RE-ADVERTISEMENT - PHD RESEARCH ASSISTANT - KAVI-INSTITUTE OF CLINICAL RESEARCH, VLIR - UOS PROGRAM.pdf
- Nairobi
- Permanent
- Full-time
and Outcome of Radiotherapy Treatment - Advert Ref: (AD/1/14/25) - (1 post)
KAVI-ICR, University of Nairobi is recruiting One (1) Candidate for a PhD position with a focus
on investigating the care seeking experiences of women with cervical cancer commencing in
early-September 2025.
Project Description
In Kenya, cervical cancer (CC) is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in women and is
estimated to have been responsible for 3,210 deaths in 2020. Most of these women are
diagnosed with locally advanced CC disease (Stage IIB to IVA) where radiotherapy is the
main-stay treatment. Due to the poor patient outcomes currently associated with radiotherapy
treatment, a clinical audit and analysis of radiotherapy treatment processes is proposed to
gain a better understanding of the processes of service delivery and how this impacts CC
patient outcomes.
It is against this backdrop that the University of Nairobi, National Cancer Control Program,
Hasselt University, University of Antwerp, Ghent University and University Hospital Leuven
have set up a VLIR-UOS funded study whose purpose is to generate evidence on potential
systemic weaknesses in radiotherapy service delivery and provide recommendations that will
inform strategies for improving quality of care, patient outcomes and quality of life for those
suffering from this form of cancer. The project which incorporates both quantitative and
qualitative components will be implemented in close collaboration with the National Cancer
Control Programme (NCCP), Ministry of Health.
The project seeks to bring on board a PhD student who will specifically support the qualitative
components of the project under the supervision of the project's social science thematic lead.
The PhD student will conduct fieldwork in Kenya (Nairobi, Nakuru and Eldoret) and work
closely with all the project partners.
The successful candidate will receive a reasonable subsistence allowance while all research
related expenses will be covered. This role is full-time for 2 years.
Desirable Attributes
We are seeking a highly motivated candidate who meets the following criteria:
1. Successfully completed a Master's degree with distinction from the University of
Nairobi in one of the following disciplines: Public Health, Medical Anthropology,
Sociology, Gender Studies, or a closely related social science or health field.
2. Possess strong qualitative research experience, including prior work with
ethnographic methods such as interviews, focus groups, or participant observation.
13. Demonstrated capacity to conduct independent fieldwork and manage data in real-
world health or community settings.
4. Proven scientific writing skills, with at least one submitted or published paper as
lead or co-author (an added advantage).
5. Strong commitment to completing a full-time PhD within two years.
6. Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills for working across
multidisciplinary teams.
Key Tasks
The key tasks for the PhD student include:
i.
Conducting literature review.
ii.
Designing and conducting a qualitative study on treatment experiences of cervical
cancer patients in Kenya.
iii.
Data collection utilizing ethnographic approaches, including interviews, focus group
discussions and non-participant observations.
iv.
Qualitative data management and analysis.
v.
Timely completion of the PhD thesis.
vi.
Publishing at least 2 peer reviewed articles from this work.
vii.
Participating in project activities as required.
Documents to be attached
1. Applicants should email their application letters, certified copies of certificates and
curriculum vitae (CV) giving details of their qualifications, experience and three (3)
referees indicating their telephone contacts and e-mail contacts;
2. Applications and related documents should be forwarded addressed to the Director,
Human Resource, University of Nairobi;
3. Letter of motivation (max. 1 page, Font Arial/New Times Roman, Font Size 12pts) in
English
4. Curriculum Vitae (CV) in English
5. A copy of an undergraduate degree and transcripts from a senate-recognized
university, or equivalent
6. A copy of a relevant Master's degree and transcript from a senate-recognized