M-HIRST GISMapping March 2024 ADVERT

The Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Formerly Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) and College of Medicine (COM), is a comprehensive health and allied sciences higher learning institution with the primary function of training health workers. Its mission is “to be an academic centre of excellence in the training of doctors and other health professionals in clinical service and medical research, responsive to the health needs of Malawi and its neighbours within the Southern African region”. Through postgraduate training, KUHeS expects to develop and mentor clinicians, public health practitioners and scientists who will become leaders and game-changers in their areas of speciality to transform the health sector in Malawi and globally. Since 2015, the National Institutes of Health-Fogarty International Centre in the USA has been funding the KUHeS and University of North Carolina to establish and roll-out the Malawi HIV Implementation Science Research Training (M-HIRST) Program which aims at building and strengthening local capacity for conducting Implementation research studies to generate evidence that accelerates the scale up of evidence-based HIV interventions.
The Malawi HIV Implementation Research Scientist Training (M-HIRST) program is seeking applications from postgraduate students, academics, research scientists, program implementers or policy makers from institutions that conduct health-related research or implement HIV programs in Malawi, who have interest in or are currently conducting Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping activities. Applicants will complete a physical GIS course in collaboration with University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, School of Global Public Health and will be required to do a research project applying GIS tools in their respective fields for a maximum of 18 months. All successful applicants will be co-supervised by course facilitators.
This course will emphasize on developing core practical skills in using QGIS and R software as applied to disease mapping. We will use a longitudinal approach of supporting and supervising research projects developed by course participants. Course participants will be mentored and supported for 18 months as they develop their projects up to manuscript writing. High performing participants will be selected for further mentorship to become potential local mentors for junior researchers interested in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) applications in disease epidemiology.
This course is fully funded by MHIRST and will be taught in Mangochi from 15th to 19th August, 2022.