PhD Scholarships in Health Systems Research for Africa


School of Postgraduate Studies Higher Degrees by Research PhD Scholars Programme PhDs scholarships for Health Systems Research in Africa		Home > Prospective Students > School of Postgraduate Studies > Postgraduate courses > Postgraduate Research Courses > PhDs scholarships for Health Systems Research in Africa > PhD Scholarships in Health Systems Research for Africa Who we are We are offering PhD scholarships, funded by Irish Aid (Ireland's official development assistance programme), through a Partnership Programme overseen by Ireland’s Higher Education Authority (HEA). PhD training is one component of the Programme of research capacity strengthening involving three Irish and seven Africa-based Research and Higher Education Institutes. Partners include: The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, The National University of Ireland Galway, the Malaria Consortium, and Institutes in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Uganda. Initially, five scholarships are on offer, as part of the five years of Irish Aid-HEA funding. Three scholarships were awarded in 2008 and we are awarding a further two scholarships now in 2009. Our focus In 2000, the United Nations outlined eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce global poverty by the year 2015. This Ireland Africa Partnership focuses on pro-poor research to address the Health MDGs: - reducing child mortality - improving maternal health; - controlling HIV/AIDS, malaria and other infectious diseases. - reducing child mortality - improving maternal health; - controlling HIV/AIDS, malaria and other infectious diseases. The goal of the Partnership, in support of the Government of Ireland’s development goals, is: to build research capacity in Ireland and Africa and to conduct research that strengthens health systems in Africa to serve the poor more effectively (see Ireland Africa Health Research Partnership ). The main Programme themes are: o Governance: research that contributes to strengthening the capacity of government institutions and the involvement of civil society and other stakeholders in providing services that meet the health needs of the poor. o Human resources for health: research to identify strategies for ensuring that health workers are available, able and motivated to deliver health services, especially to those who are poor or marginalised. o Access and Equity: research that contributes to understanding and overcoming barriers that the poor and other disadvantaged groups experience in seeking to access health services. What we are offering: The PhD Scholarships will include: - Relevant taught modules in the first year of study in Ireland - Guidance in developing a research topic - Supervision by internationally renowned principal investigators - PhD fees paid for up to four years plus laptop computer - Annual stipends to support living expenses in Ireland and Africa - Support to attend international conferences - Support to undertake field work in an African country, including travel costs to and from Ireland. Self-financing students are welcome to apply and should indicate their ability to do so in their cover letter when applying. The fees over the four years will be approximately €24000 depending on the institution the candidate will be registered with; and an annual living allowance for Dublin would be circa €18000 for a single person. Students should expect to be in Dublin for at least the first 12 months and for about 6 months in the final year (Year 4). The ChRAIC PhD training will mainly utilise and adapt taught course modules from the Health Research Board (HRB) PhD Scholars Programme in Health Services Research, which was launched in 2007 and focuses mainly on health services research in Ireland: http://www.rcsi.ie/hsri_phdscholarsprogramme. Some of the modules are from the Masters in Global Health at Trinity College Dublin, launched in 2005 and with a focus on health systems in Low and Middle Income Countries: http://www.medicine.tcd.ie/global_health/courses/masters/. Additional, specifically designed modules focusing on global health and development have also been developed. Most of the Year 1 teaching will be in Dublin and may include shorter periods and occasional over-night stays in Galway and Cork, which are around 3-4 hours train journey from Dublin. Candidates should state their nationality and indicate if they have, or are eligible to apply for, permission to reside and study in Ireland. Year 2 and 3 field work will be in Africa. Candidate selection criteria Candidates should already have either a Masters degree or a first or upper second class honours (2.1) Bachelors degree in a discipline or area broadly relevant to health services research or health service delivery in developing countries. Excellent proficiency in English is essential. Candidates should show evidence of commitment to research and be able and committed to studying in a multidisciplinary environment They should be enthusiastic and committed to the Programme and its aims, and possess excellent communication and writing skills. They should be willing and indicate their availability to spend the first year studying at one of the three Irish Higher Education Institutes. How to apply Email applications only, by Monday 13th April 2009 to chraicadmin@rcsi.ie (putting Irish Aid PhD in the subject header). Applications, in MS Word or similar word processing programme, should include the following: (1) A completed application form which includes a 500 word (max) outline of a possible research topic drafted in the style of a PhD research proposal summary. NOTE: the outline is for illustrative purposes and will not be considered to be the topic that successful candidates will necessarily develop for their PhD (click here) (2) A succinct CV detailing qualifications, research experience to date and names, positions, email and telephone contact details of two professional referees (CV not to exceed 6 A4 pages of 12 font print). NOTE: we may contact referees at the time of short-listing before deciding to interview. (3) A cover letter addressing the above points, especially points highlighted in candidate selection criteria . Timing of interviews Interviews will take place in Dublin in May 2009 For Further Information/Queries about the Programme: Firstly, see Connecting health Research in Africa and Ireland Consortium (ChRAIC). Secondly, please put further queries in writing by email to chraicadmin@rcsi.ie For Further Information about the Participating Irish Institutions: These are the institutional web-links to the most relevant Departments. Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Please click here for information about the two RCSI Principle Investigators with direct responsibility for this Programme: Professor Ruairí Brugha : Professor Sam McConkey : See following for information on the Division of Population Health Sciences at RCSI: More general information is on the RCSI website at: http://www.rcsi.ie/ For Further Information/Queries about the Programme Firstly, see Background to Ireland Africa Health Research Partnership document . Secondly, please put further queries in writing by email to [epi@rcsi.ie]. For Further Information about the Participating Irish Institutions These are the institutional weblinks to the most relevant Departments. Trinity College Dublin (TCD ) Please click here for information about the TCD Principle Investigator who has direct responsibility for this Programme, Dr Steve Thomas http://www.medicine.tcd.ie/health_policy_management/staff/thomass.php See following for other staff at the Centre for Global Health at TCD: http://www.medicine.tcd.ie/global_health/ http://www.medicine.tcd.ie/health_policy_management/ More general information is on the TCD website at: www.tcd.ie National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG ) Please click here for information about Dr Diarmuid O Donovan , who has direct responsibility for this Programme: http://www.nuigalway.ie/health_promotion/staff/diarmuid.htm More general information is on the NUIG website at: http://www.nuigalway.ie/ Back to top