Office of Global Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
124 Rosenau, CB#7400
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400
Positions available: Post-Doctoral Investigators, six-month and one year
positions, part-time allowable.
Research Locations: Interdisciplinary team with academic advisors from The
Water Institute, Kenan-Flagler Business School, and the Department of
Public Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Administration: Office of Global Health, UNC Gillings School of Global
Public Health,
www.sph.unc.edu/globalhealth
Application Deadline: Open until filled
Proposed Start Date: January or May 2011
Position Summary:
We seek multiple candidates with scholarly interests in water and
sanitation to work as a team on a recently funded NIH project in
interdisciplinary research at UNC to address information and decision
taking, organizational behavior, and public policy related to local,
national and international water and sanitation programs. This research is
the first step in a comprehensive understanding of how information is
created, delivered, and used to make decisions and formulate policy and
will suggest opportunities where application of developments in
information technology could lead to more effective and robust policy and
systems in both developing and developed nations.
We seek post-doctoral candidates with skills enabling them to address
several of the areas listed below:
Studying the linkages between public health information and water and
sanitation policy in the activities of international institutions involved
with setting policies and targets and monitoring their achievement.
Examining how public health information influences policy-making and
decision-taking for water and sanitation, and identifying ways in which to
improve information delivery to assist the creation of effective policies.
Exploring individual and institutional behaviors and how they are
influenced by various types of information presented to them and the
format and timeliness of presentation using organizational behavior-based
research methodology.
Developing empirically-grounded theories to determine the key
organizational structures and systems (which may be formally defined
institutions or informal rules followed by a community) which influence
the effective use of information in the WatSan institutional setting.
Mapping information use and flow at key institutions at all levels of
water and sanitation program delivery and validating the mapping studies
through interviews and case study development.
Analyzing the flow and transformation of data through this map from
primary source to use in order to assess suitability of data, data
transformations, uncertainty, and roadblocks.
In addition to the primary research, the team will work together to
organize several seminars and meetings related to their work, participate
in team activities and post-doctoral development opportunities, and write
publishable articles in their specific areas of expertise. All candidates
must demonstrate a commitment to interdisciplinary research, contribute
to the scholarly foundation of water and sanitation policy, and strengthen
collaborative relationships.
Requirements:
Ph.D. in field related to water and sanitation, public policy,
organizational behavior, health policy, environmental policy or a related
discipline within the past three years.
Demonstrated educational preparation and scholarly research in relevant
research areas.
Interested candidates should provide:
1. An application letter which describes related research interests,
articulates the candidate’s research interests and rationale for seeking
an interdisciplinary position, and explains how the candidate’s research
and teaching expertise might fit into the broader water and sanitation
community at UNC.
2. A CV
3. Names of three (3)references
4. A sample of written work
Please email your application package to the Office of Global Health at
the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health (
ogh@unc.edu). Paper
applications will not be accepted.