Doctoral Research Fellow/PhD Candidate - Infectious Diseases in Harare, Harare at American Friends of Mutala

Africa Clinical Research Network (ACRN) is an African-led clinical research organization building the next generation of trial capacity across the continent. We work with existing hospitals, research units, and investigators to enable high-quality clinical research—from investigator-initiated studies to late-phase and registration trials—while strengthening local systems, skills, and infrastructure.

ACRN operates as a pan-African site management and research delivery platform, combining strong clinical operations, regulatory expertise, data and digital systems, and quality management. Our model is practical and embedded: we focus on making trials work in real settings, reducing friction for sites, sponsors, and regulators, and delivering reliable, audit-ready data.

We partner closely with governments, regulators, academic institutions, and industry to expand Africa’s role in global clinical research, while ensuring that studies generate local value—through workforce development, institutional strengthening, and improved patient care.

At ACRN, you’ll work on meaningful, complex projects with global impact, alongside a multidisciplinary team that values rigor, accountability, and innovation. We are building something durable, ambitious, and distinctly African—and we are looking for people who want to help shape it.

Application Deadline: 12 June 2025

About the role

We are seeking highly motivated PhD candidates to join our Infectious Diseases Research Programme as fellows while working towards the completion of a doctoral degree. The successful candidates will contribute to research focused on infectious diseases, particularly HIV, human papillomavirus, HPV-related disease, cervical cancer prevention, co-infections, diagnostics, vaccines, epidemiology, implementation science, and public health interventions.

This position is designed for candidates who wish to develop strong research careers while contributing to high-quality scientific work that addresses major infectious disease challenges. T

What you'll do

• Develop and conduct PhD research
• Develop a PhD research proposal aligned with the infectious diseases research programme.
• Conduct original research in areas such as HIV, HPV, HPV-associated cancers, co-infections, sexual and reproductive health, vaccine uptake, diagnostics, treatment outcomes, or disease prevention.
• Register for and complete a PhD degree within the agreed timeframe.
• Participate in research project implementation
• Support ongoing clinical, laboratory, epidemiological, or public health research projects.
• Assist with study planning, participant recruitment, data collection, sample handling, follow-up activities, and quality assurance.
• Ensure that research activities are conducted according to approved protocols and ethical standards.
• Data management and analysis
• Collect, clean, manage, and analyze research data.
• Use appropriate quantitative, qualitative, clinical, laboratory, or epidemiological research methods.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to research databases, reports, and study documentation.
• Scientific writing and dissemination
• Prepare manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
• Present research findings at seminars, scientific meetings, workshops, and conferences.
• Contribute to grant applications, technical reports, abstracts, policy briefs, and other research outputs.
• Ethics, compliance, and good research practice
• Ensure compliance with institutional policies, research ethics requirements, Good Clinical Practice, data protection standards, and relevant regulatory guidelines.
• Participate in ethics submissions, protocol amendments, progress reports, and study monitoring activities.
• Collaboration and capacity building
• Work closely with supervisors, clinicians, scientists, laboratory staff, data teams, community engagement teams, and external collaborators.
• Participate in research group meetings, journal clubs, training sessions, and institutional academic activities.

Qualifications

Applicants should have:

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field such as biomedical sciences, medicine, public health, epidemiology, virology, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, nursing, pharmacy, health sciences, bioinformatics, social sciences, or a related discipline.
• Eligibility for admission into a PhD programme
• Demonstrated interest in infectious diseases research, particularly HIV, HPV, sexual and reproductive health, cancer prevention, vaccines, diagnostics, or related areas.
• Strong academic record and evidence of research potential.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Applicants should submit:

A cover letter describing their research interests and motivation for pursuing a PhD.

A detailed curriculum vitae.

Certified copies of academic qualifications and transcripts.

A short concept note outlining a possible PhD research area related to HIV, HPV, or infectious diseases.

Names and contact details of at least two academic or professional referees.

Evidence of previous research outputs, if available.