The Royal Society-DFID Africa Capacity Building Initiative is a programme for scientists in sub-Saharan Africa who want to collaborate on research between themselves and a research institution in the United Kingdom (UK). The overall aim of the scheme is to strengthen the research capacity of universities and research institutions in sub-Saharan Africa by supporting the development of sustainable research networks. The programme consists of two awards and will be delivered in two stages: Scientific Network Awards and Programme Grants. Applicants must be based in one of the eligible sub-Saharan African countries or the UK. Applications will be accepted in these research priority areas: water and sanitation, renewable energy, soil-related research, and value and tenure. The next round of funding opens on 1 November 2012.
Jobs and Announcements
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Health Systems Trust has initiated an annual Emerging Public Health Practitioner Award and is calling on all young and emerging public health professionals to submit articles for inclusion in the South African Health Review (SAHR). The winning entry will be published in the SAHR and the winner will receive a cash prize of R5,000 (US$600), as well as meet with senior HST staff members to discuss areas for future interaction and collaboration. The competition is open to South Africans under the age of 35. Judges will be assessing submissions according to the following criteria: relevance of the topic to the local and international public health community and current policy environment in South Africa; scientific rigour and intellectual clarity; degree of innovation and originality; identification of good practices and hindrances to policy implementation; and possible policy implications.
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is calling for applicants for its new Postdoctoral Fellowship in Community-Based Research. CAMH trains students and fellows in the field of mental health and addictions and the purpose of the fellowship is to provide a postdoctoral fellow with training in the techniques and principles of community-based research on mental health and addictions. Fellows can propose research in any area related to mental health and addictions, and can be supervised by any CAMH scientist. In addition to the usual academic requirements of CAMH fellows, successful candidates for this fellowship will be required to show that: their proposed research question is seen as a priority for the community under study; community members and/or organisations will be actively and meaningfully engaged in the research; and the research is likely to have a tangible impact for the community.
The University of Cape Town (UCT) and University of the Western Cape (UWC) Schools of Public Health are calling for interested candidates to apply for two Postdoctoral Research Fellowships to start in January 2013. The successful candidates will be required to register at UCT or UWC and will join the CHESAI team, where they will be expected to contribute to its work and to facilitate communication and joint learning between UCT and UWC. This collaboration is based on the understanding that Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) is an emerging field within the broader terrain of health research, with conceptual and methodological foundations that require substantial development. The overall aim for CHESAI is, therefore, to contribute to expanding and strengthening the health policy and systems knowledge base in Africa through building an intellectual hub for HPSR in Cape Town, South Africa, creating spaces for engagements between researchers and practitioners, supporting African HSPR capacity development and sharing/disseminating HPSR conceptual and methodological innovation.
The Centre for Civil Society within the School of Built Environment and Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal is calling for expressions of interest in a funded PhD position supporting AIDS advocacy research. Specifically, drawing upon experiences in South Africa and other African countries in which civil society advocacy has promoted stronger HIV/AIDS policies, the project considers how systems of governance help or hinder effective policies and implementation. The candidate will be based at the Centre for Civil Society for a period of 3 years commencing in 2013, and receive a generous bursary and tuition support.
The People's Charter for Health is a statement issued by the People’s Health Movement coalition calling for universal health care. It is the most widely endorsed consensus document on health since the Alma Ata Declaration of 1978, which was the first international declaration underlining the importance of primary health care and health as a human right. The Charter was formulated by the participants of the First People's Health Assembly held at Dhaka, Bangladesh in December 2000. Nearly one-and-a-half thousand participants from 92 countries attended the Assembly, which was the culmination of 18 months of preparatory action around the globe. At the Assembly, they reviewed their problems and difficulties, shared their experiences and plans, and created the Charter, which is now the common tool of a worldwide citizen's movement committed to making universal health care a reality. All organisations and individuals who agree that health is a social, economic and political issue and, above all, a fundamental human right are invited to endorse the Charter if they have not already done so.
CHESAI is calling for expressions of interest from African policy-makers and mid- to senior-level managers in the public health system in a short-term sabbatical of one to three months in Cape Town, South Africa. CHESAI is a four-year collaborative endeavour between the Schools of Public Health of the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC), funded by the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC). UCT and UWC are engaged in research and policy development with health system decision-makers on a range of health policy and systems’ issues, and also offer teaching programmes in these fields. Applicants must be working as a policy maker or manager in the public health system in an African country and have substantial experience in public health sector management and leadership to share and draw on. The sabbatical is an opportunity for you to contribute to and participate in health policy and systems research activities, such as a seminar series, and the wider academic life of the hosting organisations, an opportunity to read and engage with other practitioners and with researchers working in this field, and you will be given space to write up and present some of your experiences, with the aim to publish a paper or article.
The theme of this year’s South African HIV Clinicians Society Conference is 'Striving for Clinical Excellence'. The Conference will focus on clinical content, setting it apart from other conferences held to date in South Africa. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are welcome to attend presentations by senior faculty members from the region and abroad delivering talks relevant to clinical care.
The International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) and Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) are hosting the 21st IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion, 25–29 August, Pattaya, Thailand. The conference aims to contribute to the development of equity and social justice across the globe by offering a unique platform for dialogue on the best investments for health between participants from various sectors from all over the world.
Are you planning to attend the Second Global Health Symposium? If so, UHC Forward is looking for bloggers to write about universal health care at the symposium for the UHC Forward website. Please email Nkem Wellington for more information at the email address given.