Application Invited for PhD Fellow

Application Invited for PhD Fellow

Doctoral education at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen (UiB), in collaboration with Dhulikhel Hospital

Two PhD scholarships are available for a fixed term of three years. The candidates will take part in the doctoral education program and complete the requirements at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen (UiB), that leads to the PhD degree. The candidates will be affiliated with Dhulikhel Hospital and based in Nepal.

Project Background:

The candidates will work on the project titled “Implementing a life course approach in antenatal and postnatal care settings for prevention and reduction of non-communicable disease risks in Nepal (IpreventNCD)”. This project is funded by the Research Council of Norway and Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council through an international joint call on a life course approach to the prevention and reduction of common non-communicable disease risk factors, organized by the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases. The IpreventNCD project is led by Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) and the University of Queensland, and will be carried out in partnership with Dhulikhel Hospital, UiB, and the Nepal Health Research Council.

In IpreventNCD, our goal is to work with users and stakeholders to understand the barriers and enablers for implementing NCD risk reduction interventions in antenatal and postnatal care settings in Nepal. We will use these barriers and enablers to develop implementation strategies. Finally, we will assess whether the NCD interventions and implementation strategies are acceptable, feasible, and effective in reducing NCD risks among young women during and after pregnancy.

The candidates will play central roles in mapping the barriers and enablers, as well as in developing implementation strategies in collaboration with users and stakeholders. They will collaborate closely with the researcher team, which includes members from various research institutions, and stakeholders in Nepal, and have access to the resources and networks of the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases.

Key Responsibilities Include:

The candidate will:

• Acquire a solid understanding of implementation research, and NCD interventions
• Collect data and examine the barriers and enablers for implementing NCD preventive interventions in antenatal and postnatal care settings in Nepal
• Cocreate implementation strategies with stakeholders and users, tailored to the local context and the identified barriers and enablers 
• Conduct statistical analysis and/or qualitative analysis
• Write scientific articles for publication in international peer reviewed journals
• Contribute to the organization of meetings and seminars to disseminate results
• Maintain and establish national and international collaborations with relevant colleagues and research environments

Qualifications and Personal Qualities:

The applicant must:

• hold a master’s degree or equivalent in Public Health Science, Global Health, Epidemiology or another relevant field, or a health profession degree at master level, and be in line with the educational admission requirements at UiB (normally a four-year foreign bachelor’s degree / a three-year Norwegian bachelor’s degree, and a two-year master’s degree that includes a master thesis of at least 30 credits (a full semester’s workload)). More information here.
• be able to cooperate and communicate with others, and effectively develop relationships and networks
• be able to work independently in a structured manner
• be reliable and responsible, with a strong work ethic and capacity
• have the motivation, and ambition and ability to carry out a PhD project
• be fluent in oral and written English. The proficiency in English must be documented  when applying for the PhD programme at UiB. More information here.
• be a Nepalese citizen
• have experience of the Nepalese health care system, and/or from relevant research is an advantage, but is not essential
• have experience as first author on scientific publications published in English in international, peer-reviewed journals is an advantage, but is not essential

Organization:

The candidates must apply for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Medicine, UiB. An application for admission to the PhD programme must be submitted no later than one month after the start of the PhD fellowship.

UiB adheres to HK-dir’s guidelines for the approval of foreign education. More information here. As an attachment to the application for admission to UiB, it is compulsory for the applicant to attach a HK-dir evaluation or proof that they have applied for such an evaluation. The evaluation from HK-dir will take time, and we recommend that you apply as soon as possible.

The current PhD rules and regulations at UiB are that each candidate must spent a minimum total of 3 months in Bergen while undertaking their PhD.

We can Offer:

• An interesting job with exciting development opportunities, including the the opportunity to produce high-quality research results
• Access to a large international network of highly qualified researchers
• A PhD stipend for the period of 3 years (36 months)
• Mobility stipend (travel to UiB, and support for relevant conference/academic participations)
• Living allowance when the candidate must be physically present at UiB.

Your Application must Include:

• A brief account of your research interests and motivation for applying for the position (maximum one page).
• An updated CV with at least two referees.
• A complete list of publications and scientific work you want to be evaluated.

Application Submission and Deadline:

Apply with the above details in ipreventncd@dhulikhelhospital.org  with cc to Biraj Karmacharya birajmk@gmail.com , and Kjersti Mørkrid Blom-Bakke KjerstiMorkrid.Blom-Bakke@fhi.no by  April 3, 2024.

General information

For further information, please contact Kjersti Mørkrid Blom-Bakke KjerstiMorkrid.Blom-Bakke@fhi.no