The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program is now accepting applications for the 2022 DHS Fellows Program.
2022 DHS Fellows Program for University Faculty from:
Angola, Benin, Burundi, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Maldives, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Guatemala, Haiti, Armenia, and Tajikistan
The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program is now accepting applications for the 2022 DHS Fellows Program. The DHS Fellows Program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is designed to increase the capacity of countries to conduct further analysis of DHS Program data. The primary objectives of the program are:
- To teach Fellows to analyze and conduct research with DHS Program data.
- To strengthen skills that Fellows will use to integrate DHS Program data into their teaching.
- To increase the ability of Fellows to strengthen the capacity of others to use DHS Program data at their home institutions.
The 2022 DHS Fellows Program will be conducted virtually. Participants must guarantee access to reliable internet for effective participation. Eligibility and Requirements Applications are accepted from faculty members at universities in:
- Angola, Benin, Burundi, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, and South Africa
- Maldives, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Guatemala and Haiti
- Other regions: Armenia and Tajikistan
All team members must be based full-time at the home university. Applications must be from teams comprised of three members from the same university who teach and/or conduct research in demography, public health, economics, sociology, or other social sciences.
Individuals who have already participated in a data analysis workshop conducted by The DHS Program are not eligible, although individuals who have only participated in a Service Provision Assessment (SPA) or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) workshop facilitated by The DHS Program are still eligible to apply.
Teams must include one senior 1 faculty member. All three team members must be available to attend two virtual instructor lead trainings (vILTs) organized by The DHS Program (see anticipated timeline below). In addition, all participants must complete the DHS Dataset User course online during the first virtual training. The most recent statistical software package Stata will be provided for use during the training. The language for the program is English. Each team will be expected to jointly complete a publishable-quality manuscript in English on policy-relevant questions that are primarily related to one or more of the following topic areas: sexual and reproductive health, family planning, fertility, maternal, child, and newborn health, gender, or other cross-cutting health issues. Papers must use data from The DHS Program surveys. Completed manuscripts that meet the required standards will be published by The DHS Program in the Working Paper series.2 Fellows will also be required to submit their completed papers to peer-reviewed journals for publication. In addition, each team will be expected to design and implement a plan for strengthening capacity in the use of DHS Program data for teaching and research at their home universities. Teams are required to report back on the implementation of capacity strengthening activities prior to completion of the program. Anticipated Timeline
| November 21, 2021 | Applications are due |
| Early January, 2022 | Selected candidates are notified |
| February 28 – March 11, 2022 | First vILT session to prepare Fellows to use DHS Program datasets, refine research questions, and begin data analysis. The facilitation spans this period but will not occur daily or for the whole day. Fellows will also be asked to complete the DHS Dataset online users course during this period |
| March 25, 2022 | Fellows submit interim drafts of their papers |
| April 16, 2022 | Fellows submit first report on capacity-strengthening activities |
| April 18 – April 29, 2022 | Second vILT session for Fellows to work with Fellows on finalizing their papers. The facilitation spans this period but will not occur daily or for the whole day |
| June 3, 2022 | Fellows submit final papers and respond to reviews and edits throughout the publication process |
| August 19, 2022 | Fellows submit second report on capacity‐ strengthening activities |
| September 9, 2022 | Fellows submit the working paper to a peer-reviewed journal |
Awards The selection of Fellows will be primarily based on the merits of their research proposal and on the applicants’ potential for strengthening the capacity of their home university to use DHS Program data. Additional factors considered will be gender balance and previous experience in data use and statistical analysis.
Each fellow will be awarded a $2,000 honorarium to cover research expenses which will be paid in installments based upon satisfactory completion of the deliverables. Non-participation in trainings or incomplete submissions will be deducted from this payment. Application Procedure Each team should submit a single application that contains the following items in PDF format:
- A completed team application form
- A brief, original research proposal (3 to 4 pages) with the following sections clearly described 1) introduction and rationale, 2) short literature review on the topic, 3) research question(s), 4) scope of analysis (including how DHS Program data will be used to answer the research questions), and 5) potential policy implications.
- A brief plan for internal capacity strengthening (1 to 2 pages) that describes realistic activities the applicants will undertake at home universities during the fellowship. These activities should enable fellows to pass on knowledge and skills learned through the program to students, faculty, and research colleagues at their home universities. Brief descriptions of each proposed activity should include a summary of the objective, target group, timing, measurement of progress, and outcomes. Two capacity building activities are required, the first should be implemented before April 16, 2022, and the second before August 19, 2022 as detailed in the timeline.
- In addition, the joint application should include the following from each team member:
- A curriculum vitae with complete contact information, a list of publications, and names and contact information for three references
- Proof of status as a current faculty member at home university and duration of employment
If selected, each candidate will be asked to provide evidence, such as a letter of approval from their department/university agrees to her/his participation in the fellowship program, including full-time participation in both vILT sessions. Contact Information Applications must be completed online below. Please send all other inquiries to DHSFellows@dhsprogram.com.
1 A senior faculty member is someone who is an Associate Professor (or equivalent) or higher. 2 Please see https://dhsprogram.com/What-We-Do/DHS-Fellows-Program.cfm for DHS Fellows Working Pape
