Call for Applications: 2024 CARTA Research Hubs Postdoctoral Fellowships

Apply on or before: October 28, 2024, 2359hrs EAT

As we advance through the third phase of the CARTA strategy (2021-2025), known as CARTA2025, CARTA has established two research hubs at our partner institutions: The Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases anchored at Makerere University and the DIScovery via CARTA OUtcomes-based Research training and Scientific Excellence (DISCOURSE) Hub on Infectious Diseases and Oncology anchored at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. These hubs are designed to offer research knowledge, training, and expertise in specific thematic areas.

The research focus of the hubs is broad and multidisciplinary, building on the expertise of CARTA graduates and the program’s interventions to enhance research, training, and management capacities. These hubs will serve as centers for conducting multidisciplinary, policy-relevant research, aligned with regional development agendas. The research will address the complexities within selected thematic areas, guided by frameworks encompassing social, environmental, economic, and political determinants of health and health systems strengthening, with a uniquely African focus.

The hubs will also serve as platforms for embedding the research of early career researchers (both doctoral and postdoctoral), offering a space for CARTA fellows from within and outside the institutions to conduct their research, receive mentorship, and thrive in a dynamic, supportive research environment. They will act as catalysts for strengthening the research culture within CARTA partner institutions by providing hands-on training in research management and creating opportunities for career growth, particularly for early career researchers.

To support this objective, CARTA invites applications for four postdoctoral fellowships, with two positions available at each CARTA research hub. Please note that these are two separate calls, and if interested in both, you must submit a separate application for each. Details of the application requirements for each hub are outlined below. 

Fellowship Details

• Duration: The fellowship will last for 12 months. Fellows based in the IDORI DISCOURSE Hub may be eligible for a second-year renewal, contingent on performance.
• Research Focus: Fellows will engage in research activities within the thematic areas of the hubs, contributing to addressing the broad and specific research questions identified in each theme.
• Capacity Building: Fellows will participate in training programs including CARTA programs as both trainees and trainers, enhancing their skills and contributing to the hubs’ educational objectives.

Evaluation Criteria
Candidates will be selected based on their previous research and academic achievements that align with the research hubs’ thematic areas. They must demonstrate a strong commitment to building research capacity at their institutions and show potential for research leadership. 

What the Fellowships will Cover
The postdoctoral fellowship will cover travel expenses and a monthly stipend of $3,000 for up to 12 months of full-time placement. Additional benefits include medical insurance, as well as coverage for research and training costs. Due to the short-term nature of the program, the fellowship does not cover expenses for accompanying dependents.