Research Fellow 2 - Health Equity

Our mission is to improve the health of millions of people worldwide.

• Full time Position
• Based in Delhi
• Fixed Term – 12 months, extendable

We have an opportunity for your career to make a difference!  We have a new and exciting opportunity for a Research Fellow to join our organization.

 How to apply:
Interested candidates should send their resume with full contact details, current and expected CTC/salary. Clearly mentioning the job title "Research Fellow 2 - Health Equity" in the subject line to hrindia@georgeinstitute.org.in by the 14 April 2024

Context and Role

 Six states in particular have evolved exemplars of Community Action for Health (CAH), i.e., Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Kerala. While some of these models are well documented and in some cases evaluated, the methods used to evaluate and understand how such initiatives are formed and their impacts are diverse. The scalability, sustainability and cost of these initiatives are also under-studied. Consequently, there is limited knowledge on whether/how to adopt or adapt successful initiatives across contexts or at scale in India, even as in May of 2024, a World Health Assembly resolution on Social Participation for Health is to be tabled. 

 In this study, Principal Investigator proposes to co-produce and evaluate PATANG, a co-produced technology-enabled learning platform for CAH, where government and civil society actors may share experience and evidence related to CAH, network and interact with others to adapt and scale up CAH and access practical tools to design and evaluate CAH initiatives. 

 The Research Fellow will be joining the work of a team and is expected to be passionately committed to health equity and systems strengthening, with experience handing large survey datasets as well as programme data within health systems but also datasets maintained by civil society organisation. The position requires strong team-based skills working across multiple sites, while also requiring motivation and an ability to work autonomously with quick turnaround times on deliverables. The appointee may be based in Delhi but should be willing and able to undertake extensive domestic travel. The appointment is for a period of 12 months with the possibility of an extension of an additional 12 months.  

Reporting Relationships

Directly reports to Program Director, Devaki Nambiar. 

 Duties and Key Responsibilities

The Research Fellow would be expected to:

Lead the component of qualitative analysis for this study, including  a systematic review, discourse analysis, in depth qualitative research methods such as in depth interviews, focus group discussions and witness seminars, including but not limited to;

• • Protocol refinement and reporting
  • Tool development and piloting
  • Oversight of research administration including training of grassroots partners in research ethics and methods
  • Conduct/lead of research including working with interpreters, translators, transcribers
  • Management and curation of data strictly following ethical procedures and data sharing requirements
  • Coordination of analysis of data for each site and across sites
  • Support for sharing of intermittent and ad hoc outputs of findings
  • Coordination of cross learning and joint data analysis
• Lead in the conduct and reporting of qualitative analyses including coordination with quantitative analysis counterpart;
• Coordinate with other team members and partners for further refinement of analyses; 
• Support the design and refinement of a data visualization tool to report this data; 
• Coordinate continuous interaction and collaboration with state department and other partners in six states;  
• Ensure and in some cases lead peer (reviewed journal) dissemination and public engagement related to this project; 
• Organize workshops, meetings and events related to this project, particularly the component related to analysis (including witness seminars); 
• Support for curation and archiving of data as part of PATANG platform;
• Assist with any additional activities relevant to the project, as delegated by the Program Director;

As a Team Member:

• Participate in team meetings and activities relating to social participation for health and own work area;
• Participate in special projects to improve processes, tools, systems and organisation;
• Take responsibility for personal learning and development and for setting achievable and meaningful work objectives and managing personal targets, meeting obligations of the Institute’s Performance Management and Development Policy;
• Demonstrate commitment to GI’s values, including performing to an exceptionally high ethical standard and focus on integrity, collaboration and teamwork in all efforts.

Work, Health and Safety

• Comply with GI’s Work Health and Safety Policy and related procedures, and similar policies which apply when visiting the premises of affiliates and collaborating sites.
• Promote and contribute to a safe, secure environment for staff and visitors.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Appropriate doctoral qualification in public health, sociology, anthropology, development or a related subject in one of the disciplines of public health.  (This requirement may be eased if there is extensive experience)
• At least 5 years of experience working in ethnography or in depth qualitative methods (stand-alone), as well as programme data.
• Experience working closely with state governments as well as civil society organisations’ data.
• Passion for and demonstrated experience in the field of public health.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary teams, managing relationships with external partners and engaging senior stakeholders, including those in government. 
• Demonstrated (i.e. through publications) experience using evidence synthesis (eg. Covidence, RAYYAN) and qualitative data analysis software (eg. Atlas.TI, EnVIVO)
• At least two lead authored publications in peer- reviewed journals, experience in developing funding applications a plus.  
• Availability and willingness to undertake extensive local travel across the country. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work well independently and in multiple teams.
• Ability to see the big picture, yet still focus on detail.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable in the face of changing organisational priorities and ambiguous environments. 
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For more details, please see the Position Description for this role.

The George Institute India

The George Institute, a wholly owned legal not-for-profit Indian research institute, has been conducting research related activities in India since 2002. The George Institute India’s mission mirrors that of the parent organization, namely the discovery and implementation of solutions to chronic and disabling health problems through research, policy development and capacity building.

A number of large-scale projects in population, health systems and clinical research, funded by a diverse group of sponsors, both public and private, are conducted in India. The George Institute India comprises two distinct operating groups: Research and Development, and Infrastructure and Resources. It has two separate offices - in Hyderabad and New Delhi, where the research staff and senior management are based. 

About the George Institute

We are a medical and health research institute affiliated with leading universities aiming to challenge the status quo in health care. With 700+ people around the world, and projects in over 40 countries, our Strategy 2025 is all about impact – specifically, the impact of The George Institute’s activities on the health of millions of people, particularly those living in disadvantaged circumstances around the world.

Our strategy focuses on three key research priorities:

• Better Treatments: finding better treatments for the world’s biggest health problems
• Better Care: transforming primary health care to support better health for more people
• Healthier Societies: harnessing the power of communities, governments and markets to improve health

For more information about The George Institute, visit www.georgeinstitute.org.