Required Qualifications:

Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in a relevant discipline, eg epidemiology, adolescent health, maternal and child health, clinical trials, and/or implementation science.

• The selected candidate must be able to meet eligibility requirements for work in the United States at the time of appointment and for the duration of their appointment.
• Scientific writing skills demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications and other writing samples. This position requires above-average writing skills, as manuscript, grant and report-writing will be major activities.
• The experience and capacity to work and communicate with diverse teams, people with different levels of experience, and communities in African countries.
• Quantitative statistical analysis and/or qualitative data collection and analysis skills
• Experience in data management and/or analyzing large datasets
• High level of organization and excellent project and time management skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Lived and/or research experience in Nigeria, Ghana, or other West/Central African countries
• Ability to speak and write French is a plus but not required
• Availability to travel

Position Summary:

The Sam-Agudu Lab is accepting applications for one postdoctoral research fellowship position from candidates who want to develop into team scientists or independent investigators. Prof. Nadia Sam-Agudu is a Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Director of the Global Pediatrics program. Her research focuses on major and (re)-emerging infectious diseases in Nigeria and other countries in West and Central Africa, particularly HIV, TB, COVID-19 and mpox. Populations of interest are children, adolescents, and pregnant women. Her research and capacity-building activities involve public health and health systems research, clinical cohort studies and implementation science methods. This job description provides a general overview of the role and major tasks to be performed; it is not intended to represent all responsibilities, duties and skills to be required of the successful candidate.

This position will support an individual with a Ph.D. to continue their research training and gain skills and experience to prepare them for a research career in academia or elsewhere. The successful postdoc will have opportunities to perform both mentored and independent research, contribute to multisite and multicountry research collaborations, and will have responsibility for components of grants that their Principal Investigator (Prof. Sam-Agudu) is leading or co-leading, all while under the general supervision and mentorship of their Principal Investigator. There will also be opportunities to train and/or teach undergraduate and graduate students and medical trainees at the University of Minnesota and at partner institutions in Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, and DR Congo.

Responsibilities:

~50% of the postdoctoral fellow’s time involved in Core Research Activities, such as

• Coordinate discrete components of grants or large projects under the supervision of the PI.
• Prepare complete documentation of research activities for reference purposes, including following applicable institutional review board guidance and data management protocols.
• Analyze, interpret, and document secondary data and research findings for review.
• Monitor and evaluate existing research projects to ensure quality and productivity.

~30%: Writing

• Assist in the preparation of grant proposals and reports
• Draft or contribute to scientific manuscripts under development

~10%: Teaching and Curriculum/Content development

• Assist in curriculum development, teaching classes or conducting research training

~10% Administrative Tasks

• Convening research meetings among collaborators
• Preparing and implementing lists and checklists of pending tasks
• Communicating with research collaborators
• Creating and/or curating all study documents and databases

Work Environment and Physical Demands
The work environment and physical demands for this position is relevant to two broad categories:
US office: Largely sedentary work, with little to no requirements to lift, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Substantial time working on a laptop and heavy use of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. The postdoctoral fellow is required to have close visual acuity to perform activities such as viewing a computer screen, preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; and extensive reading.
West and Central Africa: Will include long-haul airplane travel, exposure to tropical high temperatures, field visits by road, and moderate intensity walking.
Travel Requirements

• Will be required to travel 1-2 times a year for up to 4 weeks in Nigeria or other countries in West and Central Africa.
• Will also be required to travel for US and international scientific conferences.