About the job
Position: (1 position) The project seeks to fill one PhD position with a PhD project nested in the C-it-DU-it Trial and Health Economics components. The PhD project will focus on the cluster randomised trial and cost-effectiveness.
Project Description: This project is as a partnership co-led by KEMRI, LVCT Health and LSTM and involving ministry of health at county and national levels.
Project Title: C-it-DU-it: Strengthening community health systems in Kenya through ANC data linkage and use, learning lessons for other contexts.
Introduction: Facility and community health data is rapidly changing from paper to electronic across Kenya. Multiple digital systems are being developed, but these do not link. Community health volunteers (CHVs) and facility staff need to work together using data to monitor and improve uptake of services. Antenatal care (ANC) is an example of a service where this is important as Kenya in adopting WHO’s ambitious target of 8 ANC contacts during pregnancy. This C-it-DU-it aims to demonstrate how to link the data and use it, providing missing evidence on the impact, costs and scale-up of data linkage and use. Our intervention targets the interface between the community and the facility. Data linkage for data use is at its heart with ANC selected as an example of what is possible. Our short name C-it DU-it (pronounced “see-it; do-it”) is an acronym intended to convey ‘seeing’ linked data (C-it) and ‘doing’ or acting on the data (DU-it). A pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial in Homa Bay will tell us the impact of linking digital data and the added value (if any) of combining this with training work improvement teams in data use to drive ANC uptake. We will measure the impact on the number of ANC visits and the effects on pregnancy outcomes and quality of care. Health economic evaluation will identify whether C-it DU it reduces health expenditure for pregnant women accessing and engaging with ANC care and whether the intervention is cost-effective.
Location: KEMRI/Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu
Reporting to: Study Principal Investigators
Expectations of the PhD Candidate
• This will be a three-year, full-time research PhD registered with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), UK
• The PhD student will be based and hosted at KEMRI/CGHR, Kisumu with travel to LSTM in the UK at specified periods for related training and administration purposes.
• The PhD student will develop a research proposal nested within the C-it-DU-it trial and its accompanying health economic evaluation including socioeconomic impact on women seeking and accessing ANC and delivery care and a cost effectiveness analysis, and lead the conduct of specific components of field work related to the PhD project and/or methodology work under the guidance of the supervisory team.
Support for the PhD Candidate
• This is a fully funded PhD opportunity.
• Items covered by the scholarship include.
o Salary at J/G KMR5 for the duration of the training.
o PhD registration fees
o Cost of training attachment at LSTM: airfare, visa fees, accommodation and subsistence
o Cost of dissertation research / fieldwork
Eligibility
1. Must be a Kenya citizen or have permanent residence in Kenya
2. Must have a masters degree or the equivalent from a recognised University relevant to the area of study (medicine, public health, epidemiology, biostatistics or related field) and fulfilment of PhD entry requirements of LSTM. It is the policy of LSTM to consider only applicants that hold a first class, or high upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in an area relevant to the C-it-DU-it studies. Where an applicant does not meet this requirement (e.g. they hold a lower second class undergraduate degree), they may be eligible to apply if they also hold a master’s degree with an awarded distinction or equivalent (in an area relevant to their proposed PhD) and are able to provide an award certificate and transcript for both qualifications. Masters qualifications that have not yet been awarded will not be considered
3. Ability to commit 100% (full) time and effort to the PhD.
4. Previous publications related to the project’s research themes will be an added advantage.
5. Knowledge and skills relevant to the PhD topic (e.g., experience in community health systems strengthening, health systems strengthening, maternal health or related field).
6. Personal motivation of the candidates as demonstrated by their motivation letter and responses during the interview.
7. A candidate already registered for a PhD or holding another fellowship will only be considered if they are willing to drop their current commitments.
Application Procedure
The following documents should be included in the application.
• Current curriculum vitae (use the NIH template for pre-doctoral fellows available on (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm)
• A motivation letter (max 1000 words). This should cover your academic and professional background, any experience relevant to this project and position, why you want to undertake a PhD, what you hope to gain from this PhD and your plans after the PhD.
• Name and contacts of two referees. One should be your current supervisor. Referees should be senior academic and/or professional persons currently or have recently been responsible for supervising you. Friends and family are not acceptable.
Apply to Deputy Director, CGHR, P.O. Box 1578-40100, Kisumu so as to reach him/her not later than May 30, 2023.
Please submit your application through the KEMRI Website www.kemri.go.ke/e-recruitment – E-Recruitment Portal. Please visit the KEMRI web site www.kemri.go.ke for more details on the advertisement.
APPLY ON THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE USING THE LINK BELOW:
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