GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) PhD fellowships in Biostatistics for African Students 2018

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world with headquarters in London and in collaboration with the DELTAS Africa Sub-Saharan African Consortium for Advanced Biostatistics (SSACAB) programme is offering funding to support a PhD in Biostatistics Students in order to build capacity and to train the next generation of biostatisticians.

Application Deadline: 31st March 2018

Eligible Countries: African countries

To Be Taken At (University):

1. University of the Witwatersrand
2. Universities of KwaZulu-Natal
3. University of Nairobi, Kenya
4. Stellenbosch University
5. University of Malawi
6. Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Unversity College, Tanzania.

About the Award: This PhD degree programme focuses on quantitative research in health-related fields with the aim of developing a career in Biostatistics, which is a growing field in low and middle-income countries due to increased biomedical research. Therefore, the goal of this financial support is to enhance Biostatistical graduate training capacity and boost the number of researchers and practitioners in low and middle-income countries.

Type: PhD, Fellowship

Eligibility: 

• The GSK scholarship is open to nationals outside South Africa and in particular targeted towards individuals in Francophone countries interested in getting trained at partner institutions in the consortium. Individuals from participating SSACAB countries i.e. (Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Namibia and Ghana), need not apply.
• The GSK PhD scholarships are open to candidates with strong background in Statistics, Mathematics, Demography and any other quantitative fields, including competent candidates from the lab/health fields such as biomedical sciences, pharmacy, medicine who may benefit from a postgraduate course in biostatistics.
• The potential fellows should have applied for a place at one of the postgraduate biostatistics degree programmes being offered by partner institutions.
• Applicants should normally be under 40 years for the PhD Programme.
• Applicants should meet each of the separate University’s admission requirements for the PhD degree before applying for the fellowship.

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award: The funding will cover fellows undertaking a PhD programme in Biostatistics in participating training institutions to develop and improve biostatistical skills among researchers, with an ultimate goal of creating research nodes of excellence to grow the discipline and a biostatistical network to nurture researchers with advanced skills and expertise.

How to Apply: Applicants are required to use the online application form available at https://redcap.core.wits.ac.za/redcap/surveys/?s=7MWM7HFXLN and submit concept notes based on any one/more of the following general list of 13 Research areas proposed by the GSK (See in Advert in Program Webpage Link below). Should an applicant want to apply for more than one area, separate applications will need to be provided for each.

The application process is two-fold:

1. Applications for places should be made to the preferred host training institution(See Above).
   Institutions and their contact persons are listed in Advert in Program Webpage Link below.
2. The application for the GSK scholarship should be made separately and in writing, as outlined in the PhD scholarship section above. Scholarship applications should be sent to:

Dr. Pascalia Munyewende: pascalia.munyewende@wits.ac.za and copied to Prof. Eustasius Musenge: eustasius.musenge@wits.ac.za

Visit the Program Webpage for Details

Award Providers: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Sub-Saharan African Consortium for Advanced Biostatistics (SSACAB)