Makerere University School of Public Health is a recipient of a research grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies. With this grant, the Trauma, Injury, and Disability Prevention (TRIAD) Unit will conduct a study titled “Drowning in Uganda: An Evaluation of interventions and improvement of surveillance systems in selected high-burden districts.’’
This project is part of the larger initiative to prevent drowning in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study will be a baseline in preparation for implementation of Drowning Prevention interventions in the selected districts – Mayuge, Soroti, Rakai, Masaka, and Serere. The focus of this phase is to understand the circumstances of drowning incidents. It will also ascertain the proportion of at-risk communities that have survival swimming skills and improve the quality of data (drowning surveillance) in these districts.
The project seeks to recruit Research Assistants to support the implementation of its activities. The Research Assistants will work under the overall supervision of the Principal Investigator and directly supervised by the Project Study Coordinator.
Job Title: Research Assistants (10)
Duties.
The duties of the Research Assistants will assist in data collection, compilation and digitization, under the direction of the Study Coordinator. The Research Assistants will be responsible for the implementation of the project activities, including the following:
- Assist in the development of data collection schedules, contact data collection sites and introduce and explain study objectives.
- Participate in data management related trainings
- Participate in the pre-testing of the study tools
- Travel to field sites to collect and record data as appropriate to the specific objectives of the study.
- Ensure the completeness and accuracy of all data collected.
- Handle confidential and sensitive data with the highest level of integrity
- Undertake other duties as assigned from time to time
Qualifications
- A minimum of bachelor’s degree in health/biomedical sciences, computer sciences or social sciences from a recognized institution
- Evidence of at least one year of experience in data collection in a reputable research project.
- Experience in collection of both quantitative and qualitative data
- Possession of a valid Good Clinical Practice Certificate
- A very good command and fluency in at least one of the languages: Luganda, Lusoga & Ateso
In addition, the applicant should possess the following desirable qualities:
- Ability to work independently with minimum supervision
- Strong and good communication skills
- Experience working with diverse sectors and communities
- Experience in mobile/electronic data collection
Terms of Service: There is an initial probationary period of one week; the appointment thereafter is subject to a satisfactory evaluation. If substantively hired, the position will be for not more than 1 month, renewable only when needed.
Workstation
Successful candidates will have to collect data from the selected districts in Uganda.
How to apply
Interested persons should address their applications to:
The Principal Investigator Drowning M&E Project, Makerere University School of Public Health
P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda. Application letters, current CVs, and relevant certificates must be compiled as one pdf document.
Follow this link (https://forms.gle/KDAr4Rz7TfDHJ4Cd8) to access the application portal.
The deadline for receipt of applications is Friday March 28, 2025, at 11:59pm EAT. The application portal will automatically close at this time.
The application must provide names and day-time telephone contacts of two referees, and the applicant’s own phone contact. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Any attempt to lobby for favor by the applicant or his/her representative will lead to automatic disqualification.
