BIOSTATISTICS (SSACAB) II PROGRAMME
APPLICATION DEADLINE: JULY 31, 2023
DESCRIPTION:
| Title | Sub-Saharan African Consortium for Advanced Biostatistics (SSACAB) |
|---|---|
| Consortium Members | Six African institutions Two northern partner institutions Nine collaborating institutions |
| Lead Institution | University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg |
| Funding Source | Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training, and Science in Africa (DELTAS Africa) program, supported by the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA), Wellcome Trust, and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) |
| Objective | Enhance biostatistical skills and capacity among researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa |
ELIGIBILITY:
| Eligible Candidates | – Strong background in Statistics, Mathematics, Demography, or other quantitative fields – Candidates from health science fields, such as biomedical sciences, pharmacy, and medicine – Candidates who completed masters’ coursework and require research support |
|---|---|
| Nationality Requirement | Nationals of low and middle-income countries in the Sub-Saharan African region |
| Age Requirement | Applicants should be under 35 years old |
MSc SCHOLARSHIP PACKAGE:
The MSc scholarships for the 2024 academic year include:
| Covered Expenses |
- Tuition fees and basic medical insurance
- Monthly stipend for accommodation and living expenses
- Support for the MSc research project and supervision
- Travel costs between the academic training institution and the host research institution |
ADDITIONAL MSc SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION:
Applications must include the following documents:
| Required Documents |
- Comprehensive curriculum vitae with relevant research and work experience
- Letter of motivation for pursuing an MSc in Biostatistics
- Certified copies of academic transcripts and degree certificates
- Evidence of acceptance or application to study Biostatistics at a partner institution in 2024
- Two confidential referee reports sent directly to the training institution |
RESEARCH QUESTIONS TO BE FUNDED:
SSACAB II is interested in funding research on the following seven key questions:
- How can data science, machine learning, deep learning, or artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms enhance personalized treatment for patients with communicable and non-communicable diseases in Africa?
- How will the spatial and temporal occurrence and patterns of critical diseases in Africa respond to predicted climate and environmental changes, and how will this impact public health and development outcomes?
- Can we identify the relationship between personal characteristics, environmental changes, and diseases through causal modeling and structural equation modeling?
- How can we use observational data to assess interventions where clinical trials are unethical or to evaluate ongoing public health interventions?
- What methods can be used to account for missing data in health research?
- How can we use bioinformatics to enable laboratories to analyze their own omics data?
- What biostatistics methods can be used for data triangulation and synthesis of evidence?
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PARTNERS’ ROLE ON THE SEVEN QUESTIONS:
| Partner Institution | Research Theme |
|---|---|
| Wits University | – Machine learning and AI algorithms for enhancing population-based prevention and treatment of diseases – Spatial and temporal methods for understanding the impact of climate variability and change on human health and development |
| University of Abomey-Calavi | Causal modeling, eco-epidemiology, and structural equation modeling to identify relationships between personal characteristics, environmental changes, and diseases |
| University of Kwa-Zulu Natal | Modeling missing data, including complex high-dimensional correlated data, in health research |
| Moi University | Using observational data to assess interventions when clinical trials are not feasible |
| KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme | Bioinformatics for enabling laboratories and research institutions in Africa to analyze their own -omics data |
| University of Pretoria and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) | Biostatistics methods for data triangulation and synthesis of evidence |
| London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) | Providing senior statistical advice and co-supervision support for all research themes |
| University Medical Center Utrecht | Providing senior statistical advice and co-supervision support for all research themes |
HOW TO APPLY:
The application process consists of two steps:
- Apply for admission to the preferred host training institution.
- Submit a separate written application for the DELTAS Africa SSACAB II scholarship to Dr. Pascalia Munyewende (pascalia.munyewende@wits.ac.za) with a copy to Prof. Eustasius Musenge (eustasius.musenge@wits.ac.za).
Eligible applicants should have applied for a place at either the partner or collaborating
institutions offering postgraduate biostatistics degree programs.
The scholarship is open to nationals of low and middle-income countries in the Sub-Saharan
African region who are resident in the region as per World Bank definition:
https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519#Sub_Saharan_Africa
FULL LIST OF PARTNERS AND COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:
| Institution | Country | Institutional Lead | |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of the Witwatersrand | South Africa | Tobias Chirwa | Tobias.Chirwa@wits.ac.za |
| University Medical Center Utrecht | Netherlands | Daniel Oberski | D.L.Oberski@umcutrecht.nl |
| University of Abomey-Calavi | Benin | Romain Glele Kakai | glele.romain@gmail.com |
| Kemri Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) | Kenya | Samson Kinyanjui | skmuchina@kemri-wellcome.org |
| University of Pretoria and South Africa Medical Research Council (SAMRC) | South Africa | Samuel Manda | samuel.manda@up.ac.za |
| University of KwaZulu-Natal | South Africa | Henry Mwambi | mwambih@ukzn.ac.za |
| Moi University | Kenya | Ann Mwangi | annwsum@gmail.com |
| London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) | United Kingdom | Jim Todd | Jim.Todd@LSHTM.ac.uk |
| University of Zambia | Zambia | Patrick Musonda | pmuzho@hotmail.com |
| University of Nairobi | Kenya | Patrick Weke | pweke@uonbi.ac.ke |
| Makerere University | Uganda | Nazarius Tumwesigye | naz@musph.ac.ug |
| University of Malawi | Malawi | Jupiter Simbeye | jsimbeye@unima.ac.mw |
| University of Namibia | Namibia | Lawrence Kazembe | lKazembe@unam.na |
| Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College | Tanzania | Michael Mahande | jmmahande@gmail.com |
| Stellenbosch University | South Africa | Taryn Young | tyoung@sun.ac.za |
| University of Gondar | Ethiopia | Tadesse Awoke Ayele | tadesse.awoke@uog.edu.et |
| MRC Unit, The Gambia | The Gambia | Nuredin Mohammed | Nuredin.Mohammed@lshtm.ac.uk |
| Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology | Ghana | Emmanuel Kweku Nakua | manyorogh@yahoo.com |
| ISTM, Kinshasa | DRC | Prof Marie Claire Omanyondo | claireoma30@yahoo.com |
Please note that the Northern Partners listed above provide supervision support and will not be training students.
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