Call for Applications – DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Health Systems, Complexity and Social Change – Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 (1 post)

The School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape (SOPH) is seeking to appoint one Postdoctoral Fellow attached to the SARCHI Chair in Health Systems, Complexity and Social Change (Prof Asha George) and her collaborators, beginning as soon as possible in 2025. Please read the eligibility requirements carefully before applying.

The purpose of the SARCHI Postdoctoral Fellowship is to contribute to:

• career development in health systems research, with a specific emphasis on developing a pipeline of South African scholars;
• building this field with partners in South Africa, and internationally;
• enhancement of the capacity of the UWC School of Public Health.

The Chair is advancing the following streams of interlinking research locally, regionally and globally:

• Gender, intersectionality and other social power relations, as well as the social change methodologies to better understand and transform them.
• Frontline health worker’s lived realities and how action research approaches can improve their work environments.
• Queering health systems, understanding how to support more inclusive health systems with LGTBQI+ communities. 

REQUIREMENTS

Eligible applicants are required to have:

• completed a PhD in Public Health or a related field in the last five years. For applicants who did not obtain their qualification in South Africa, a valid SAQA certificate should be in hand at the time of application.
• have citizenship of a sub-Saharan African country or be an expatriate African. Preference will be given to South African citizens or permanent residents.
• experience and expertise in qualitative and quantitative research skills, literature reviews, research prioritisation
• experience conducting participatory research, gender analysis, a focus on equity and queer theory
• previous research experience in health systems approaches to sexual and reproductive, maternal and adolescent health.
• experience working as part of a team.
• have a strong academic record with evidence of research experience and peer-reviewed publications.

Advantageous skills

• Project management experience.
• Experience organising and facilitating online and face to face workshops and engagements.
• Experience with social media also preferred.
• Fluency in French

The Postdoctoral Fellow will be expected to contribute to research, teaching and supervision activities linked to these areas in the SOPH and participate in in-person and online meetings that are inclusive of all members at SOPH. Any teaching and supervision workload will be in accordance with relevant policies, including funder guidelines

The fellowship is initially tenable for one year starting in 2025, and is valued as per the NRF guidelines (which is currently a stipend of R320,000 per annum (tax-free) with an additional R50,000 for other research expenses). Renewal for a second year will be considered depending on satisfactory academic progress and continued funding.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Eligible candidates should provide the following:

• A cover letter motivating for the candidate’s suitability to the positions available
• A one page summary outlining their research interest/project
• A CV including all conference attendance, publications and other scholarly research output
• Evidence of publication record and writing skills (which can be copies of or a link to a relevant peer-reviewed publication)
• An academic transcript
• Copy of SAQA certificate (if required)
• Names and contact details of at least 3 referees who have supervised or worked with the candidate and can speak to their experience and skills

 Enquiries and completed application should be forwarded to Ms Tamlin Petersen tpetersen@uwc.ac.za  Please Use subject heading:  Application for SARChI Postdoctoral Fellowship

Completed applications need to be submitted by no later than

5pm on Monday 17 February 2025.  

The University the Western Cape reserves the right to change the conditions of award, or to make no award at all. The award will be dependent on final approval of the applicant by the National Research Foundation.