Institutions: Public Health Foundation of India (India) and University of Leicester (UK)
Duration: Three years
Deadline for application: 31 December 2024
Overview:
The National Institute for Health and Care Research has funded the Public Health Foundation of India and the University of Leicester to establish a Global Health Research Centre for Multiple Long-Term Conditions (MLTCs). MLTCs are commonly defined as the co-existence of two or more long term conditions, each of which is a long-term physical (e.g., diabetes), mental (e.g., depression) or infectious disease (hepatitis C). According to recent community surveys from India, the prevalence of MLTCs ranges from 9.4% to 65%. Age, female gender, lower socioeconomic status and physical inactivity are main risk factors for MLTCs. For more information on MLTCs, please see the editorial entitled
“Multimorbidity or multiple long-term conditions: need for bridging the evidence & care gaps to address an emerging priority public health issue in India.”
Despite its growing burden, MLTCs have received minimal recognition from healthcare providers and policymakers. Health systems are still focused on individual disease management rather than having an integrated care model, resulting in the delivery of fragmented and inefficient care. The Centre aims to address some of these issues via co- designing, implementing and evaluating a patient-centered health system intervention comprising of decision support system, assisted telemedicine and patient facing application. The PhD related research/field work will be based in India. The aim of PhD is to research/discover enhanced ways to decrease suffering and improve the lives of people with MLTCs in India by providing pathways or solutions for delivering better care.
The fully funded three-year hybrid PhD position will be embedded within the Centre. The candidate will be required to be affiliated with/join the Public Health Foundation of India or other co-applicant institutions (AIIMS Jodhpur or HRIDAY) before starting the PhD. The candidate will be jointly supervised by a team of highly accomplished researchers across institutions in India and the UK. The candidate will be based in India and will travel to Leicester for completing course work, as required. The PhD degree will be awarded by the University of Leicester.
Residents of India with a master’s degree in public health/health sciences. Work experience and publications are a pre-requisite for the application. Candidates with a clear commitment to building a research career in MLTCs will be given preference.
Please submit the following documents using the following link –
- CV (Two-pages maximum, Arial font of size 11) indicating the following: –
- Full name, address, email ID and contact number
- Education
- Work experience
- List of publications (highlight your name, use * if you are first, corresponding or last author and indicate your specific contribution to the paper in a sentence)
- Conference presentations
- Contact information of two referees
- Concept note on the proposed research related to MLTC (One page maximum, Arial font of size 11) covering:
- Background
- Research question
- Specific aim/s
- Methodology
- Dissemination plan
Please note that the proposed research has to address one or more aspects of MLTC in India. Quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods research are all encouraged.
The concept note and CV will be reviewed by Centre investigators. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a four day in-person research facilitation workshop (RFW) in New Delhi. (exact dates will be communicated to the selected candidates). The participation in the RFW is mandatory. The RFW will be led by researchers affiliated with the Centre and will facilitate refining of the research proposal submitted. The format of the RFW will consist of lectures, group work, micro-presentations etc. Final agenda will be communicated one week before the commencement of the RFW. All expenses related to attending the RFW will be borne by the Centre.
Participants are required to submit the final research proposal within ten days after the conclusion of the RFW, which will be evaluated together with the performance in the RFW. The highest ranked candidates will be interviewed and successful candidates will be informed about the next steps. Enrollment into PhD will be contingent upon meeting the entry requirements of the University of Leicester. The entry requirements can be found here. Project and application enquiries can be directed to Dr Surabhi Verma (surabhi.verma@phfi.org).