Background
The Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa (CTCA), hosted by the Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), serves as the regional center of excellence to support African governments implement tobacco control policies and programs, with a vision of a sustainable, leading center in empowering and facilitating tobacco control policy and programme implementation to achieve tobacco-free Africa.
The Center is supporting one-year tobacco control research grants for Masters Students for the next three years with funding from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The Project is being implemented through 6 schools of public health, in the Public Health Alliance1 including:
- Moi University in Kenya
- Jimma University in Ethiopia
- Muhimbili University in Tanzania
- National University of Rwanda in Rwanda
- Makerere University in Uganda
- University of Nairobi in Kenya
The research grant is meant to support students enrolled on Masters’ of Public Health, Masters in Health Services Research or students admitted on other masters’ programs such as economics, statistics, agro-economics or environment and health services research who have interest in pursuing research in tobacco control. The purpose of the research grant is to provide evidence for tobacco control policy and legislation for governments in Africa and the objectives include:
- To build capacity for research in tobacco control in Africa
- To Contribute to the tobacco control Research agenda in Africa
- To develop tools and document best practices for policy and legislation
Focus
The grant is premised on the WHO-FCTC demand and supply reduction measures of tobacco control with a focus on Masters Students who have been enrolled in the above mentioned programs
Eligibility
The following categories of students are eligible to apply:
- Students should be enrolled on any of the listed Master’s programs in the 6 Universities
- Students starting their second year are eligible
- Both Anglophone and Francophone students
Selection Criteria
The research proposals will be assessed according to the following key criteria:
- Relevance to WHO-FCTC demand and supply reduction measures for tobacco control with the potential for driving policy change and program improvement (See attached a detailed guide on example of policy issues)
- Scientific quality of the research project
- Evidence of capability to cover tuition fees for the Master’s Program.
- Project selection will take into account regional balance.
- Researchers and their supervisors must not have any association with the tobacco industry and that their project must not involve engagement with the tobacco industry. Relatedly, grantees shall sign a form declaring their interests and absence of association with the tobacco industry.
Ethics Review and Approval
Applicants, can submit research proposals that are not reviewed and approved by the Ethical Committees (IRBs and Councils of Science and Technology) however, all selected proposals shall be subjected to ethical review and MUST get ethics clearance before the projects begin.
Duration
The research grant is one year, during which the students will collate and analyze data and write their dissertations and manuscripts. The grant will follow the stipulated academic calendar for Masters Programs in the respective Universities.
Grant Coverage and Focus
The grants will be awarded over a period of 3 years starting 2013/2014 to 2015/2016.
Student Supervision and Mentorship
Supervision and mentorship for the research grant involves an academic supervisor from the student’s university and a Mentor who is a Tobacco Control expert. Each selected Student will therefore have a Supervisor and a Mentor. CTCA will identify mentors who will be experts in the selected tobacco control areas for each of the grantees. The Mentor and academic supervisor will then be linked by CTCA to facilitate coordinated support for the student. CTCA will further enhance the coordination of the two through the virtual meetings and during the annual review meetings.
Expected Deliverables for the Grantees
- Students are expected to conduct research and submit a dissertation
- Prepare at least one policy brief and documentation for local dissemination of research findings
- Present papers to local conferences and tobacco control policy events/activities where feasible
- Draft Manuscript for publication