAMME ON OFFER: MSc Epidemiology in the field of Implementation Science (18 months full-time)

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants should:

• Be resident in and a national of a low- or middle-income country in the WHO African Region. (World Bank list of low- and middle-income countries: https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519- world-bank-country-and-lendinggroups) (WHO African Region countries: http://www.afro.who.int/countries)

• Be under the age of 35.
• Be interested in developing a career in implementation research on infectious diseases of poverty.
• Be proficient in English.
• Meet the Programme’s requirements: http://www.wits.ac.za/publichealth/academicprogrammes/postgraduate/master-of-science-in-epidemiology/.
• TDR is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity in science. Applicants are encouraged to apply irrespective of gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious, cultural and social backgrounds, or (dis)ability status.

SCHOLARSHIP PACKAGE

The scheme will provide full scholarships for Masters in the 2022 academic year and covers the following:

• Return economy airfare between the candidate’s home country and Johannesburg, South Africa
• Tuition fees
• Basic medical and accident insurance
• Monthly stipend to cover living expenses, including accommodation
• Support for research project expenses
• Further, recipients’ careers will be tracked with the new TDR Global alumni and stakeholder platform that will monitor the impact of the programme, as well as provide opportunities for networking and increased visibility opportunities for the Fellows.

HOW TO APPLY
The application process is two-fold and each MUST be completed separately

Application to the University of the Witwatersrand

1. Apply by completing a University of the Witwatersrand postgraduate application form online at: http://www.wits.ac.za/postgraduate/applications/ Application fee is R200 for both international and local applications.
2. Application deadline is 31 July 2021.
3. Applicants should also note to:
   i) apply for accommodation at: https://www.wits.ac.za/accommodation/applications/ Accommodation application deadline is 30 October 2021.
   ii) Apply to the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) at: http://www.saqa.org.za/index.php if with foreign certificates, to have certificates evaluated. The SAQA certificate or evidence of application MUST be uploaded as part of the required application documents.
   For more information on applications, please go to: www.wits.ac.za/askwits for general application queries or Mrs Lerato Podile (Lerato.Podile@wits.ac.za)

Application for the TDR scholarship

The application for the TDR scholarship should be made separately in writing and should include the following documents:
a. A letter of motivation for applying for the scholarship.
b. A certified copy of the bio-data page of the applicant’s passport.
c. Evidence of application to study Implementation Science as the field of study in the MSc Epidemiology Programme at University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Public Health commencing in January 2022.
d. A comprehensive curriculum vitae, including a description of relevant research and work
experience.
e. Two confidential referee reports should be sent directly by the referees to:
TDRenquiries.publichealth@wits.ac.za by 31 July 2021. The referee reports label MUST include the student’s name and application number.

The TDR Scholarship applications should be sent to: TDRenquiries.publichealth@wits.ac.za

CALENDAR FOR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

• Application deadline for TDR scholarship 31 July 2021
• Communication of application outcome 30 October 2021
• Applicants who are offered a scholarship will have 7 calendar days to confirm acceptance of the TDR Postgraduate Scholarship after notification of the offer. Any candidate who fails to confirm acceptance within the indicated period will be taken to have declined the scholarship and the offer will be awarded to another deserving candidate.
• Following the selection process, scholarship recipients will commence their studies in January 2022.
• Depending on the COVID-19 context at the time, the course may be delivered in a hybrid format (a combination of face-to-face and online teaching), or entirely online.

Similar Opportunities

• JOINT EMRO/TDR CALL FOR APPLICATIONS ON: IHR(2005) AND HEALTH SECURITY PREPAREDNESS RESEARCH
• IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH WITH EMPHASIS ON INFECTIOUS DISEASES WORKSHOP
• MOOC- LEARN IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH (IR) ON INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF POVERTY ONLINE
• MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE ON IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH IN SPANISH
• CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: 2020-2021 JOINT EMRO/TDR SMALL GRANTS SCHEME FOR IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH ON INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF POVERTY

Recommended Readings

• IR TOOLKIT TO INFORM THE IMPLEMENTATION AND SCALE-UP OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR TB
• ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR HEALTH POLICY AND SYSTEMS RESEARCH
• IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH (IR) IN HEALTH: A PRACTICAL GUIDE
• IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH (IR) TOOLKIT(PARTICIPANTS MANUAL & FACILITATOR’S GUIDE)
• TRAINING COURSE ON ETHICS IN IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH
• WHO TDR UPDATE: ENSURING ETHICAL CONDUCT OF IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH
• SEVEN APPROACHES TO INVESTING IN IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH IN LOW- AND MIDDLE- INCOME COUNTRIES