The SD Gupta School of Public Health, IIHMR University in Jaipur, India, is pleased to announce a Call for applications for the award of TDR postgraduate training scholarships leading to a 2-year Master of Public Health (MPH) postgraduate programme, with a focus on implementation research, for the academic session 2024–2026, beginning in October2024.
Funding for these full scholarships is being provided by TDR, the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, hosted by the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland (https://tdr.who.int/). A scholarship will be granted to 11 candidates who are resident in a low- or middle-income country (LMIC) of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (https://www.emro.who.int/countries.html) and two candidates who are resident in India.
Implementation science is a growing field thatsupportsthe identification of health system bottlenecks and approaches to address them and is particularly useful in LMICs where many health interventions do not reach those who could benefit from them.
The goal of this scheme is to enhance graduate training capacity and augment the number and quality of researchers in LMICs. The training will focus on courses relevant to a career in Implementation research with a focus on four major challenges affecting infectious disease of poverty using a one health approach; Epidemics and outbreaks; Control and elimination of disease of poverty; climate change’s impact on health; and growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
Further information on implementation research is available here.
Study areas
Scholarships will be offered for the academic session 2024–2026 for a 2-year MPH programme with a focus on implementation research. It will be a full-time programme to promote problem-based experiential learning. Ideally, recipients will be offered on-campus teaching with their thesis project on implementation research being undertaken in their home country. Recipients will be encouraged to adopt a health approach in their project, to focus on the key strategic domains related to the infectious diseases of poverty, which include epidemics and outbreaks, disease control and elimination, the effects of climate change on public health and the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
The programme will be in English, with recipients enrolled as postgraduate students. Recipients must register on the TDR Global platform (https://tdr.who.int/activities/tdr-global ), which is designed to provide networking opportunities for all TDR alumni and stakeholders.
Eligibility
The applicant should:
- be a national of and resident in India or be from an LMIC of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean
Region (see the list above); - be under 37 years of age at the time of application;
- be interested in developing a career in implementation research to address major global challenges such as epidemics and outbreaks, control and elimination of diseases of poverty, the effects of climate change on public health and the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
- hold either a Bachelors and/or Master’s degree in Health Sciences(Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery, including allied Health Sciences) or in Social Sciences (Anthropology, Public Health, Food and Nutrition, Sociology, Psychology or any other Social Sciences Discipline);
- be an employee of an academic or research institution, not for profit organization, or ministry of health or its agencies in an LMIC of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region or in India for the two Indian national candidates; be able to identify a local supervisor or mentor before the commencement of the programme (preference will be given to applicants currently working with health programmes);
- have proficiency in oral and written English and basic biostatistics;
- meet the academic requirements: a Bachelor’s degree with a cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 3.0 out of 4.0, TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper based) /at least 80 (internet based) or IELTS score of at least 5.5; and have basic computer skills, including Microsoft Office and Data Analysis Software.
- Candidates with 2–3 years’ experience in a relevant fields may be given weightage.
The applicant is expected to:
- meet the University’s requirements for international postgraduate students, such as a valid passport, appropriate visa and travel documents;
- submit a Statement of Purpose and letter of recommendation from a current or former supervisor;
- be interested in developing a career in implementation research on infectious diseases of
poverty; - submit a No Objection Certificate from their department/employer and documentedpermission to obtain study leave from employment (if applicable) before programme commencement;and
- agree to meet health requirements in line with the regulations of the Government of India and IIHMR University.
What the scholarship covers:
- Return economy airfare from the home country to Jaipur (two visits).
- Tuition and academic fees. 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. - Basic medical and accident insurance.
- Board and lodging for the duration of stay on the IIHMR campus from 1 October 2024to 15 October 2025 (on campus in-residence is compulsory).
- In the first year, a monthly subsistence allowance to cover cost of living expenses such as food,
transport, etc. - In the second year, financial support towards practicum project expenses during data collection.
Note: Candidates who do not have their TOEFL / IELTS scores can submit them up to 20 June2024.
How to apply
Candidates should submit their application online through the IIHMR University portal. Complete details of the IIHMR MPH (IS) program, admission process and registration for application is available on the IIHMR website: https://applications.iihmr.edu.in/master-of-public-health-implementationscience-mph-is-program To apply, you must complete the following steps:
- Step 1. Register and create login credentials Log in or sign up and choose Master of Public Health under Discipline, then click “Master of Public Health (Implementation Science)” under the “Select Program”dropdown.
- To apply, click the link APPLY NOW and create logincredentials.
- Step 2. Complete and submit the online application form
- The application form must be completed and the required documents uploaded prior to submission.
- Only completed forms accompanied by the required documents will be accepted. Shortlisted applications will be contacted for further assessment through an interview process.
- Final selection of candidates will be done in conjunction with TDR, considering gender and geographic representation.
- Selected candidates will receive a letter of offer from the University. Candidates must confirm their acceptance within seven days of notification. The University reserves the right to refuse admission or end attribution of scholarship if any ofthe information provided by the candidate is proven to be false.
Timelines
- 15 April: Call for Applications
- 15 June: Last date for submission of completed applications
- 20–30: June Review of applications
- 1 July : Invitation to shortlisted applicants for interviews
- 7–10 : July Interviews
- 30 July : Final selection subject to TDR scholarship acceptance
- 26–30 : September Arrival at IIHMR University and orientation
- Early October : Academic session begins
For more information, please contact:
Program Coordinator
Master of Public Health (Implementation Science) Program
SD Gupta School of Public Health
IIHMR University 1, Prabhu Dayal Marg, Near Sanganer Airport
Jaipur – 302 029
Rajasthan, India
Phone: +91 141 392 4700
For guidance and support with regard to application process and filling of admissionforms:
[email protected]
For all other queries related to MPH (IS) programme:[email protected]
