RESEARCH FELLOW (1)

General Summary

Partial-Funded PhD Research in Mycology

The Research Capacity Building Unit of the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Makerere University, invites applications for fully funded training fellowships in Mycology related research for the 2025/2026 academic year. These fellowships are supported through the NIH D43 Program under the project titled "Building HIV-Related Neuro-Infectious Disease Research Capacity in Uganda through Multidisciplinary Training and Institutional Collaboration."

Program Goal

The D43 program aims to bridge the career progression gap between MMed training and advanced research or academic positions by offering mentored research training opportunities. Under this initiative, partial PhD funding in Mycology will be provided to support trainees pursuing advanced studies focused on fungal infections and HIV-associated neuro-infectious diseases.

Background

In Uganda, physician trainees in the medical postgraduate program are required to complete and defend a Master of Medicine (MMed) thesis, resulting in a wealth of clinical and health systems research each year. However, only 18% of these studies are published, and merely 4% inform policy. Similar patterns are seen among public health and biomedical postgraduates, where valuable research is mainly unpublished and underutilized.

The D43 program seeks to address this gap by providing targeted mentorship, research training, and partial PhD funding in Mycology, enabling promising researchers to advance from MMed or Master 's-level training to independent, competitive research careers. By equipping fellows with advanced skills in fungal and neuro-infectious disease research, this initiative aims to translate locally generated evidence into policy and clinical practice, ultimately strengthening health systems and research capacity across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Program Overview

The program will offer 2–3 years of mentored research support, enabling fellows to deepen their expertise in medical mycology, strengthen their research and grant-writing skills, and build competitive academic portfolios. The ultimate goal is to empower fellows to successfully compete for full PhD fellowships, independent research grants, and academic appointments, thereby expanding Uganda's capacity for mycology and neuro-infectious disease research and leadership.

Benefits for Successful Candidates

  • Fully-funded research training and mentorship

  • Research funding (equipment, materials, supplies, and data collection)

  • Access to research and career development workshops

  • Support for publishing manuscripts and presenting at scientific meetings

  • Opportunities to attend international conferences and courses

  • Exposure to grant writing, research management, and translational science

Key Responsibilities

Highly motivated individuals, capable of self-directed study and planning a career in infectious disease, are invited to apply for this scholarship at IDI if they;

  • Have a demonstrable interest in research, writing, and publication 
  • Wish to develop particular expertise in Mycology-related research through the following areas: Immunology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Pharmacology, and Quality Improvement 
  • Demonstrated interest in neuro-infectious disease research, through prior research participation and/or publications
  • Ability to define a clear area of interest within neuro-infectious disease research and a strong research question
  • Possess a basic understanding of global/ national neuro-infectious disease research, epidemiology, and statistics
  • Commitment towards developing a strong academic career and leadership within neuro-infectious disease research
  • Motivated, independent, strong teamwork and communication skills
  • Strong English language proficiency, both spoken and written (as demonstrated in writing sample)

Academic Qualifications

  • • Medical degree with completed internship • Master's degree in a medical field • Commitment to full-time PhD training

Person Specification

Already registered in full-time PhD training at either Makerere University, Requires partial funding and is doing research in the field of mycology.


More Details
RF1025
1
Mulago or Mbarara
Full-time
3 Years
DEPUTY HEAD OF DEPARTMENT - RE
2025-10-23 14:46:07.000







DEPUTY HEAD OF DEPARTMENT - RE


Other Jobs

Partial-Funded PhD Research in Mycology

The Research Capacity Building Unit of the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Makerere University, invites applications for fully funded training fellowships in Mycology related research for the 2025/2026 academic year. These fellowships are supported through the NIH D43 Program under the project titled "Building HIV-Related Neuro-Infectious Disease Research Capacity in Uganda through Multidisciplinary Training and Institutional Collaboration."

Program Goal

The D43 program aims to bridge the career progression gap between MMed training and advanced research or academic positions by offering mentored research training opportunities. Under this initiative, partial PhD funding in Mycology will be provided to support trainees pursuing advanced studies focused on fungal infections and HIV-associated neuro-infectious diseases.

Background

In Uganda, physician trainees in the medical postgraduate program are required to complete and defend a Master of Medicine (MMed) thesis, resulting in a wealth of clinical and health systems research each year. However, only 18% of these studies are published, and merely 4% inform policy. Similar patterns are seen among public health and biomedical postgraduates, where valuable research is mainly unpublished and underutilized.

The D43 program seeks to address this gap by providing targeted mentorship, research training, and partial PhD funding in Mycology, enabling promising researchers to advance from MMed or Master 's-level training to independent, competitive research careers. By equipping fellows with advanced skills in fungal and neuro-infectious disease research, this initiative aims to translate locally generated evidence into policy and clinical practice, ultimately strengthening health systems and research capacity across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Program Overview

The program will offer 2–3 years of mentored research support, enabling fellows to deepen their expertise in medical mycology, strengthen their research and grant-writing skills, and build competitive academic portfolios. The ultimate goal is to empower fellows to successfully compete for full PhD fellowships, independent research grants, and academic appointments, thereby expanding Uganda's capacity for mycology and neuro-infectious disease research and leadership.

Benefits for Successful Candidates

  • Fully-funded research training and mentorship

  • Research funding (equipment, materials, supplies, and data collection)

  • Access to research and career development workshops

  • Support for publishing manuscripts and presenting at scientific meetings

  • Opportunities to attend international conferences and courses

  • Exposure to grant writing, research management, and translational science