Makerere’s School of Public Health (MakSPH) is expanding faster than it can house itself. It now hosts more than 1,000 students, runs programmes across multiple countries, and anchors a large share of the University’s research output. Yet parts of its operation still spill into rented space, costing over $113,000 a year, because the infrastructure has not kept pace with its growth.
That constraint sits uneasily with the School’s economic weight. Health research accounts for more than half of Makerere University’s academic output, making it one of the University’s most productive engines. As Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe put it, “An educated population is a healthy population, and an educated and healthy population is a prosperous population.”
Beyond the university, health is not just a social outcome but a driver of economic performance. Healthier populations are more productive, more resilient, and less costly to sustain. Investments in public health, whether in prevention, systems, or infrastructure, raise an economy’s productive capacity, not just improve outcomes.
A construction worker undertakes metal fabrication works at the Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) building site.
Institutions that generate public health knowledge and train professionals are not peripheral to growth; they are part of its foundation.
It is this logic that is shaping how Makerere’s School of Public Health is positioning itself. At its centre is a new, unfinished complex on the University’s main campus, intended to anchor the School’s next phase as a regional hub for research, training, and policy support. But like much of the system it supports, it is being built gradually, in a “build-as-you-go” approach constrained as much by funding realities as by design.
Construction of Phase II of the MakSPH complex is now at an advanced stage, with progress recorded across all sections of the site. As of March 2026, Phase 2B is nearing completion at 98%, while Phase 2A stands at 89%, and Phase 2C at 69%, each tracking close to or slightly ahead of planned targets. Current works are concentrated on interior finishes—including tiling, terrazzo installation, and external rendering—as well as preparations for lift installation, signaling a transition from structural works to final detailing. The project team is working toward a practical completion date of August 31, 2026, with timelines calibrated to align with broader resource flows and implementation considerations.
Six years ago, in February 2020, construction began on what will be the new home of the School of Public Health. The building, a permanent, purpose-built public health facility on Makerere’s main campus, will accommodate a growing student body, provide space for doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, and strengthen the University’s ability to respond to Africa’s most pressing public health challenges.
Professor David Serwadda, Professor Emeritus at Makerere University and Chair of the MakSPH Infrastructure Fundraising Committee, said the construction journey reflects the School’s “ambition, intent, and courage”—a bold step despite limited resources. He was speaking at a public lecture on health financing held at Makerere University on April 9, 2026.
But the ambition behind the project is not modest. “We are not building for today—we are building for the future,” said Professor David Serwadda, reflecting on a decision that shaped the entire construction effort. “We need to build for the next 100 years.”
Professor David Serwadda, Professor Emeritus at Makerere University and Chair of the MakSPH Infrastructure Fundraising Committee, speaks at a public lecture on health financing for Uganda’s future, held on April 9, 2026.
That long view helps explain both the scale of the project and the risks taken to start it. When construction began, the School did not have the full funding. “We started with about a third of the required budget,” Serwadda said.
The approach was not without setbacks. A major grant from USAID, worth over a million dollars, was later withdrawn, midway through the construction, due to the closure of USAID. “We received what is called a ‘Dear John letter,’” he recalled. “At that moment, we felt the situation was a major blow, almost terminal for the project.”
But the project did not stop. It adjusted. “We said, let us continue, piecemeal,’” he said. “Finish the auditorium first, use it, and keep building the rest.”
“We have come a long way as the School of Public Health,” said Professor Rhoda Wanyenze, the Dean. “We are proud of that history, but we also recognize that it comes with responsibility.”
Professor Rhoda Wanyenze, Dean of the Makerere University School of Public Health, speaks at a public lecture on health financing for Uganda’s future, held on April 9, 2026.
She argued that responsibility is no longer confined to Uganda. With ongoing collaborative work in more than 25 African countries currently, the Dean says this is “a responsibility to provide leadership in public health not only in Uganda but across the continent.”
The scale of that growth has been visible from what was once a small training unit in the Faculty of Medicine in the 1950s, which has expanded into 12 academic programmes and more than 1,000 students.
“When I came back for my public health training, we were about 40 students,” she said. “Now, we have more than 1,000.” “Public health is growing and evolving,” Wanyenze said. “And we are doing our best to develop the skills needed for this changing landscape.”
That includes new areas such as health informatics and data science, driven by the digitisation of health systems and the growing role of data in decision-making and AI. The School is already coordinating regional platforms on digital health, linking multiple countries in shared learning and practice.
But this growth has outpaced the physical systems needed to sustain it. For the University leadership, the implications extend beyond infrastructure.
“One of the most effective ways to invest in health in Uganda is to invest properly in Makerere University,” said Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe. “We must recognize Makerere as a research-led university with a special national role—not fund it like any other institution or department. Makerere is one of the government’s greatest assets. Invest in her, and the returns will exceed expectations.”
Professor Nawangwe hailed Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, who delivered a keynote on investing in health for Uganda’s future in view of Vision 2040. “I wish to thank Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi and his team for their personal intervention in allocating resources in next year’s budget to complete the new School of Public Health building. That support is deeply appreciated,” he said.
Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe speaks at a public lecture on health financing for Uganda’s future on April 9, 2026.
Uganda’s progress in health outcomes is evident, but uneven. Life expectancy has risen significantly from about 50 years in 2000 to roughly 68.8 years in 2024, according to the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi. Yet the gains sit alongside persistent financial strain on households. About 4% of Ugandans still spend more than a quarter of their consumption on healthcare, pushing many into poverty as a result of illness.
For Ggoobi, this points to a structural gap that recurrent government spending alone cannot close. “We must mobilise long-term domestic capital without adding fiscal risk,” he argued, pointing to the need for more sustainable financing mechanisms. Central to this is the gradual design and rollout of a national health insurance scheme. Evidence from countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, and Ghana suggests that well-structured contributory models can expand coverage while reducing catastrophic out-of-pocket spending.
“My Ministry and the School of Public Health must be partners. … Evidence framed in fiscal terms drives policy,” said Ggoobi, stressing the need for locally grounded solutions. “What works in Ghana might not work here. We need a model that fits Uganda.”
Uganda’s current macroeconomic conditions, relatively low inflation, currency stability, and expanding private credit may provide a window to move in that direction.
Kampala — On Saturday, a car park on the campus of Makerere University in Kampala became the stage for a continental emergency response. Delegates, dignitaries and diplomats gathered in the tent outside the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), a research institute owned by the university, for the formal launch of the Continental Incident Management Support Team (IMST), a joint Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) operation racing to contain the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola sweeping through the Democratic Republic of the Congo and, increasingly, Uganda. After the ribbon-cutting, guests were led inside to tour the team’s new home at IDI’s McKinnell Knowledge Centre, where the command offices have now been set up.
Dr Chris Baryomunsi joins delegates for a group photograph at the IMST launch, Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University.
The numbers explain the urgency. As of 21 June, more than 1,000 confirmed cases and 269 deaths had been recorded across the two countries, the vast majority in Ituri Province in eastern DRC. Uganda’s tally stood at 20 cases and two deaths, almost all traced to cross-border movement from the DRC. Eighty-two health workers have been infected, 18 fatally, a toll that helped push the WHO to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May, mirrored days later by Africa CDC’s own continental emergency declaration.
Prof Henry Mwanaki Alinaitwe, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration at Makerere University, with the acting US Ambassador to Uganda and Prof Samuel Luboga, IDI board chair, at the IMST launch.
Until now, the international response has been coordinated remotely, a patchwork of video calls and scattered logistics that officials admit slowed decision-making. The Kampala launch marks a shift from that fragmented model to a single, physically co-located command centre housed at IDI’s McKinnell Knowledge Centre, bringing case management, surveillance, logistics and risk communication specialists under one roof. From there, the convoy of delegates moved on to Kajjansi, on the outskirts of Entebbe, for the formal activation of the IMST’s regional logistics hub, the facility tasked with staging and rapidly deploying protective equipment and medical supplies across the outbreak zone.
Dr Chris Baryomunsi inspects the newly activated IMST logistics hub at Kajjansi, near Entebbe.
For Uganda’s health minister, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the symbolism was as important as the logistics. Speaking at the launch, he argued that no nation can consider itself protected until its neighbours are equally prepared, framing cross-border solidarity as an operational necessity rather than an aspiration. He also announced a new memorandum of understanding with the DRC establishing joint Ebola treatment centres and laboratory services in the border towns of Aru and Kasenyi, warning that outbreak response cannot succeed while transmission continues unchecked on one side of a shared frontier.
Dr Chris Baryomunsi speaks as the guest of honour at the launch of the Continental Incident Management Support Team, Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University.
The WHO’s regional emergency director, Dr Marie-Roseline Belizaire, described the unified command structure as transformative, saying it would pool resources across agencies, cut duplication and keep field decisions anchored to scientific evidence. Africa CDC’s Dr Tolbert Nyenswah confirmed the team, specialists in case management, infection prevention, logistics and contact tracing, has now relocated physically to Kampala to work closer to the epicentre. Eleven epidemic-prone African nations, including Rwanda, Burundi, Angola and the Central African Republic, are participating in the preparedness effort even though most have not registered a single case.
Dr Marie-Roseline Belizaire, WHO AFRO’s regional emergency director, speaks at the launch of the Continental Incident Management Support Team in Kampala.
For IDI and Makerere University, hosting the command centre carries weight beyond the immediate crisis. IDI’s executive director, Dr Andrew Kambugu, said the institute had provided a fully equipped space, now installed at the McKinnell Knowledge Centre, enabling real-time communication between field teams, regional governments and international partners in Geneva, and framed the moment as proof that academic institutions can engage directly with pressing societal problems rather than observe from the sidelines.
Dr Andrew Kambugu delivers welcome remarks at the launch of the Continental Incident Management Support Team, Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University.
That framing matters for a continent whose research infrastructure has often been treated as peripheral to its own health emergencies. By anchoring the IMST’s command function within a Ugandan public university rather than in a foreign capital, the launch signals a modest but symbolic rebalancing: an African-led institution taking custody of an African-led response. The day’s itinerary made the point physically as well as symbolically: from the ribbon-cutting in Makerere’s car park, to the tour of the new command offices, to the drive out to Kajjansi to switch on the logistics hub, delegates traced the full chain of the response they had just committed to running.
Dr Chris Baryomunsi poses with the IMST logistics hub team at Kajjansi, following the hub’s formal activation.
Fred Ouma is the Corporate Communications Specialist, Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI).
Every 4 July, the United States marks its independence. This year’s commemoration carries added significance as the country celebrates 250 years, offering partners across the world a moment to reflect on relationships built through shared purpose, investment and trust.
For Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), that reflection leads to a long and productive partnership with the people and Government of the United States, spanning more than 35 years. Through U.S. Government agencies and programmes, the collaboration has supported MakSPH’s growth from a national public health training institution into a regional platform for evidence, leadership, health systems strengthening and public health preparedness.
Today, MakSPH stands at a defining point in its institutional journey. Tracing its roots to the introduction of preventive medicine in Makerere University’s then Faculty of Medicine in 1954, the School has grown into a leading public health institution in Africa, training more than 1,000 students across 12-degree programmes, working through district field training sites, contributing to national technical committees, and implementing research and capacity-building work across Uganda and more than 35 African countries.
Hon. Margaret Muhanga, then State Minister for Primary Health Care and Chief Guest, joins Makerere University leaders and partners in cutting the MakSPH@70 anniversary cake during the School’s 70th anniversary celebrations in December 2024.
Its work spans infectious diseases, maternal and child health, noncommunicable diseases, climate and health, digital health, injury prevention, universal health coverage and epidemic preparedness. While grounded in close collaboration with the Government of Uganda, especially the Ministry of Health, this reach has also been shaped by long-standing U.S. Government support. Reflecting on this shared history, MakSPH Dean Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze said the partnership has made a lasting contribution to public health capacity.
“For more than three decades, MakSPH has been privileged to work in strong partnership with the people and Government of the United States. We are grateful for this collaboration, which has made a major contribution to advancing public health training, research and practice in Uganda and across Africa. From the Master of Public Health programme to fellowships, enhanced surveillance, operational research, HIV and infectious disease work, regional networks, innovation, and programmes such as METS, this partnership has helped build the people, evidence and systems that support public health action,” Prof. Wanyenze said.
MakSPH Dean Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze speaks during the UPHIA 2025 launch in Kampala, highlighting MakSPH’s contribution to Uganda’s public health response through research, evidence and technical guidance.
Training Leaders for Uganda’s Health System
In 1994, as Uganda decentralised its administration and public services, the Institute of Public Health, now Makerere University School of Public Health, established the Master of Public Health (MPH) Full-Time programme in response to a clear workforce need for public health leaders who could manage district health systems, investigate outbreaks, conduct needs assessments and respond to emerging health challenges.
Prof. David Serwadda, Professor Emeritus at Makerere University and former Dean of MakSPH, recalls the programme was designed to fill a critical district-level leadership gap. “After a very strong needs assessment by Makerere University and the Ministry of Health, it was found that we needed to train a specific cadre of public health leaders for the districts,” he said. “We needed people with good management skills, people who could investigate an epidemic, do a needs assessment and respond to health challenges.”
Prof. David Serwadda speaks during a departmental retreat in Jinja in June 2026. He served as Director of the Makerere Institute of Public Health from 2003 to 2007 and as the first Dean of MakSPH from 2007 to 2009.
Established as a two-year programme, the MPH Full-Time was based on the Public Health Schools Without Walls model and became one of the earliest community-based public health graduate programmes in Africa. Developed through joint commitment by the Institute of Public Health, the Ministry of Health and the Rockefeller Foundation, and with technical support from the U.S. CDC, the programme placed students at district field sites to learn through apprenticeship while working on real public health problems. Other partners, including WHO and UNFPA, later provided scholarship support.
Three decades later, the MPH Full-Time programme remains one of MakSPH’s flagship contributions to Uganda and the region’s public health workforce. It has trained more than 1,000 public health professionals for leadership across districts, Ministry programmes, research, teaching, implementation and technical advisory work. Many graduates have gone on to serve as District Health Officers, commissioners, programme leaders, researchers, lecturers and public health specialists, strengthening Uganda’s health system leadership.
Fellowships That Strengthened Public Health Response
In 2002, MakSPH hosted the first direct cooperative agreement between Makerere University and the U.S. CDC, formalising the workforce development arm of the partnership. Under the Leadership and Investment in Fighting Epidemics (LIFE) initiative, the agreement launched the HIV/AIDS Fellowship Programme, which trained leaders for organisations working in HIV and AIDS. By 2014, the programme had produced more than 100 long-term fellows, more than 200 medium-term fellows, and over 3,000 short-course participants.
Graduates pose with then U.S. Ambassador to Uganda H.E. William W. Popp during the 10th graduation of Advanced Field Epidemiology Fellows and the 2nd graduation of Laboratory Leadership Fellows under the Uganda Public Health Fellowship Programme in January 2026.
The fellowship platform later transitioned into the Uganda Public Health Fellowship Programme and, through subsequent cooperative agreements in 2016 and 2021, expanded into the broader Public Health Workforce Development Programme. Led by the Ministry of Health through the Uganda National Institute of Public Health, and implemented with the U.S. CDC, districts and MakSPH, the programme now supports advanced field epidemiology, Frontline and Intermediate Field Epidemiology Training, and laboratory leadership.
Fellows are embedded within the Ministry of Health, districts and public health institutions, strengthening surveillance, outbreak investigation, HIV/TB programming, quality improvement, laboratory systems and health informatics. The Field Epidemiology Track has supported an average of about 37 active fellows, including 39 in 2024/2025. That year, fellows provided technical assistance to the Ministry and conducted 84 epidemiological studies and investigations, including work linked to Uganda’s Mpox response.
HIV Evidence That Changed Policy and Practice
UPHIA 2025 laboratory technicians undergo pre-deployment training at MakSPH, delivered with Uganda National Health Laboratory Services, ahead of field data collection on HIV and related health indicators across Uganda.
Uganda’s HIV crisis in the 1980s became one of the earliest tests of MakSPH’s public health mission. The wasting illness, then known as “Slim”, was reported in Rakai in the early 1980s and later identified as HIV/AIDS. Researchers at the Institute of Public Health, now MakSPH, helped advance understanding of the epidemic, with Prof. David Serwadda among the earliest physicians in Uganda to recognise and describe the disease.
That work grew into the Rakai Health Sciences Programme, established in 1989 through collaboration involving Makerere University, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and partners. Over the decades, Rakai became a platform for research, surveillance, service delivery and training in communities deeply affected by HIV.
One landmark contribution showed that safe medical male circumcision reduced female-to-male HIV acquisition by about 60 per cent, helping inform HIV prevention policy in Uganda and globally. PEPFAR support also helped expand treatment in Rakai, where surveillance documented reduced mortality, lower HIV incidence, reduced orphanhood and improved community productivity.
The search for stronger prevention tools continued through MakSPH researchers, including Prof. Noah Kiwanuka, whose work in rural and fishing communities highlighted the need for better options for adolescent girls and young women. From 2022 to 2024, MakSPH managed the Makerere-Kalangala study site with UVRI-IAVI for the Gilead Sciences-led PURPOSE 1 trial, with Prof. Kiwanuka as Site Principal Investigator. The study contributed evidence on lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable now recognised as a major advance in HIV prevention.
Surveillance and National Decisions
Then Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng flags off UPHIA 2025 field teams in Kampala on 29 May 2025. The Ministry of Health-led survey is implemented with technical support from MakSPH and partners.
The partnership has also strengthened Uganda’s ability to measure the HIV epidemic and use evidence for national decisions. The Uganda Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) 2024/2025 is the country’s third national household-based HIV impact survey, commissioned by the Ministry of Health with technical support from MakSPH in partnership with UBOS, UVRI, and the U.S. CDC. After two earlier rounds supported by ICAP at Columbia University in 2016 and 2020, the current survey marks a shift to Ugandan leadership in implementation, analysis and use of evidence for the national response.
Funded by the U.S. Government through PEPFAR, UPHIA represents a USD 10 million investment in national evidence generation. Its results, expected in 2026, will provide updated national and subnational estimates of HIV prevalence, incidence, viral load suppression, service coverage and progress toward UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. The survey covers 6,685 households and about 15,000 people aged 15 years and above, with additional focus on adolescents, noncommunicable diseases among people living with HIV, and barriers among those not virally suppressed.
Related surveillance work through the CRANE Survey has generated evidence on populations at higher risk of HIV and often missed by routine data. Established in 2008 with U.S. Government support through PEPFAR and implemented by MakSPH with the Ministry of Health and U.S. CDC, CRANE is one of Uganda’s longest-running HIV bio-behavioural surveillance platforms. More than USD 7 million in U.S. Government investment has supported evidence used in Uganda’s HIV Investment Case, the National HIV Strategic Plan, national bio-behavioural surveillance guidelines and UNAIDS guidance.
In its third round, conducted in 2023 and disseminated in 2024, CRANE reached 7,947 female sex workers and sexually exploited minors across 12 districts. About one in three participants were living with HIV, rising to 54 per cent among those aged 35 to 49. The survey also documented syphilis, high-risk HPV infection, violence, stigma in health facilities and high levels of depression, strengthening the case for targeted HIV prevention, treatment, mental health support, violence prevention, cervical cancer prevention and access to justice.
Then U.S. Ambassador to Uganda H.E. William W. Popp tours MakSPH exhibition stands with MakSPH and U.S. CDC leadership during the 2024 dissemination of CRANE Survey results in Kampala.
Regional Leadership, One Health and Innovation
U.S. Government support extended MakSPH’s contribution from national workforce development to regional public health leadership. In 2005, USAID, through the Higher Education for Development programme, supported the Leadership Initiative for Public Health in East Africa (LIPHEA), led by MakSPH with Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. The initiative strengthened leadership, competency-based training, faculty development and collaborative research across East Africa.
LIPHEA’s legacy continued through the East Africa HEALTH Alliance, which evolved into the One Health Central and Eastern Africa network and later the Africa One Health University Network (AFROHUN). These platforms brought public health, veterinary, environmental and allied disciplines into shared training and practice, helping build a workforce able to predict, detect and respond to zoonotic diseases, epidemics and other complex health threats.
The regional focus expanded further in 2012, when USAID selected Makerere University, through MakSPH, to lead the ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) under the Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN). Operating in 16 African countries through a network of 20 African universities, RAN connected African universities, U.S. partners and local innovators to strengthen community resilience to disease outbreaks, climate shocks, food insecurity, conflict and natural disasters. Through research, innovation grants, policy engagement and capacity building, it expanded MakSPH’s regional contribution to resilience science, innovation and implementation research.
METS and National Stewardship
MakSPH Dean Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze signs the METS handover board during the transition of digital health systems and assets to the Ministry of Health on 31 March 2026, as then U.S. Ambassador to Uganda H.E. William W. Popp and Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, look on.
A recent marker of partnership maturity came through the Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Support (METS) Programme. Launched in 2010 with U.S. Government support through the U.S. CDC and PEPFAR, METS strengthened Uganda’s health information systems, case-based surveillance, monitoring, evaluation and quality improvement for HIV, TB and broader public health programming. Across three five-year grants totalling USD 103.8 million, the programme helped move Uganda from fragmented reporting toward stronger national data systems and more integrated digital health infrastructure.
During its March 2026 handover to the Ministry of Health, METS transferred 16 digital health systems, 725 servers, more than 4,700 computing devices, solar systems for nearly 800 facilities, connectivity equipment for more than 1,300 sites, and network upgrades for regional referral hospitals. The transferred ICT infrastructure was valued at USD 9.3 million. METS also helped improve District Health Information System 2 reporting from 58 per cent in 2020 to 98 per cent by 2025, while Electronic Medical Record coverage expanded to more than 86 per cent nationally, with 1,900 sites using electronic medical records.
Infrastructure and Future Capacity
MakSPH’s new home takes shape near the Eastern Gate at Makerere University Main Campus, supported in part through the USAID ASHA grant.
MakSPH’s expanding mandate has placed new demands on its infrastructure. With more than 1,000 students, wider regional work and a growing research portfolio, the new MakSPH complex on Makerere University Main Campus is designed to support training, research, policy engagement and innovation at scale. In 2021, USAID, through the American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) programme, awarded USD 1.1 million through Johns Hopkins University to support the Makerere University Centre of Excellence for Global Health within the new building.
The infrastructure agenda also points to the next phase of the MakSPH and U.S. Government partnership. After more than three decades of investment in leadership, evidence, surveillance, digital systems, regional networks and response capacity, sustaining these gains will require stronger shared responsibility.
As the United States marks 250 years of independence, MakSPH recognises a partnership that has strengthened Uganda’s public health system and continues to build capacity for the region.
The Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) at Makerere University has been awarded a grant from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) to carry out a large-scale trial of secondary TB preventive therapy. The Recurrent TB Screening and Prevention Study (RECENT TB study) is a randomized controlled trial which will be carried out in Uganda and South Africa from September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2030. The study will examine the effectiveness of secondary TPT for preventing recurrent TB while also evaluating the implementation considerations for the successful implementation of secondary TPT in public health settings and the potential of biomarkers to identify patients at the highest risk of recurrence.
To support the successful implementation of this trial, IDI is seeking a highly motivated individual to serve as a study coordinator while simultaneously pursuing a PhD. This dual role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge clinical research while developing advanced research skills at the doctoral level.
Job Purpose:
The Project Coordinator will be responsible for the day-to-day coordination of the trial. S/he will work closely with the Scientific Lead and the broader study team to ensure high-quality, protocol-compliant study implementation. Concurrently, s/he will be enrolled in a doctoral program, using the trial data and research experience to develop and complete a PhD thesis within the contract period.
Key Responsibilities
Study Coordination and Trial Management
Oversee participant recruitment, randomization, and follow-up schedules in accordance with the approved protocol, Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines, and EDCTP regulations
Ensure timely and accurate collection, entry, and verification of study data using electronic data capture systems.
Oversee training and coordination of study nurses, health facility staff, and community health workers in both Uganda and South Africa to ensure smooth trial operations. Occasional travel to South Africa may be needed for this.
Maintain up-to-date versions of all study documentation, including study protocol, informed consent forms, and data collection tools.
Assist in the preparation of study reports, safety reports, and interim analyses for the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) and EDCTP.
Liaise with the IDI Research and Ethics Committee and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) to ensure ongoing compliance.
Coordinate and support monitoring visits, audits, and inspections by the IDI monitoring unit, EDCTP, and other regulatory authorities.
Participate in study team meetings, investigator meetings, and relevant scientific conferences.
PhD Research Activities
Develop a PhD concept and enroll in an approved PhD program at Makerere University and/or the University of Amsterdam by the end of Year 1.
Develop a full doctoral research proposal in consultation with the RECENT TB Scientific and Capacity Building Leads as well as academic supervisors and achieve full registration by the end of Year 2.
Prepare and submit at least 2 manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication in accordance with PhD requirements by the end of Year 4.
Present research findings at national and international scientific conferences.
Engage with the PhD supervisory committee and attend required academic modules and seminars.
Supervise at least one master’s-level student by the end of Year 4.
Submission of PhD thesis for final viva voce examination by the end of Year 4
Reporting and Supervision
For trial-related outputs, the study coordinator will report directly to the scientific lead—RECENT TB. Regular performance reviews will be conducted by the Scientific Lead in alignment with IDI’s performance management framework. For academic purposes, s/he will report to the RECENT TB Capacity Building Lead as well as her designated PhD supervisory committee in accordance with the requirements of Makerere University and/or the Graduate School of the Amsterdam University Medical Center.
Academic Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery (MBChB), plus a Master’s degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Clinical Research or Internal Medicine
Minimum of 5 years of experience working in clinical research or public health in the Ugandan setting, preferably in TB, HIV, or other infectious diseases.
Demonstrable interest in research, scientific writing and publication with at least one first author peer reviewed publication
Person Specification
Experience with electronic data capture tools and statistical software (RedCap, STATA, R)
Training in Human Subjects Research (HSP) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
Strong interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity for working with TB affected communities.
More Details
Job Code: PJC001 No of Positions: 1 Station: IDI Mulago Classification: Full-time Duration: 9 Months Reports to: co-investigator Posted Date: 2026-07-01 10:45:53.000 Closing Date: 2026-07-14 17:00:00.000
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