PhD Student in Epidemiology to join the HIA4SD project

The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute is the biggest institution for public health, international health and tropical medicine in Switzerland. The institute with over 700 employees delivers a sustainable contribution with its research, education and services to the improvement of health worldwide.

The Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH), within Swiss TPH, develops and applies epidemiological, statistical and mathematical methods to advance innovation, validation and application in the field of public health. Within the Ecosystem Health Sciences Unit of EPH we are currently looking for a committed and enthusiastic PhD Student in Epidemiology to join the HIA4SD Project.

About the Research Project

We are seeking a PhD candidate to join an interdisciplinary team studying the interlinks of natural resource extraction and health-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) 2030 agenda. The candidate will be part of a research consortium that aims to generate an evidence-base at the national and local level on the strengths and limitations of current impact assessment practice in Africa in engaging natural resource extraction projects to work towards health-related targets of the SDG 2030 agenda. The candidate will be a key team member, collaborating with other researchers based in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mozambique, Switzerland and Tanzania.

The position is linked to the HIA4SD project (short description see below), which is funded by the Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development (r4d programme). The r4d programme is a joint funding initiative by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) aimed at solving global problems with a focus on least developed, low- and middle-income countries.

Main tasks

of the PhD candidate are anticipated to be as follows:

• To map and characterize natural resource extraction projects in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania using geographic information system (GIS) software
• To extract pre-selected health indicators from the countries' Demographic and Health Information System (DHIS)
• To collect epidemiological data in the study countries
• To study the association between health-related SDG target indicators and natural resource extraction projects by applying epidemiological data analysis methods
• To write scientific papers
• To present results at conferences and meetings
• To assist in project coordination
• To contribute to teaching

 

Required qualifications:

MSc in epidemiology, public health, another public health-related discipline, or geography. Interest in the areas of epidemiology, public health, infectious- and non-communicable diseases, GIS and biostatistics. Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment for conducting interdisciplinary research with a focus on Africa. Knowledge in biostatics and practical experience in GIS and data analysis using statistical software (e.g. R, Stata) are an asset. Very good English skills (both written and spoken) are a requirement. Additional language skills such as German, French and Portuguese are an asset.

Start of employment: 1 August 2017 (duration of contract: 3 years).

We offer

a challenging and exciting research opportunity in an interdisciplinary and international team on a topic with high public health and development relevance. The PhD is done within a doctoral program of the University Basel and the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), accompanied by a rich offer of continuous education. The salary scheme is according to SNF.

There is no closing date for application, but we encourage applicants to submit their application as soon as possible. As long as the position is published on the website of Swiss TPH it is still open.

Also, note that we can only accept applications via our online recruiting tool. Applications via email will not be answered. Thank you for your understanding.

Please upload your complete application documentation – including motivation letter and references – using the application button below (please use our standardized CV whenever possible).