Background

Makerere Biomedical Engineering Programme under the Department of Physiology is glad to advertise for positions under its new project ‘Promoting Universal Health Coverage for Amputees through Social Enterprise and Engineering Innovation’ (Prosthetics project). The project focuses on promoting universal health coverage (UHC) and strengthening health systems for amputees in Uganda. It builds on multi-disciplinary EPSRC- and MRC-funded research establishing the prevalence of limb loss; service-users’ experiences of attempting to access and receive services and innovation in the design of ‘Fit-For-Purpose’ body-powered prostheses. Our long-term aims are to use our innovations in prosthesis design, coupled with fine-resolution modelling of demand, to pilot new, distributed prosthesis service models, characterized through our collaboration with Joint Medical Store. We will pilot a Public private partnership model to help support the more effective integration of foreign aid with one or more of the new service models. Towards the end of the project, we will bring together the key stakeholders to develop a larger scale project which will explore how we can build on the lessons learnt in this study.

Position 1:    Research Assistant (1)

Reports to:   Principal Investigator and Co-Investigators

Engagement:           Full time

Duration:      1 year, renewable upon satisfactory performance and availability of funds

Duty Station:           Mainly Fort Portal

Roles and responsibilities

1. Actively engage in project documentation, questionnaire and ethics protocol development, journal article writing and publication, report writing, and project documentation.
2. Conduct key informant interviews, FGDs, administer questionnaires, and verbatim transcription of interview recordings
3. Participate in data collection and analysis using SPSS, or Nvivo, and documentary and thematic analysis of records and reports.
4. Engage in longitudinal multi-method ethnographic research, and analysis of causal dynamics
5. Analyse existing supply chains, health PPP in P&O, and health systems policies, and coordinate engagements with key stakeholders to make recommendations for optimal national distribution mechanisms
6. Co-design PPP agreements at national and institutional levels, and support the auditing of need for PPP mechanisms between P&O players
7. Preparation of progress reports
8. Any other activities as assigned by the Principal Investigator, and Co-Investigators from time to time

Qualifications:

• Degree in Medical related fields
• Good project management skills
• Evidence working with supply chain service evaluation for at least six months
• Demonstratable research experience in global health & health systems
• Experience in strategic Management & Resource mobilization
• Excellent quantitative and qualitative skills demonstrated through publications
• Previous experience working with and coordinating an international multidisciplinary team
• Ability to multitask and perform duties outside job description
• Experience forecasting, quantification, procurement, storage and distribution of Essential Medicines and Health Supplies
• Experience in managing requisitions and distribution of medical commodities using the newly introduced Integrated Hospital Information Management System
• Good scientific writing skills
• Evidence of previous work with the team will be an added advantage

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested candidates should submit a one-page cover letter, CV (maximum 2 pages) with relevant certificates & two reference letters as a single digitally signed PDF file to mrcprosthetics2022@gmail.com and a copy to birungijoanah@gmail.com, by 17:00 hours on 30th October 2022. Indicate, “MRC Prosthetics” in the subject line. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.