10 African Union Scholarships for the Masters Programme in Epidemiology at the University of the Witwatersrand, School of Public Health for the 2019 Academic Year.
The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) - a Specialized Technical Health Agency of the African Union, invites qualified candidates to apply for a full scholarship to undertake the full-time study in the Master of Science in Epidemiology degree programme at the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Public Health.
The candidates can apply for any of the six fields of study under the programme. These are:
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Field Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases Epidemiology
- Public Health Informatics
- Biostatistics and
- Implementation Science.
The scholarship will focus on candidates currently working with the National Public Health Institutes in their respective countries.
The Africa CDC was launched in January 2017 by the African Heads of State and Government to ensure Africans have public health institutions capable of mitigating against the social, economic, and security dimensions of infectious disease threats. In supporting the African Union Member States to establish and strengthen National Public Health Institutes, the aim of the scholarship is to strengthen public health workforce capacity within the Member States.
DEGREE PROGRAMME TO BE SPONSORED
Master of Science in Epidemiology in any of the fields of study listed above (18 months full-time)
ELIGIBILITY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP
Be a citizen of and resident in any of the 55 African Union Member States, and working with a National Public Health Institute
Must be nominated by a National Public Health Institute of any of the 55 African Union Members States
Have proof of admission to undertake the full time Masters programme at the University of Witwatersrand
Be a holder of a honours degree or equivalent in a relevant field, an MBBCh or other health related degree, at the level of Upper Second Class Honours or equivalent
The degree must be from a reputable fully accredited University
Have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement as evidenced by academic transcripts, and academic awards, if any
Be able to commit to work in a National Public Health Institute in an African Union Member State on completion of studies for at least three (3) years
Applicants should be 35 years or younger by 31st August 2018
Be proficient in English
Meet the university programme’s requirements: http://www.wits.ac.za/publichealth/academic-programmes/postgraduate/master-ofscience-in-epidemiology/ The African Union believes in equal opportunities for men and women, and women are especially encouraged to apply.
SCHOLARSHIP PACKAGE
The Africa CDC will provide full scholarships for ten Masters students in the 2019 academic year. The scholarship covers the following:
The cost of one most direct return economy air ticket per year;
Tuition fees which will be paid directly to the University;
Basic medical and accident insurance;
Monthly stipend to cover living expenses including accommodation;
A limited allowance towards the costs of recommended learning materials (reference text books and necessary software);
Limited support for the research project expenses and
Limited support towards the cost of a laptop.
HOW TO APPLY
The application process is in two-fold.
1 a. Application for admission to the University of the Witwatersrand – Apply by completing a University of the Witwatersrand postgraduate application form online at: http://www.wits.ac.za/postgraduate/applications/
You can also go to: www.wits.ac.za/askwits for general application queries. An application fee of R200 is required for all applications.
Deadline for application for admission into the programme is 31 August 2018.
b. Application for university accommodation – Applicants should apply for university accommodation also. https://www.wits.ac.za/accommodation/applications/
Deadline for application for accommodation is 31 October 2018.
2. Scholarship application – The application for the scholarship must be done separately. Interested candidates should send the following:
a. Completed application form (http://www.africacdc.org/scholarships )
b. Recent passport-size photograph
c. Comprehensive curriculum vitae including a description of relevant research and work experience and names and contacts of two referees
d. Certified copies of academic certificates and transcripts
e. Certified copy of bio-data page of Passport or National Identity Card
f. Evidence of application to study in the MSc Programme at the University of the Witwatersrand of the School of Public Health commencing in the 2019 academic year
g. Completed application form and all other required documents (a-f above) MUST be sent by email to: africacdcscholarships@africa-union.org by 31 August 2018.
Two (2) sets of hard copies of the documents must also be sent by post to the address below:
Africa CDC Public Health Scholarship Programme
Education Division
Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology
African Union Commission
P.O. Box 3243
Scholarship applications must reach Africa CDC by 31 August 2018.
