ILRI MSc Graduate Fellowship – Syndromic surveillance of Rift Valley fever in northern Kenya

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit an MSc graduate fellow to undertake research on syndromic surveillance of Rift Valley fever in livestock in northern Kenya.  The fellow will work closely with the research team from the One Health Centre (OHRECA) at ILRI and  will be hosted by the Animal and Human Health (AHH) program at ILRI.

ILRI works with partners worldwide to enhance the roles that livestock play in food security and poverty alleviation, principally in Africa and Asia. The outcomes of these research partnerships help people in developing countries keep their farm animals alive and productive, increase and sustain their livestock and farm productivity, find profitable markets for their animal products, and reduce the risk of livestock-related diseases. www.ilri.org

The AHH program seeks to effectively manage or eliminate livestock, zoonotic and food-borne diseases that matter to the poor through the generation and use of knowledge, technologies and products, leading to higher farmer incomes and better health and nutrition for consumers and livestock. https://www.ilri.org/research/programs/animal-and-human-health .

About the position

OHRECA is implementing a case study in Isiolo County on Rift Valley fever (RVF) that aims to identify more effective strategies of using One Health approaches to improve the surveillance and control of the disease. The project supports the training of the local communities to improve their knowledge of the disease. It is anticipated that the new knowledge gained from the trainings provided would empower the communities to promptly identify and report RVF-compatible events and  facilitate timely implementation of emergency interventions. Periodic entomological surveys are also conducted in the study areas to determine the density and species diversity of mosquitoes that can transmit the RVF virus.

The student will implement a project on syndromic surveillance of RVF in livestock. S/he will work with a group of pastoralists to investigate the occurrence patterns and causes of periodic abortions  in livestock. Utilising participatory epidemiology, the student will  detect and map these events, while also collecting  standard epidemiological data and appropriate samples for laboratory investigation of infectious agents that cause these events. During fieldwork, the student will use the available rapid tests for preliminary screening of the collected blood and serum samples. Subsequently, additional laboratory analyses of the samples will be conducted at ILRI Nairobi for confirmatory diagnosis. At the end of the study, the student will analyse the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic tests used in the field in the detection of RVF infections in livestock.

Key responsibilities:

The MSc fellow to be recruited into the project will:

• Develop an MSc research proposal in line with the admission requirements of the university.
• Develop a protocol for collecting biological samples required for diagnosis of the causes of abortion in livestock.
• Process the samples mentioned above for a preliminary analysis of the samples using rapid test.
• Process the samples collected for storage and transportation to our laboratories in ILRI Nairobi for confirmatory diagosis.
• Collect epidemiological data that can be used to analyse the incidence and spatial distribution of abortion cases in livestock.
• Analyze the obtained results and prepare a thesis and at least one journal publication.

Requirements:

The ideal candidate should:

• Have registered in a recognized university and is currently pursuing an MSc in either One Health, veterinary epidemiology, animal health, molecular biology or related field.
• Have completed their course work and is ready to begin the research component of their study.
• Possess working experience in working in the field, especially in pastoral production systems.
• Possess working knowledge of MS Office applications.
• Demonstrate good understanding of data handling techniques, analysis, especially involving use of statistical packages such as STATA, R or Python.
• Demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to work as part of a team.

Location: ILRI Nairobi, Kenya.

Duration: 6 months.

Terms of appointment and benefits: ILRI will offer a monthly stipend to cover living expenses in the project location, medical insurance, and cover research expenses. The fellow will be co-supervised by academic and ILRI supervisor and receive various capacity development opportunities at ILRI.

How to apply:

All applications MUST include the following (applications not containing these documents will not be considered):

• a cover letter addressed to Capacity Development Manager, ILRI, expressing interest in the fellowship position and the motivation. The position title and reference number (REF: ILRI MSc GF/AHH/07/2024) should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.
• CV, including names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience.
• academic qualification certificates/transcripts.

Applications must be submitted by clicking on the tab "APPLY NOW" on or before 20th May 2024.

Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.

To find out more about ILRI visit http://www.ilri.org