Call for PhD (3) and MMED (2) Fellowships in Hepatitis B Research
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 15th December 2026
Description: ‘Beat HBV’ (Building capacity in research to eliminate hepatitis B virus) is a new research training program to develop investigators in the field of hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV is a major global infectious disease causing 1 million deaths per year. Locally in Zambia, there are >500,000 people living with chronic infection; most have not yet been diagnosed and linked to treatment. HBV is the leading cause of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Because the field has been historically neglected, there are insufficient local researchers to develop and answer important questions regarding transmission, disease natural history, treatment, and how to bring proven interventions to scale to eliminate HBV. Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) will lead the Beat HBV program, in a consortium with local partners at University of Zambia and the Ministry of Health, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (USA). CIDRZ has conducted HBV research for >10 years and has multiple active local and Africa regional HBV research projects for fellows to engage in. Program faculty (local and international) mentors are listed on the last page. CIDRZ is currently inviting applications for three (3) PhD and two (2) MMED fellowships.
PhD Fellowships
The objective of PhD fellowships within Beat HBV is to develop independent research expertise in the HBV field among early career researchers.
PhD eligibility requirements:
· Master’s degree in health-related field
· Zambian citizen or permanent resident
· Interest in the field of HBV
· Within 5 years of last degree
· Desired: past/current HBV research/program experience
· Desired: at least one first-author publication
Available PhD research tracks:
· Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Bioinformatics
· Biosciences (i.e., laboratory-based analysis of human samples)
· Clinical research (i.e., cohort studies, clinical trials, etc.) – only for applicants with a clinical background
· Social and behavioural sciences (i.e., qualitative methods, implementation science, behavioural trials)
PhD fellowship package details:
· We will award scholarships for 3 PhD fellows that run for 36 months
· The scholarship package will include the following:
o Monthly stipend
o Research cost support
o Tuition fees support
PhD fellowship application requirements:
· Either already accepted/registered in a PhD program or has identified a prospective PhD supervisor at the institution you are interested in
· The PhD application should provide CIDRZ with the following:
o Concept note – not exceeding 2 pages – outlining a proposed HBV-related concept, including the PhD research track (selected from above), a problem statement, justification for research in that area, several specific objectives, brief study design, etc.
o Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae – not exceeding 3 pages – emphasizing past training and publications.
o A writing sample — a previous scientific writing sample or product that demonstrates the ability to communicate findings (such as published manuscript, conference presentation, technical report, academic brief, or similar scholarly work).
o Letter of motivation – not exceeding 500 words – explaining the desire to pursue a PhD with an HBV-related thesis.
o Certified copies of academic transcripts and degree certificates.
o Letter of PhD acceptance/registration or letter from a prospective supervisor at academic institution indicating willingness to supervise PhD.
o 1 letter of recommendation from an academic referee.
· Kindly combine application materials into a single PDF for submission.
A list of potential mentors is on the last page. Applicants are encouraged to contact them to discuss their concepts and possible introductions to academic supervisors.
MMED Fellowships
The objective of MMED Fellowships within Beat HBV is to expand the pool of clinical investigators proficient in HBV research.
MMED eligibility requirements:
· Currently MMED student in Internal medicine (IM), family medicine, pediatrics and child health, obstetrics & gynecology, general surgery, gastroenterology (IM and GI), or infectious diseases (IM and ID)
· MMED program based at Lusaka institution
· Will be at least in 2nd year of MMED in January 2027
· Has not yet finalized MMED thesis research concept
· Employee of Zambian MoH
· Zambian citizen or permanent resident
· Interest in the field of HBV
MMED research topics:
· Liver comorbidities and HBV: clinical questions in metabolic and alcohol-related liver disease in people with and without chronic HBV infection.
· Hepatocellular carcinoma: clinical and translational* questions, screening, liver imaging (point-of-care ultrasound, CT/MRI).
· Mother-to-child HBV transmission: viral/immune questions, liver flares, effectiveness of interventions.
· Pediatric and adolescent HBV: clinical and operational questions.
· Coinfections and HBV: Intersection of HBV and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, Clinical and translational* impact of HIV on HBV natural history, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis D virus, clinical and translational* questions.
· HBV antiviral therapy outcomes: viral, serological, and liver outcomes, and associated predictors.
*translational refers to turning observations from the lab or clinical research into practical interventions like diagnostics, therapies, and medical procedures; it is considered the bridge between basic research and clinical application.
MMED fellowship package details:
· We will award 2 scholarships for 2 MMED fellows that run for 36 months
· The scholarship package will include the following:
o Research cost support
o Tuition fees support
MMED fellowship application requirements:
· Potential MMED scholarship applicants should identify a local supervisor in their department, even if that person is not an HBV expert per se.
· The MMED application should provide CIDRZ with the following:
o Concept note – not exceeding 2 pages – outlining a proposed HBV-related concept, including the PhD research track (select from above) you are interested in, a problem statement, justification for research in that area, several specific objectives, brief study design, etc.
o Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae – not exceeding 3 pages – emphasizing past training and publications
o Letter of motivation – max 500 words – explaining the desire to pursue a PhD with an HBV-related thesis
o Certified copies of academic transcripts and degree certificates
o Letter from local supervisor at academic training institution indicating a willingness to supervise your MMED thesis.
o Letter of support from your Head of Department (a single letter suffices if the HOD will also be your thesis supervisor)
· Kindly combine application materials into a single PDF for submission.
Applications should be sent to Learning.development@cidrz.org
***APPLICATION DEADLINE: 15th December 2026***