Research Fellow

About The George Institute

The George Institute for Global Health was established in 1999 with a mission to improve the health of millions of people worldwide, particularly underserved populations, by challenging the status quo and using innovative approaches to prevent and treat the world’s biggest killers: non-communicable diseases and injury.

With offices in Australia, China, India and the UK, our 700+ people support 245+ active projects and clinical trials across 50+ countries, with 400+ more staff across our social enterprises. We focus on the global health challenges that cause the greatest loss of life, the greatest impairment of life quality and the most substantial economic burden, particularly in resource-poor settings.

Together with our academic partners, UNSW Sydney in Australia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India and Imperial College London in the United Kingdom, we work with a global network of collaborators, undertaking clinical, population and health systems research.

Our experts are among the most cited globally, bestowed accolades for excellence and innovation, and regularly participate in policy fora. Our research is published in leading academic journals, referenced in policy documents, and recognised for its excellence, innovation and impact. We are designated a WHO Collaborating Centre (WHO CC) for Injury Prevention & Trauma Care, and a WHO CC for Population Salt Reduction. Since 1999, we have raised more than $1 billion for research and produced over 10,000 peer-reviewed publications and other academic outputs.

What we do

• Lead world-class, large-scale clinical trials, epidemiological studies and health systems research to transform treatments and healthcare delivery
• Look beyond single diseases, across the life course, to identify patient-centred approaches to care that can be implemented at scale
• Develop low-cost, innovative solutions to global unmet needs
• Drive our global impact through a program of research, advocacy, thought leadership and disruptive social entrepreneurship

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

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.

Context and Role

The Research Fellow will lead field operations for the India-FOCUS (Factors of CKDu in Uddanam Study), a multidisciplinary NIH-funded cohort study investigating environmental, genetic, and occupational risk factors for Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) in South India. This study is part of the Chronic Kidney Disease of UnceRtain Etiology (CKDu) in Agricultural Communities (CURE) Research Consortium, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is a collaborative research consortium that brings together a broad range of expertise and enables discovery science to understand the causes of CKDu and risk factors for disease progression of CKDu.

The role involves coordinating a team of 10+ field staff, overseeing the recruitment of 1,200 participants (400 cases, 800 controls), and implementing complex data/environmental sampling protocols. The Fellow will contribute to research that will lead to cutting-edge analyses of gene-environment interactions, heat stress biomarkers, and exposome data while ensuring ethical compliance and community engagement.

The Research Fellow will be based in Palasa but should be willing and able to undertake domestic and international travel, as required. The appointment is initially for a period of 2 years, with the possibility of extension, based on future funding and higher studies pursued. Any Indian applicant is eligible to apply.

Reporting Relationships

The Research Fellow will report to Prof. Vivekananda Jha, Principal Investigator of this project, at The George Institute for Global Health, India.

Duties and Key Responsibilities

The Research Fellow will be actively involved in conducting the desk / lityerature reviews, field research activities, design of the intervention, project implementation and documentation of the India-FOCUS (Factors of CKDu in Uddanam Study) and manuscript writing.

Key responsibilities are to:

• Develop and direct recruitment strategies for cases (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73m², age 18–45) and frequency-matched controls across seven mandals in Uddanam.
• Supervise collection of biospecimens (blood, urine, hair, nails) and environmental samples (water, soil, air) using standardized protocols from the CURE Consortium.
• Implement longitudinal follow-up at 4-8-month intervals.
• Clean and analyze data from clinical and Basic Laboratory Parameters.
• Lead community education sessions on CKDU prevention through the Kidney Research Innovation and Patient Assistance Centre (KRIPA).
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholder communities, including civil society groups, government departments, and local NGOs.
• Implement protocols for returning results of clinical and environmental parameters.
• Train and retrain field staff in study-related activities,
• Mentor interns and MPH students from partnering Indian institutions.

As a Team Member:

• Be responsible for day-to-day planning of activities assigned to you
• Timely reporting of study progress to your reporting manager
• Participate in team meetings and activities related to the projects and the Institute as a whole
• Participate in objective setting and performance management
• Participate in special projects to continuously improve processes, tools, systems and 
organization

Personal Development:

• Participate in planning and implementing of personal and career development activities

Actively develop job-related skills

As a Team Manager:

• Ensure direct reports understand and comply with GI’s Policies and procedures, standard operating practices, ethical practice (with respect to research) and the legislative environment.
• Be responsible for managing performance of direct reports, including the completion of plans and agreeing on work and personal objectives and reviewing such plans and objectives, in accordance with GI’s Performance Management and Development Policy.
• Act as a role model and ensure the team’s commitment to GI’s values, ensuring direct reports perform to a 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.
•  Ensure direct reports understand and comply with safe work practice and procedures.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

Masters in Epidemiology, Public Health, Sociology, Anthropology, Statistics, Environmental Health, or other fields of biological sciences.

• 3+ years managing cohort studies in LMIC settings, preferably with CKD/environmental exposure research.
• Working skills in longitudinal data analysis (SAS/Stata/R) and GIS mapping.
• Fluency in English and Telugu (written/spoken).

Desirable:

Working Conditions

• 60% fieldwork in rural Andhra Pradesh with extreme heat (max 45°C) and high humidity.
• 20% lab coordination at PGIMER Chandigarh biobank.
• 20% remote collaboration with US-based teams (RTI/Columbia/HHEAR labs).
• Willingness and ability to participate in online meetings during evening hours (given the location of other members of the consortium).

Competencies

• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to manage multidisciplinary teams under resource constraints.
• Technical: Expertise in mixed-methods research integrating clinical, epidemiological, and environmental data.
• Cultural Competence: Experience working with agrarian communities and navigating caste/kinship dynamics in South India.
• Team player: demonstrated ability of working with teams with members who have varying skillsets and competencies.

General

• Strong focus on quality of work

• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Good organisation and time management skills

• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to see the big picture, and focus on detail
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable

For more details, please see the Position Description for this role.

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> in the subject line to hrindia@georgeinstitute.org.in by the 16 July 2025

Our big and bold mission to improve the health of millions of people worldwide needs a diverse and innovative team to deliver it.  So we foster a dynamic, inclusive and flexible workplace where each individual can bring their best selves to work.

Everyone is encouraged to apply, including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with a disability, people of all gender identities and sexual orientations, and mature-aged adults.