Research Promotion Officer

Global Health Corps is building the next generation of diverse health leaders. We offer a range of 13 month long paid fellowship roles with health organizations in Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia and the opportunity to develop as a transformative leader. Everyone has a role to play in the health equity movement!

Research Promotion Officer

PLACEMENT ORGANIZATION NAME: National Health Research Authority
LOCATION: Lusaka, Zambia
ELIGIBLE CITIZENSHIP: Zambia
ROLE CODE: Z02-Nat

About the Organization

The National Health Research Authority (NHRA) is a statutory body established through an Act of parliament, Act no. 2 of 2013. The mandate of the Authority derived from the Act is to provide a regulatory framework for the development, regulation, financing, and coordination of health research and to ensure the development of consistent health research standards and guidelines for ethically sound health research while promoting utilization of research results through knowledge translation to inform policy and programs.

ROLE FUNCTION: Data Analysis / Statistics, Monitoring and Evaluation / Quality Improvement, Research
ISSUE AREA: Health System Strengthening

Role Overview

The Research Promotion Officer will provide support to the National Health Research Authority (NHRA) in developing a functional national health research system in Zambia. This includes helping to regulate the implementation of health research and clinical trials and to support the promotion of health research within and outside the country. The Officer will report to the Chief Research Promotion Officer at NHRA and help coordinate various research promotion activities, including research data management in general as well as data related to epidemics outbreak responses in Zambia and management of the Research Trust Fund.

Responsibilities

• Support the implementation of National Health Research Ethics Board (NHREB) meetings which reviews the protocols from different researchers for authority to conduct research
• Participate in the monitoring and inspection of clinical trials
• Participate in grant writing and protocol development activities
• Assist with data analysis and interpretations of in-house data collection activities
• Create platforms that support evidence-based decision-making
• Offer support for epidemic preparedness and response to institutions that directly respond to epidemics through the following:
  • Offer statistical information from research that will help inform policy
  • Participate in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of ongoing epidemic and outbreak response programs
  • Prepare activity and M&E reports as required and submit research activity reports
• Harmonize, network, and promote public-private partnerships
• Develop and disseminate technical guidelines for conducting research in traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine in order to promote utilization of local remedies and discoveries
• Promote multidisciplinary and intersectoral research collaboration
• Participate in other activities as requested by supervisor

Skills and Experience

Iems indicated with an asterisk (*) are required

• Proficient scientific writer, as evidenced by past technical reports*
• Strong research background, including quantitative and/or qualitative data analysis*
• Experience in data management software like SPSS, SAS, STATA, MS Access, and/or NVivo*
• Master’s degree in epidemiology, statistics, public health, math, social science, or related field
• Experience with grant writing or management (e.g. proposal development, implementing proposed projects, and/or reporting back to donors, especially in a research context)
• Experience with advocacy work
• Experience with capacity building initiatives (e.g. designing or implementing efforts to strengthen an organization’s ability to perform functions, solve problems, and achieve objectives)
• Familiarity with research ethics, ideally in health contexts
• Knowledge of or familiarity with monitoring and evaluation
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment
• Commitment to professional integrity and confidentiality

BENEFITS

• Living Stipend of $700
• Housing allowance of $500
• Professional Development Fund of $600
• Completion Award of $1500 following successful completion of the program
• Health Insurance
• Travel costs to and from Global Health Corps Trainings