Senior Research Fellow/ Research Fellow

Context and Role

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.8 aims to deliver universal health care which includes access to quality essential health care services for all. In order to achieve universal health care, health systems need to have robust primary health care (PHC) systems. The 1978 Alma Ata Declaration, which was re-affirmed at Astana in 2018, emphasised that PHC provides the base upon which strong health systems are built. Consequently strengthening PHC is an essential mechanism to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite this PHC performance worldwide is lagging and and there is little high-quality evidence available on how to identify, test, and disseminate effective strategies to strengthe PHC systems.

In 2016, a collaboration involving Ariadne Labs, the Primary Health Care Performance Initiative and the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research initiated work funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to inform the development of a Primary Health Care Measurement and Implementation Research Consortium. The goal of the research consortium is to develop and maintain a global PHC research network led by organizations based in LMICs. It will conduct prioritized and policy-relevant research to support country and global efforts to build high-quality PHC systems in pursuit of effective universal health coverage and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals.

Seven organisations have been initially supported by BMGF to develop and evidence informed research agenda in consultation with stakeholders globally. The research was published in a supplement of BMJ Global Health available here https://gh.bmj.com/content/4/Suppl_8. The founding members of the PHC Research Consortium include the following organisations:

● American University of Beirut, Lebanon

● Ariadne Labs, USA

● George Washington University, USA

● International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (icddr,b), Bangladesh

● Primary Care and Family Medicine Network (Primafamed), Sub-Saharan Africa membership with core in University of Ghent and Stellenbosch University

● The George Institute for Global Health

● World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA)

The George Institute India is hosting the operational administrative core for the Research Consortium and is seeking to recruit a senior research fellow/research fellow to work closely with the Director and the Research Consortium Steering Committee represented by the organizations listed above.

The successful candidate will be part of the India Better Care program with strong links into all PHC related research at the Institute. He/ she will have a specific role in supporting the research activities of the PHC Research Consortium.

This role reports to  Director of the Primary Health Care Research Consortium

Duties and Responsibilties:

•Be part of a small team supporting the operations of the PHC Research Consortium

•Facilitate the running of virtual Steering Committee meetings, the annual face to face Steering Committee and External Advisory Committee meetings.

•Assist in identifying and applying for funding opportunities

•Support the design and implementation of two implementation research projects to be completed by end 2021

•Work with internal and partner communications teams to disseminate awareness of and engagement with the PHC Research Consortium.

•Assist the Director in preparing reports on progress for the funder(s)

Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

•Background expertise in health policy and/or systems research, with a relevant degree

•Previous research and program evaluation experience in low and middle income countries

•Able to lead and contribute to the development of peer-reviewed publications

•Experience working in multidisciplinary teams

•Experience working in complex environments, managing relationships with external partners and engaging senior internal and external stakeholders desirable

•Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work well flexibly, i.e. both independently and with a variety of teams

•Identify and undertake professional development opportunities to increase personal capacity in health systems science

•Competency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint.

•Competency in the use of statistical and qualitative software packages desirable; ability to liaise with biostatisticians, health economists, and qualitative researchers

•Strong desire to expand personal knowledge and capacity in the area of health systems research.

•Understanding of confidentiality and privacy laws and guidelines relevant to medical and public health research.

Interested candidates should send their resume with full contact details, clearly mentioning the job title ‘SRF/RF Global Primary Health Care Consortium’ in the subject line to hrindia@georgeinstitute.org.in by the 31 March 2020.

Our big and bold mission to improve the health of millions of people worldwide needs a diverse and innovative team to deliver it.  So we foster a dynamic, inclusive and flexible workplace where each individual can bring their best selves to work.

Everyone is encouraged to apply, including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with a disability, people of all gender identities and sexual orientations, and mature-aged adults.