RESEARCH PROJECTS COORDINATOR
Position summary
Introduction
Job description
The Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems – Southern Africa is a Wellcome Trust Funded six-year research programme that is based at UKZN, with multiple partners. These include the Institute of Natural Resources in PMB, the University of Zimbabwe, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University College London, Aberdeen University, and Royal Veterinary College.
SHEFS-SA will catalyse the transformation of Southern African food systems and communities towards systems and communities that are healthy and resilient to climate risks. We will do this by:
- Undertaking SHEFS transdisciplinary research to shift understanding of complex climate change (CC)challenges for health, as mediated by food systems, within particular contexts, translated into scalable solutions and policy recommendations with high impact;
Developing a transdisciplinary Community of Practice (CoP), led by the Global South, that contextualises and applies systems thinking within an expanded climate sensitive SHEFS Framework, to improve food security, food safety, nutrition, and health, including mental health; and
Developing a Global South-led cohort programme to train emerging scholars and practitioners in transdisciplinary research approaches at the intersection of Climate and Health.
The SHEFS-SA consortium will focus on providing actionable evidence for informed decision-making and identifying and developing practical solutions for CC mitigation and/or adaptation, while evaluating in detail how their effects connect to health, including mental health, through food security, food safety and nutrition (public health areas of concern identified our previous SHEFS grant). The programme deepens our work in South Africa, and will expand to include Zimbabwe and Malawi to ensure regional policy impact.
The SHEFS-SA seeks to appoint someone who will assist the Principal Investigator in the successful implementation of the SHEFS-SA by coordinating all research, liaising with project stakeholders, contributing to research, documenting progress and communicating outcomes of the partnerships. The position is for the period of the SHEFS-SA project, and is dependent on the availability of external funds.
The successful incumbent will report to Prof Rob Slotow, the SHEFS-SA Principal Investigator.
Minimum requirements
Minimum Requirements:
· MSc in any Natural Sciences or a closely related discipline.
· 1-year relevant experience in coordinating and conducting research with multiple collaborating institutions.
· 3 years’ experience working with and analysing data.
· Lead author of an international peer review paper.
· Demonstratable experience of working in research teams and with diverse stakeholders
· Valid Code 8 Driver’s licence with at least 2 years’ experience
Other desirable attributes relevant to the post include excellent communication skills, passion for field work and working with communities and an interest in research and development and demonstratable experience with conducting, presenting and publishing research
