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| CENTRE FOR INNOVATIVE DRUG DEVELOPMENT & THERAPEUTIC TRIALS FOR AFRICA (CDT-AFRICA)
COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES | ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY | ADDIS ABABA | ETHIOPIA |
PhD fellowship for African Women
Background
The Centre for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa) is a World Bank-supported regional center of excellence for education and research at Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with responsibility for eastern and southern Africa. The main aim of CDT-Africa is to serve as a platform for equitable access to interventions (drugs, vaccines, diagnostics and complex interventions) and bring about sustainable development in Africa through high-quality capacity development for innovative medical discovery and development.
The Department of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University is highly active in the field of research and post-graduate training. The Department has been successful in obtaining internationally competitive research grants to support large programmes of work, with recent funding from the Welcome Trust, Stanley Medical Research Institute, DIFD and the National Institute of Health (USA). There has also been high research output in terms of peer-reviewed publications.
CDT-Africa and the Department of Psychiatry are partnering for innovative joint research and education programs, amongst of which is providing PhD fellowship opportunities to outstanding students. As part of this partnership, CDT-Africa plans to provide financial and technical support to African women who would be admitted to pursue a PhD in Mental Health Epidemiology (MHE) at the Department of Psychiatry for the 2023 academic year. The overall objective of the MHE program is to provide high-level professionals who are capable of designing and performing independent research that would address the pressing issues in mental health, teaching in health training institutions, and contributing to the development and appraisal of mental health policy and services.
The current opportunity is specific to the new National Institute of Health Research Global Health Research Group in Homelessness and Severe Mental Illness (HOPE) which is based in Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya under the auspices of Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation (AMHRTF). The HOPE programmes seeks to understand the priorities, experiences and needs of people who are homeless and have severe mental illness, co-develop interventions, and implement and evaluate interventions at larger scale. The successful candidate would conduct their fieldwork with AMHRTF, Kenya. AMHRTF is dedicated to conduct research in mental and neurological health and substance use to generate evidence for policy and best practice in the provision of affordable, appropriate, available and accessible stigma-free mental health services.
AMHRTF brings together the widest possible spectrum of professionals from both mental health and non-mental health fields to work together under one roof working in research and interventions in mental health.
The successful candidate will be expected to attend courses and register for their Ph.D at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. It is expected that she would be able to prepare their proposal within one year.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this fellowship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Woman national in Kenya (as the “HOPE” study is based in Kenya);
- Hold MD/MBChB with specialty certificate or MSc (with thesis) in Mental Health, Public Health, Biostatistics, Psychology, Social Work or other health-related fields;
- Completed the MSc with CGPA ≥ 3.40, or achieved a minimum academic standing of ‘B’ (75%) in their postgraduate studies;
- If she holds an MSc without thesis, published two papers in reputable journals;
- Submit a preliminary research proposal and successfully pass entrance examination given by the Department of Psychiatry, and obtain admission at Addis Ababa University; and
- Be able to enrol and attend the program on a full-time basis from 2023 academic year (January 2023).
Fellowship
- The fellowship covers a modest monthly living allowance, dormitory, medical coverage, and funding to support research projects.
Application
- Applicants should submit i) three letters of recommendation, ii) a PhD proposal, iii) examples of previous research and written work, iv) official transcripts from all previously attended institutions of higher learning, v) a statement of personal and professional goals, and vi) an up-to-date curriculum vitae (no more than four pages)
- Application documents must be submitted in electronic copy via email to Dr. Tsegahun Manyazewal (tsegahunm.cdtafrica@gmail.com) copying Bethlehem Fekadu (bettyfek2010@gmail.com).
- Application deadline is 08 November 2022.
- Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.