LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE & TROPICAL MEDICINE
(University of London)
FACULTY OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND POLICY
DEPARTMENT OF GLOBAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT
POST NAME: IDEAS RESEARCH FELLOW – LITERATURE REVIEW
FURTHER PARTICULARS
1.
ADVERTISEMENT
IDEAS RESEARCH FELLOW – LITERATURE REVIEW
Every year, nearly 4 million mothers and newborns continue to die, most from
preventable or treatable causes. The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
is seeking a lecturer in maternal and newborn health for the IDEAS (Informed
Decisions for Actions to improve Maternal and Newborn Health) project, which is
designed to provide a better evidence base to guide future maternal and newborn
health programmes.
Between 2010 and 2015, IDEAS will work in partnership with innovative projects
funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in three areas that suffer a high
burden of maternal and newborn deaths: North-Eastern Nigeria, Uttar Pradesh in
India, and Ethiopia.
The IDEAS project (Informed Decisions for Actions to Improve Maternal and
Newborn Health) is collecting evidence in three focus geographies - Ethiopia,
northeast Nigeria and Uttar Pradesh, India - to guide decision making about future
maternal and newborn health programmes. A key question is: are Bill and Melinda
Gates implementation grantees' intervention models being scaled-up across the
entire focus geographies? A ‘District Evaluation Platform’ approach is being
developed which will include the measurement of the implementation strength of
maternal and newborn health programmes that are being taken to scale. The IDEAS
Research Fellow will plan and carry out a review of the empirical and methodological
literature on programme implementation strength to inform this work.
The post is a 6 month full-time appointment starting as soon as possible and the
salary is on the Academic Pathway Salary scale 6 from £35,511 to £40,349 per
annum (pro rata; inclusive of London Weighting).
Applications should be made on-line via our website at http://jobs.lshtm.ac.uk. The
reference for this post is IDEAS-RFLR. Any queries regarding the application
process may be addressed to jobs@lshtm.ac.uk or telephone 0207 927 2173. The
closing date for the receipt of applications is 18 January 2012. Online applications
will be accepted by the automated system until midnight of the closing date.
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is committed to being an equal
opportunities employer
2.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is Europe’s leading school of
public health and a leading postgraduate institution worldwide for research and
postgraduate education in global health.
Part of the University of London, the London School is the largest institution of its
kind in Europe with a remarkable depth and breadth of expertise encompassing
many disciplines. The School was ranked one of the top 3 research institutions in the
country in the Times Higher Education’s 'table of excellence', which is based on the
2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), ahead of the London School of
Economics, Oxford, Imperial and University College, London. The institution also
achieved the largest increase in ranking compared with 2001, of any of the top 10
institutions in the RAE rankings. In 2009, the School became the first UK institution to
win the Gates Award for Global Health.
The School’s environment is a rich multicultural one: there are almost 4000 students
from 100+ countries following 22 taught masters courses delivered either in London
(~650) or through distance learning (~2700), and undertaking research degree
training (~400). Over 40% of these students are from non-European countries. The
largest growth has been in distance learning students (>40% over 3 years), though
the London-based student population (where accommodation limits growth) is at its
highest level ever. Alumni are working in more than 180 countries. The School has
about 1400 staff drawn from over 60 nationalities.
There are research collaborations with over 100 countries throughout the world,
utilizing our critical mass of multidisciplinary expertise which includes clinicians,
epidemiologists, statisticians, social scientists, molecular biologists, immunologists,
ophthalmologists, anthropologists, virologists, pharmacologists and nutritionists. At
any one time around 100 School staff are based overseas, particularly in Africa and
Asia. We have a strong commitment to partnership with institutions in low and middle
income countries to support the development of teaching and research capacity.
The School has expanded greatly in recent years. Its research funding now exceeds
m£62.4 per annum, much of it from highly competitive national and international
sources. The commitment of staff to methodological rigour, innovative thinking and
policy relevance will ensure that the School continues to occupy a leadership position
in national and global health, adapting quickly to new challenges and opportunities.
Mission
The School's mission is to contribute to the improvement of health worldwide
through the pursuit of excellence in research, postgraduate teaching and
advanced training in national and international public health and tropical
medicine, and through informing policy and practice in these areas."
Faculty of Public Health and Policy
The Faculty of Public Health & Policy is responsible for research and teaching in the
policy, planning and evaluation of health programmes and services. Its interests are
both national and international, encompassing industrialized, and less developed
countries. The Faculty has three departments:
1. Health Services Research and Policy
2. Global Health and Development
3. Social and Environmental Health Research
Each department is multidisciplinary, containing academic staff representing
medicine, statistics, epidemiology, sociology, economics, anthropology, operational
research, psychology, nursing and history. Each Department is responsible for its
own research. The School has adopted a rotating system of management for its
academic departments and faculties. The management of a department is under the
control of the Head of Department, appointed by the Director for a period of three
years in the first instance. The Faculty Head is appointed in a similar manner but for
an initial period of up to five years.
The Faculty currently has a staff of 20 professors, 6 readers, 26 senior lecturers, 47
lecturers, 77 research fellows and assistants, about 40 computing, administrative and
secretarial staff, and a number of honorary staff.
Department of Global Health and Development
The Department of Global Health and Development (GHD) seeks to inform the
development of health policy, primarily in low- and middle-income countries, through
collaborative research, teaching and other activities involving exchange of skills and
knowledge. A wide range of disciplines are represented within the Department
including economics, epidemiology, international relations, medicine, mathematics,
social anthropology and sociology. The Department currently has a staff of just
under 100, and a total income of over £30 million, spread over a range of funders,
including research councils, UK and overseas charities, the European Union,
Department for International Development and others.
The Department is comprised of four research groups, representing Health
Economics and Systems Analysis, within which this post would be based, Social and
Mathematical Epidemiology, Anthropology, History and Sociology, and the Politics
and Policy Group,
Teaching
The School offers 22 one year full-time taught courses leading to the Master of
Science (MSc) degree of the University of London and the Diploma of the London
School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (DLSHTM). The Faculty of Infectious and
Tropical Diseases runs or contributes substantially to ten of these courses and the
“Immunology of Infectious Diseases” course is run from within the Department of
Immunology and Infection. In addition, the Faculty is responsible for the three-month
Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H) and offers a range of specialist
short courses lasting usually one or two weeks. Three MSc courses are also offered
by Distance-based Learning, including one on Infectious Diseases.
Research Training
The School offers two doctoral training programmes. The MPhil/PhD degrees are
designed for those who wish to go on to a full time research career. The DrPH is
directed towards those who expect their careers to be more in the practice of public
health.
IDEAS: Informed Decisions for Actions to improve Maternal and Newborn
Health
The IDEAS project will provide evidence to guide decision making about future
maternal and newborn health programmes. Between 2010 and 2015, IDEAS will
work in partnership with innovative maternal and newborn projects funded by the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation in three areas that suffer a high burden of maternal and
newborn deaths: North-Eastern Nigeria, Uttar Pradesh in India, and Ethiopia.
The long-term goal of the Maternal and Newborn Health strategy of the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation is to increase newborn and maternal survival in the three ‘focus
geographies’ of Ethiopia, North-East Nigeria, and Uttar Pradesh in a measurable
way. The underlying theory of change suggests that this goal will be achieved
through increased coverage of interventions along the continuum of care from
pregnancy through childbirth and the newborn period. The theory of change also
suggests that increased coverage of interventions will result from interactions
between families and frontline workers being more, better, efficient and equitable.
The IDEAS project will answer three learning questions which relate to three critical
points in the theory of change.
1 -- Are interactions between families and frontline workers more, better, efficient and
equitable, in the particular districts where implementation grantees are working?
2 -- Is there any evidence of the implementation grantees' intervention models being
scaled up across the entire focus geography? Why, or why not?
3 -- If there is evidence of scale-up, does this lead to coverage change and improved
newborn survival?
The IDEAS group has established a Technical Resource Centre to enhance local
capacity in measurement, learning and evaluation for improved maternal and
newborn health. Existing and new data from each setting will be analysed for
evidence of enhanced interactions between families and front line workers and
whether this leads to increased intervention coverage. Further, new data will be
collected to investigate the extent of scale-up of health programmes for mothers and
newborns, and whether survival has improved as a result. Finally, the group will
disseminate best practice in learning and measurement in maternal and newborn
health and promote evidence for effective decision-making.
3.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Post:
Research Fellow to review literature on implementation
strength, IDEAS, 6 months FTE
Grade:
Research Fellow, Academic Pathway grade 6
Responsible to:
Neil Spicer
Unit:
Department of Global Health and Development
Start date:
ASAP
Main duties and responsibilities:
The IDEAS project (Informed Decisions for Actions to Improve Maternal and
Newborn Health) is collecting evidence in three focus geographies - Ethiopia,
northeast Nigeria and Uttar Pradesh, India - to guide decision making about future
maternal and newborn health programmes. A key question is: are Bill and Melinda
Gates implementation grantees' intervention models being scaled-up across the
entire focus geographies? A ‘District Evaluation Platform’ approach is being
developed which will include the measurement of the implementation strength of
maternal and newborn health programmes that are being taken to scale. The IDEAS
Research Fellow will plan and carry out a review of the empirical and methodological
literature on programme implementation strength to inform this work.
The post is a 6 month full-time appointment starting as soon as possible. The post
holder will report to Dr. Neil Spicer.
The post holder will be required to:
1. Prepare a work plan of activities including concepts, definitions, scope and
parameters, and agree with the IDEAS team
2. Draft a protocol for conducting the literature review including the search strategy
of key words, search criteria and sources, and work with the IDEAS team to
agree the protocol
3. Carry out literature search using on-line searchable databases in the field of
health, development and social sciences and other agreed sources
4. Working closely with the IDEAS team, appraise, select, analyse and synthesise
the literature to be included in the review
5. Catalogue the selected literature using Endnote and, where possible, file
electronic copies of source material in the IDEAS shared drive linked to Endnote
6. Based on the literature search, draft a report and briefing sheet identifying the
major themes emerging
7. Based on the literature search, draft a manuscript for publication.
4.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential

A postgraduate degree relevant to public health

Proven skills in reviewing, analysing and interpreting relevant academic
research papers and reports

Proven experience of narrative synthesis

Proven ability to write and present clear scientific reports for a range of
audiences

Proven quantitative research skills in the field of epidemiology, social
sciences or related disciplines

Experience of health programme design, implementation or evaluation in
low and/or middle income countries

Proven ability to work both in a multi-disciplinary team and independently

Relevant peer reviewed publications
Desirable

An understanding of current debates and literature on evaluating complex
interventions

An understanding of current debates and literature in maternal and
newborn health.
5.
SALARY AND CONDITIONS OF APPOINTMENT
The post is a 6 month full-time appointment starting as soon as possible and the
salary is on the Academic Pathway Salary scale 6 from £35,511 to £40,349 per
annum (pro rata; inclusive of London Weighting). Annual leave entitlement is 30
working days per year for all staff. In addition to this there are 6 fixed-date "Director's
Days".
6.
APPLICATIONS
Applications should be made on-line via our website at http://jobs.lshtm.ac.uk. The
reference for this post is IDEAS-RFLR. Applications should also include the names
and email contacts of 2 referees who can be contacted immediately if shortlisted.
Any queries regarding the application process may be addressed to
jobs@lshtm.ac.uk or telephone 0207 927 2173. The closing date for the receipt of
applications is 18 January 2012. Online applications will be accepted by the
automated system until midnight of the closing date.
The supporting statement section should set out how your qualifications, experience
and training meet each of the selection criteria. Please provide one or more
paragraphs addressing each criterion. The supporting statement is an essential part
of the selection process and thus a failure to provide this information will mean that
the application will not be considered. An answer to any of the criteria such as
“Please see attached CV” will not be considered acceptable.
Please note that if you are shortlisted and are unable to attend on the interview date
it may not be possible to offer you an alternative date.
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is committed to being an equal
opportunities