SAARC Tuberculosis & HIV/AIDS Centre (STAC), Thimi, Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Nepal

STAC/Advert.R.P.-01/2025

The SAARC Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS Center (STAC) is a regional institution under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), dedicated to combating tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS in the SAARC region through research, capacity building, policy advocacy, and technical support to member states.

STAC is seeking a highly motivated and qualified Research officer to contribute to its mission of advancing scientific research and evidence-based interventions for TB and HIV/AIDS control.

The Research Officer will design, implement, and manage research projects, analyze data and support the development of regional health policies and programs.

Detail information on Qualification, Experiences, competencies, and Job Description

Post          :   Research Officer- (One)
Period      :   Three Years
Level        :   Professional
Age           :   Below 50 years of age as of the date of application call
Location  :   Bhaktapur, Nepal

Minimum Qualification:

a) Medical Graduation, M.B.B.S.
b) Master’s Degree in Public Health or Post Graduation in Epidemiology, Biostatistics or Community Medicine A PhD will be an added advantage.

Experience:

a) Minimum 3 years’ experience in public health research, preferably related to TB and/or HIV/AIDS
b) Experiences in conducting research, evaluation, etc. of national tuberculosis & HIV/AIDS.
c) Proven expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, data analysis, and statistical software (e.g. SPSS, STATA, or R Programming).
d) At least 10 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals.
e) Excellent communication skills, including fluency in English (written and spoken). Knowledge of other SAARC regional languages is an asset.
f) Ability to work collaboratively in a multicultural environment.
g) Strong organizational and project management skills.

Competencies:

a) Analytical thinking and problem-solving
b) Commitment to SAARC’s mission and values
c) Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
d) Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills.

Job Description:

a) Plan, design, and conduct research studies on TB and HIV/AIDS, including epidemiological, clinical, and operational research.
b) Analyze data and prepare reports, policy briefs, and scientific publications for dissemination.
c) Collaborate with SAARC member states, international organizations, and research institutions to strengthen regional research initiatives.
d) Provide technical support for capacity-building activities, including training and workshops.
e) Monitor and evaluate the impact of TB and HIV/AIDS interventions in the SAARC region
f) Contribute to grant proposals and funding applications to support STAC’s research agenda.
g) Represent STAC in regional and international forums, as required.
h) Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of STAC.

Application Procedure:
Detailed information on appointment procedures, terms & conditions etc. is available at the SAARC Division, Ministry of Foreign/External Affairs, and Member States of SAARC. The duly filled out the Application Form & supporting documents for the post with the recommendation of competent authorities must be submitted on or before 15 September, 2025, through the respective Ministries of Foreign/External Affairs to the SAARC Secretariat.

APPOINTMENT PROCEDURE AND TERMS & CONDITIONS
1. Appointment Procedure of Professional Staff for the Centre as per the Service Rules of the SAARC Regional Centers:

The professional staff shall be recruited regionally from SAARC member states. The power of appointment of Professional staff members will rest with the Committee consisting of the Chairperson of the Governing Board, the Director of the SAARC Tuberculosis Centre and a representative of the SAARC Secretary-General. The appointment will be made through a written contract. The contract shall be signed by both the employer and the employee. The contract shall, however, be issued by the Director of the Centre with the approval of the Secretariat.

The Committee shall employ such Staff as are necessary for the normal functioning of the Centre, as per procedures approved by the Twenty-Third Session of the Standing Committee (Male’ 8-9 May, 1997), which is as follows:

“Recruitment should be made through advertisements at the national level and on the recommendations of Governments of Member Countries. The advertisements for this purpose should clearly specify the required qualification, job description and the terms and conditions, attached to each post.”

The appointments of Professionals would be made taking due account of geographic representation from the Nationals of the Member States through open competition after advertisement.
– The Committee in the context of appointment of Staff in this category may seek the assistance of the Member States requesting them to facilitate in selection of suitable candidate having requisite qualifications, to be determined by the Committee, for the post through open competition and on merit.
– The Professional Staff shall be appointed for a period of three years subject to observance of the general guidelines as enlisted below:
i. The applicants will provide all information pertaining to them, their qualification and experience to the Centers along with their applications.
ii. The Director may request the Member State concerned or procure from the applicant any additional information, if required.

iii. The short-listed candidates (2-4) for appointment as Professional Staff should appear for interview before the Selection Committee. Their per diem and travel cost may be paid from the Centre’s institutional budget.
iv. An applicant seeking employment with the Center will confirm in writing his/her acceptance of the offer made by the Center for his/her appointment in the Center.
v. The date of appointment in the Center would be the date when the staff member assumes his/her duties in the Center and renders a charge assumption certificate.
vi. The appointment of the Professional Staff shall be subject to the proviso that no objection is raised by their respective Governments.
vii. Deputation of officials at Regional Centres should not affect their promotion and seniority prospects in their home service.

2. Extension of Tenure of the Professional Staff:
The tenure of the Professional staff may be extended, in exceptional circumstances, to a maximum period not exceeding three years, as recommended by the Selection Committee, with the consent of the nominating Member State, and upon approval by the Secretary General.

3. Probationary Period:
All staff members appointed by the Centre would be on probation for one year starting from the date of their joining the Centre. The Director, with the approval of the Secretary General SAARC will have the authority to terminate the services of the staff member on probation without assigning any reason.

4. Duties and Obligations as per the Service Rules of the SAARC Regional Centres:
The Staff Members of the Center shall perform their duties and regulate their conduct consistent with the interest of the Center and its relevant rules and regulations. The Staff Members in performance of their duties will seek and follow the instructions of the Director and other designated officials in the Center. They will be accountable to the Director of the Centre in performing their duties.

The Staff Members of the Center shall conduct themselves at all times with due regard to the “Efficiency and Disciplinary Rules” of the SAARC Regional Centres.

5. Working Hours as per the Service Rules of the SAARC Regional Centres:
Normal working hours at STAC would be 40 hours per week. (Monday-Friday, the regular office timing of STAC is 9.00 AM to 5.00 PM).

Staff Members may be required to work beyond the normal hours of duty whenever required to do so in the interest of the Centre.

6. Official holidays as per the Service Rules of the SAARC Regional Centres:
The number of official holidays of the STAC shall be 18 days as applicable in the SAARC Secretariat.
7. Leave Rules of the SAARC Regional Centres:
i. Earned Leave:
All Staff Members of the Centers shall be entitled to 30 days earned leave annually.
Leave may be accumulated from year to year. But, as of the last day of December of each year, no more than 60 days of leave may be carried forward for the purpose of utilization. Unutilized earned leave may be encashed once a year by all the General Services Staff.
ii. Casual Leave
Staff members shall be entitled to a maximum of 10 working days casual leave per year. Casual leave may not be taken for more than three consecutive days at one time nor accumulated or carried forward to the next year. Casual Leave may be prefixed or suffixed with Holidays.

iii. Sick Leave
Staff members shall be entitled to a maximum of 24 working days sick leave per year.
Sick leave entitlement may be carried over from year to year, with a maximum accumulation of 2 months. All applications for sick leave must be fully supported by a medical certificate, which should indicate reasons and period given.
iv. Maternity Leave
Maternity leave shall be granted to a female staff member who has served for at least six months. On production of the necessary medical certificate, leave of six weeks prior to confinement and six weeks after confinement will be granted on full pay and allowances. Staff members, who have less than six months of service, may take accrued annual plus sick leave entitlement, and the balance shall be counted as leave without pay.

v. Un-authorized Leave
If an individual is absent from work without prior authorization, payment of salary and allowances shall cease for the period of unauthorized absence. However, if, in the opinion of the Director, the absence was caused by reasons beyond the individual’s control, and the individual has accrued Earned Leave, the absence will be treated as Earned Leave and deducted from the accrued annual Earned Leave entitlement. In case of no Earned Leave available, the Director of the Centre may initiate disciplinary action against the official.

vi. Station Leave
The staff of the Centre shall take station leave from the Competent Authority while travelling outside the station on all occasions including weekends and holidays.
No two kinds of leave shall be combined.

8. Disciplinary Action, Termination of Appointment and Resignation by Staff Member
as per the Service Rules of the SAARC Regional Centres
i. Disciplinary Action:
The Director, with the approval of Secretary-General, SAARC, may take Disciplinary Action against any Staff Member, a provided for in the Efficiency and Disciplinary Rules of the Regional Centres. The Disciplinary action shall be governed by the “Efficiency and Disciplinary Rules” of the Centre.

ii. Termination of Appointment:
The Director, with the approval of the Secretary-General and the Chairperson of Governing Board may terminate the appointment of any Professional Staff/General Services Staff as per contract, if the exigencies of the service required the abolition of the post for the reduction of staff or for reasons of disability or if performance of the staff member proves to be unsatisfactory.
iii. Resignation by Staff Member:
In case a Staff Member decides to voluntarily resign form his/her services, he/she would be required to give one month’s notice to the Centre, failing which he/she shall forfeit one month’s salary.

9. Miscellaneous as per the Service Rules of the SAARC Regional Centres:
i. The Staff Members shall not accept any honour or decoration, favor, remuneration or gift from any source without the approval of Director.
ii. The Staff Members may exercise the right of franchise, in accordance with their national laws, but shall not engage in any political activity.
iii. The Staff Members shall not engage in any outside occupation or employment.
iv. The Staff Members shall not hold financial interest in any business activity or actively associate themselves with its management if such association constitute a separate activity and may affect the performance of official duties of the concerned official.
v. Holding of shares in a limited company shall not constitute a financial interest within the meaning of these rules unless such holding constitutes a substantial control.

vi. The Staff Members, unless authorized by the Director shall not:

• issue statement to either the print or electronic media or any informal agency.
• accept public speaking engagements
• take part in Films, Theatre, Radio and TV productions except in case of poetic,artistic and scientific pursuits.
• submit articles, books or other material for publication except in case of poetic,artistic and scientific pursuits.

10. Enforcement as per the Service Rules of the SAARC Regional Centres:
The Director as the Executive Head of the SAARC Tuberculosis HIV/AIDS Center shall administer and enforce these rules in letter and spirit.
11. Allowances and other facilities of the Professionals as per the Harmonized Provisions relating to the Financial and Administrative matters of the SAARC Regional
Centres.
The sending Member Governments would bear the following costs associated in respect of the Professional Staff of the SAARC Regional Centres:

The sending Member Governments shall continue to pay salaries of the Professional staff of the SAARC Regional Centres and shall bear all costs associated with the joining and return passage of the Professional staff and of their accompanying entitled family members and transportation of personal effects, including packing, handling and insurance charges in accordance with their respective rules and regulations.

Professional Staff of the SAARC Regional Centres shall be entitled to the following allowances out of the Institutional Cost Budget of the Centres:

i. Daily Allowance in lieu of House Rent Allowance:
The Director shall ensure accommodation for the Professional Staff before his/her arrival. In the absence of residential accommodation on first arrival, the Professional Staff shall be entitled to Daily Allowance as per the rates applicable to the centre concerned, up to a maximum of 21 days from the date of arrival in Kathmandu. An accompanying spouse and up to two of the dependent children below the age of 21 years will get 50% of Daily Allowance. The daily Allowance applicable for SAARC Capitals will be as per the Financial Rules of SAARC Regional Centres. The Centre shall try to find and finalize lease deed for suitable accommodation within this period of time. In case a suitable accommodation is not available within this period, the actual cost of hotel accommodation may be reimbursed to the Professional Staff subject to his/her entitled rental ceiling.

Provided that the professional Staff recruited from the Host Government shall not be entitled to Daily Allowance.

ii. Furnishing/Settlement Grant:
The Professional Staff shall be entitled to a one time lump-sum furnishing/settlement grant of USD 2000.00 (Two Thousand) only.

iii. Living Allowances:
The Living Allowance payable to the Professionals Staff of the Centre would be USD 1320.00 (One Thousand Three Hundred Twenty Only). 50% of the Living Allowance of the Professional Staff shall be paid in US dollars and the remaining 50% shall be paid in local currency. The conversion of US dollars shall be the official buying rate of exchange prevailing on the first day of every month.

iv. Residential Accommodation:
The Professionals Staff shall be entitled to unfurnished accommodation within the rental ceiling USD 570.00 (Five Hundred Seventy Only) in equivalent local currency. These rates are applicable in case of new leases and leases to be renewed. All lease agreements pertaining to the residences of the Professional Staff shall be signed by the Centre with the Lessors and payment of House Rent shall be made directly by the Centre to the Lessors.

v. Children Education Allowance:
Professional staff shall be entitled to reimbursement of 90% of school Tuition Fees, including Admission, Registration and other compulsory charges, subject to an annual ceiling of USD 1500.00 (One Thousand Five Hundred Only) per child for a maximum of two children up to Grade XII / A-level. Payment of such charges shall be made directly to the Educational Institution or, reimbursement would be made on presentation of actual receipts from the concerned educational institutions. This Allowance will not be admissible in respect of children undergoing graduate/post-graduate education and for correspondence courses, private tuitions, vocational training or an apprenticeship and part-time or evening education. Any expenditure on uniforms, stationery, books, transport, hostel charges and non-compulsory extra-curricular activities shall not be admissible. Education

Allowance would be admissible for the children studying in the country of duty or left behind in home country of the professional staff.The minimum age of school going children for payment of this allowances will be 4 (four) years.

vi. Medical Facilities:
Professional staff shall be entitled to reimbursement of actual expenses on medical treatment for self, spouse and dependent children, subject to an annual ceiling of US$ 1,500, including 80% reimbursement of hospitalization charges. No reimbursement shall be made for medicines purchased without doctor’s prescriptions and on optical frames/glasses/ lenses, dental treatments e.g. dentures, scaling, surgeries for the purposes of beautification, health care products and health foods.

vii. Home Leave Passage:
Professional staff shall be entitled to Home Leave Passage in Economy class for self, spouse and two dependent children once in their tenure and only after completing eighteen months’ of continuous service. Second Home Leave Passage can be admissible only if the tenure of the Professional staff is extended for another full term and he/she has completed eighteen months in the extended period. No daily allowance or any expenditure on account of stop-overs and transfer charges from and to airport shall be entitled.

Professional staff may opt to avail home leave passage for self, spouse and children to a third country provided that the cost of such passage is limited to the cost of return airfare, including the taxes, by economy class from the Seat of the Regional Centre to the declared home town and return.

viii. Emergency Passage:
Professional staff appointed from Member States other than the host country may be given emergency passage once in their entire term, in case of death of an immediate family member (spouse, parents, children and spouse’s parents) of the official.

ix. Death on Duty:
In case of death of an official, the next-of-kin of the deceased may be granted an exgratia payment an equivalent to three month’s basic salary of the official as an immediate relief.

x. Telephone:
Professional staff shall be entitled to use of a telephone at their residences, except for private long distance calls within and outside respective host countries. Each Professional staff will maintain a Register for his/her long distance calls. A monthly ceiling of US$ 20 will be applicable for the residence phone. Such ceiling shall not include monthly rent.

However, in case of the Professionals from the host country who are appointed on a temporary basis against the vacant posts for a maximum period of one year, they will be entitled to the Living allowance, Residential Accommodation, Medical facilities and Telephone for the specific Professional category applicable to the concerned Regional Centre. No other Allowance shall be admissible.

Related documents

• Click to Download the SAARC Secretariat Circular Letter : SAARC Secretarait Letter
• Click to Download the Research Officer Application Form : Application Form 
• Click to Download the Research Officer TOR : Research Officer TOR

Official announcement: SAARC Tuberculosis & HIV/AIDS Centre (STAC)