FHI 360 – Makerere University School of Public Health Research Fellowship Opportunity 2024-2025

Overview

The Makerere University School of Public Health in collaboration with FHI 360 is seeking applications from eligible candidates for a fellowship opportunity as described below. The FHI 360-Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) Research Fellowship aims to strengthen local competence and provide young Ugandans with increased applied health research skills and early exposure to global research partnerships through experiential learning. The selected fellow will receive high-level mentoring, gain hands-on experience aligned with global research standards and best practices, and create pathways for mutual learning and increased collaboration between MakSPH and FHI 360. The proposed fellowship for 2024-2025 is as follows:

Expanding the integration of DMPA-SC self-injection in intervention areas of the USAID Uganda Health Activity

Eligibility Criteria

• Currently enrolled in second year of a master’s program at MakSPH, specifically Master of Public Health Fulltime or Master of Health Services Research at time of application
• Applicant in good academic standing
  • Student must have a minimum CGPA of 4.0 as of their last examination marks verified by the MakSPH Principal Register
  • Student must be on normal progress with their course work and other academic deliverables
• Applicant is expected to work for 12-15 hours per week for 10-12 months
• Applicant is not planning to take a leave of absence during the fellowship
• Completed application and letter of recommendation required
• Applicants who have already secured scholarships or financial support for their studies from other sources are not eligible to apply
• Women and students from minority and/or marginalized backgrounds encouraged to apply
• Applicants should be committed to meeting deadlines, able to work in teams, highly organized, detail-oriented, willing to work in a fast-paced environment, and have good interpersonal skills
• Able to work in a hybrid scenario that would include some remote work and some in-person work at the FHI 360 Uganda office

Duration

October 2024-September 2025

Financial Terms of Reference

The following would be provided to the fellow during the fellowship period:

• Tuition and fees for two semesters
• Health insurance coverage for the duration of the fellowship
• Monthly stipend

Application Package

• Fully completed application, including responses to short-answer questions
• Resume or CV
• Copies of bachelor’s academic transcripts and degree certificates; transcripts or testimonial of first year of master’s courses completed
• Reference letter from one MakSPH faculty member 

How to Apply

• Interested persons should fill out the application forms located HERE and submit all required documents
• Deadline for receipt of application is October 9, 2024

APPLY HERE

Expanded Project Description

This three-year award will be implemented by FHI 360 in close collaboration with USAID’s Uganda Health Activity (UHA). It is building on the bridge funding received under DISC 1.0 to reach 327 health facilities in 26 districts with Moment of Truth (MoT) and DMPA-SC self-injection (SI). This project will focus on scale-up within those 26 districts, and in the four PSI districts (Jinja district, Jinja city, Oyam, and Lira) as well, to achieve saturation. The first two years of this project will be activity and expansion focused, while the last year (Year 3) will focus more on maintenance and sustainability.

The current SI tools are designed for clients of public health facilities in more urban areas. There is a need to adapt these tools for a more rural audience and the Village Health Team (VHT) channel and their supervisors. The fellow will be tasked with conducting a rapid landscape assessment of SI training materials, reporting tools, and job aids to understand and identify the key challenges and barriers with rolling out MoT and DMPA-SC SI to VHTs and how to address these challenges. This assessment may also include select key informant interviews with stakeholders engaged in the rollout of the MoT. Based on the findings from this assessment, the fellow will support the co-creation and testing of SI tools for the Community Health Worker (CHW) channel that will be used by the VHTs engaged under the DISC 2.0 award in Uganda.

The fellow will also support the documentation of learnings and best practices, led by the monitoring, evaluation, and learning officer. We will follow a collaborating, learning, and adapting model to ensure the project is taking time to actively reflect on the activities and implementation and to improve as needed to achieve desired outcomes and best results.

The selected fellow will complete this activity with the Project Manager as a supervisor and primary mentor. They will also be supported by a Technical Advisor in Global Programs and Science (GPS) based in the US as an additional mentor.

Expected Competencies to be Gained by Fellow

• Practical experience with a large, global non-profit organization 
• Shadowing, mentoring, and training opportunities with successful research, technical, and/or program management professionals 
• Conducting rapid landscaping assessment and key informant interviews
• Facilitating co-design workshop and rapid testing of tools and job aids
• Understanding and applying the collaborating, learning, and adapting framework to project implementation
• Experience working with an inter-disciplinary team addressing global family planning challenges

Key Deliverables

• Landscape assessment
• SI tools adapted for VHT channel
• Documentation of learnings and best practices, including the potential to submit and present an abstract at a national conference

APPLY HERE