Application Deadline: November 10, 2017
The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program is now accepting applications for the 2018 DHS Fellows Program. The DHS Fellows Program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is designed to increase the capacity of countries to conduct further analysis of DHS data. The primary objectives of the program are:
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To teach Fellows to analyze and conduct research with DHS data;
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To strengthen skills that Fellows will use to integrate DHS data into their teaching;
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To increase the ability of Fellows to build the capacity of others to use DHS data at their home universities
Eligibility and Requirements
- Applications are only being accepted from faculty members at universities in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Malawi, Myanmar, Nepal, South Africa, Timor-Leste, and Zimbabwe. All team members must be based full-time at the home university.
- Applications must be from teams comprised of three faculty members from the same university who teach in departments of demography, public health, economics, sociology, geography, or other social sciences.
- Individuals who have already participated in a DHS data analysis workshop conducted by The DHS Program are not eligible, although individuals who have only participated in a Service Provision Assessment (SPA) or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) workshop facilitated by The DHS Program are still eligible to apply.
- Teams must include one senior1 faculty member. All three team members must be available to attend two workshops organized by The DHS Program (see anticipated timeline below).
- Each fellow must bring a laptop that will be used for the duration of each workshop.
- The statistical software package Stata 15 will be provided for use during the workshop.
- The language for the program is English. Each team will be expected to jointly complete a publishable-quality manuscript in English on policy-relevant questions that are primarily related to one or more of the following topic areas: reproductive health, family planning, fertility, maternal and child health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, sexual behavior, or gender issues. Papers must use data from DHS surveys.
- Completed manuscripts that meet the required standards will be published by The DHS Program in the Working Paper series.
Awards
- The DHS Fellows Program for 2018 will select six teams based primarily on the merits of their research proposal and on the applicants’ potential for building the capacity of their home university to use DHS data.
- Additional factors considered will be gender balance and previous experience in statistical analysis.
- Each fellow will be awarded a $2,500 stipend to cover research expenses which will be paid in installments based upon satisfactory completion of the deliverables.
- In addition, each Fellows team will be provided up to $1500 to be used on their capacity-building activities at home university
Anticipated Timeline
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November 10, 2017
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Applications are due
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Late November, 2017
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Selected candidates are notified
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January 29 – Feb 9, 2018
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First workshop (location TDB) to prepare Fellows to use DHS datasets, refine research questions, and begin data analysis
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March 9, 2018
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Fellows submit interim drafts of their papers
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March 26, 2018
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Fellows submit first report on capacity-building activities implemented at home universities
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March 28 – April 6, 2018
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Second workshop (location TBD) for Fellows to finalize their papers
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May 14, 2018
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Fellows submit final papers and respond to reviews and edits throughout the publication process
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August 17, 2018
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Fellows submit second report on capacity-building activities implemented at home universities
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August 24, 2018
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Fellows submit the working paper to a peer-reviewed journal
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Application Procedure
Each team should submit a single application that contains the following items:
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A completed team application form (on-line)
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A brief, original research proposal (3 to 4 pages) with the following sections clearly described 1) introduction and rationale, 2) literature review on the topic, 3) research question(s), 4) scope of analysis (including how DHS data will be used to answer the research questions), and 5) potential policy implications.
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A brief plan for internal capacity-building (1 to 2 pages) that describes realistic activities the applicants will undertake during the fellowship. These activities should enable fellows to pass on knowledge and skills learned through the program to students and faculty at their home university. The brief description of each proposed activity should include a summary of the objective, target group, timing, and measurement of progress or outcome. The proposed activities should be implemented before August 17th, 2018, as detailed in the timeline.
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In addition, the joint application should include the following from each team member:
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A curriculum vitae with complete contact information, a list of publications, and names and contact information for three references
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Proof of status as a current university faculty member and duration of employment
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If selected, each candidate will be asked to provide evidence, such as a letter of approval from their department chairperson, that the university/department agrees to her/his participation in the fellowship program, including full-time participation in both workshops.
Contact Information
Applications must be completed on-line at “https://dhsprogram.com/What-We-Do/Workshops/workshop-fellows0118.cfm“. Please send inquiries to The DHS Program, ICF, 530 Gaither Road, Suite 500, Rockville, MD USA 20850. Email: DHSFellows@dhsprogram.com.
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