Imperial-UCT Global Health Fellows Programme

Global Health Summer School

Students from Imperial, the University of Cape Town and partner institutions will participate in the Global Health Summer School to develop their research and professional skills.

In a research environment where funding is increasingly drawn to collaborative research, cross-university research is encouraged and interdisciplinary research is used as a problem solving strategy.  The Institute of Global Health Innovation and affiliated Welcome Trust Global Health Centre are such initiatives, bringing researchers together to meet challenges in Global Health.

The research environment is increasingly competitive and requires both excellence in research and developed professional skills.  This course is designed to challenge researchers to assess their research skills and develop their interdisciplinary awareness, examining opportunities to collaborate and develop research.  The course will focus on professional skills essential for researchers and also feature insights from current Global Health researchers.

Topics covered in this course include:

• Creativity and development of collaborative research
• Effective team working and dealing with change
• Communication with impact: reaching different audiences
• Global Health networks and networking  
• Research structure and taking research forward

At the end of this course students will have:

• A greater understanding of research in different institutions and career paths
• Analysed their current research plan
• Generated a new collaborative research proposal
• Examined group dynamics and team roles important in working collaboratively
• Considered how to communicate effectively with different audiences
• A greater understanding of current issue in Global Health

Further questions, please see FAQs.

Research Placements

Following the summer school, Imperial students will have the opportunity to complete a three-week research placement at UCT. Completing the research placement portion of the programme is not a requirement, but students who secure research placements will be looked on favourably in the application process.  The International Relations Office will assist in finding accommodation during this period.

Students should first discuss with their supervisor or other contacts in their department their interest in pursuing a research placement to gain a sense of existing collaborative relationships with UCT and to gauge the potential of finding a host supervisor. 

If you identify an academic or group which you think might be suitable for a placement, you should contact them directly to see if they would be willing to host you during the placement period (20 June –  8 July).  Once agreement is received, please include this information in your application for the programme.  If successful, applicants will be asked to forward confirmation emails, so please keep track of any correspondence related to your research placement.

Students should also determine whether there is money within their department or from their supervisor to help pay the costs during the placement period. Please also include this information in your application.

In exceptional cases, the International Relations Office may be able to provide matching funds for students who secure a portion of their costs.

Further questions, please see FAQs.

WELLCOME TRUST CENTRE FOR GLOBAL HEALTH

The Wellcome Trust Centre for Global Health supports researchers working in communicable and non-communicable diseases of global importance to develop their careers and foster interchange between institutions in the UK and those based in low and middle income countries. The Centre’s research focusses on understanding the emergence, transmission, pathogenesis and control of acute and chronic infectious diseases at a global level. The Centre links a number of Departments across the College’s Faculties and established institutions in Africa, South America and South East Asia and as such aligns with the College’s mission to promote multidisciplinary working internally and collaborate widely externally.

The Summer School has a capacity of 32 and 16 of these places are available to Imperial students.

Students must:

• Be a current doctoral student (from any discipline)
• Be between 3 and 24 months into their PhD at the time the course takes place (6 and 48 months for part-time students)
• Not have taken the Graduate School's 3-day Imperial Residential Course or the previous 4 day version Research Skills Development Course (RSD).N.B. Grantham Institute students who have particpated in the specific Graduate School Residential Course for Grantham students are eligible to apply to the 2016 UCT Summer School as the course content will be different.
• Not have taken part in a previous Imperial international summer school
• Have an interest and awareness of Global Health concerns and a willingness to engage with current topics in Global Health

It is NOT a requirement for students to have an in-depth background in Global Health, but students MUST be interested in engaging with Global Health concerns.

Further questions, please see FAQs.

This is a challenging development opportunity which aims to strengthen participants' global skills and foster intercultural awareness. The summer school presents a potentially career-changing international networking opportunity and research placements will enable students to forge global links with academics and students based in South Africa. As well as enhanced personal and research effectiveness, participants will gain new insights to their work and lives through activities on project management, creativity in research, team working, networking and developing self-awareness.

This course meets the professional skills requirements for the Early Stage Assessment (ESA). Students are therefore not required to take additional courses. However, attendees are still entitled to take other courses, if desired. 

Further questions, please see FAQs.

Imperial will arrange and pay for B&B accommodation and most meals for participants for the Summer School week (11 June to 15 June), in addition to providing a contribution of £300 towards travel costs.  Advice and assistance can be provided with arranging travel. 

The International Relations Office will assist in assisting students in arranging accommodation during the research placement period.

Applications are now closed. 

Further questions, please see FAQs.

Successful applicants will:

• Gain the most from this specific programme and explain how in their application
• Have realistic expectations of the experience and explain goals for the programme in their application
• Demonstrate enthusiasm for engaging with peers from UCT and other partner institutions
• Possess awareness of the skills necessary to develop links with international collaborators
• Show an awareness of Global Health concerns and a willingness to engage with current topics in Global Health
• Be willing to be a good ambassador for Imperial

Students who do not explain how they meet the above criteria in their application will not be offered a place on the course.  It is NOT a requirement for students to have an in-depth background in Global Health, but students MUST be interested in engaging with Global Health concerns.

Completing the research placement portion of the programme is not a requirement, but students who secure research placements will be looked on favourably in the application process.

Applications will be assessed by members of staff from the Graduate School, Centre for Global Health and International Relations Office.  Each application will be rated from 0  (does not meet criteria) to 3 (fully meets criteria) for each of the above criteria.  Applicants with the most points will be shortlisted for the the programme.