The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a Graduate Fellow to create an agent-based simulation of livestock disease spread in Uganda that can act as a decision-support system to government officials and veterinaries in case of an outbreak and when defining policy.
ILRI works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centres dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. www.ilri.org
DAAD is a German Academic Exchange service which is a publicly funded, self-governing organization of the institutions of higher education in Germany. DAAD promotes international academic exchange as well as educational co-operation with developing countries through a variety of funding and scholarship programs.
ILRI Research Project: Animal Health Flagship
Graduate fellowship project title: Agent-Based Simulation modeling for the study of emerging disease threats and outbreaks: A case study of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Uganda.
Background:
The proposed study responds to cluster of activities 1 and 2 of the animal health flagship (Assessment/Prioritization and herd health). But it also impacts on clusters 3 and 4 of the animal health flagship with specific inputs on availability of animal health data and using available technologies to improve health and food safety. The project also promotes sustainable interventions by making approaches, tools and processes available for targeted interventions.
Key responsibilities:
The graduate fellow will work together with ILRI Uganda team under the CRP Livestock program to implement activities related to his PhD. The goal of the research is to create an agent-based simulation of livestock disease spread in Uganda that can act as a decision-support system to government officials and veterinaries in case of an outbreak and when defining policy. The underlying model should be adaptive in the sense that it will be able to analyze a situation as defined by input data provided from the situation in the field and run simulations with different sets of mitigation measures to find promising solution approaches. A later version of the model might even be able to change the parameters of the mitigation measures and arrive at statistical measures of the likelihood of combinations of mitigation measures with concrete parameters succeeding at stopping the outbreak. Such a tool will be useful in the direct response to an outbreak as well as in evaluating the potential long-term policies that could be adopted to reduce the likelihood of outbreaks and the efficiency with which they are resolved.
Specific Objectives of the Study
Review relevant literature on existing methods used in the study and investigation of ASF spread under different conditions in Uganda. This will include reviewing the various mitigation measures for ASF in the Ugandan context and reviewing relevant literature about efficiency and effectiveness of the existing control mitigation measures (scientific and traditional strategies).
Design a baseline agent-based model that addresses the loopholes of the strategies used in investigating disease spread and disease control. The loopholes include inefficiency, lack of decision support and possible errors arising from human delays and reporting.
Develop a software simulation platform based on the above agent-based model for the study and investigation of disease spread and disease control in Uganda.
Utilize indirect inference and ex-post techniques for validation and run the simulation software multiple times with various data for verification purposes of the agent-based simulation model.
Integrate the study with current schemes available at the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NALIRRI) of Uganda for the detection and mitigation of livestock disease.
Requirements:
Degree in Computer Sciences/Mathematics, MSc in bioinformatics, biological/veterinary sciences
Strong in statistical analysis, modeling
Proficient in English
Good writing skills demonstrated through research reports and journal publications.
An effective and energetic team player with the ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multi-cultural environment
Excellent oral communication and writing skills in English. Knowledge of Swahili will be an added advantage
Ability to work independently, multi-task and meet tight deadlines
Terms of appointment: ILRI will offer a competitive stipend to cover living expenses in the project location(s). The successful candidate will be supervised jointly by an ILRI scientist and the university/academic supervisor.
Location: Uganda
Duration: 3 years
Application requirements:
The last university degree must have been completed less than six years ago at the time of application
Applicants should be citizens of a country in Sub-Saharan Africa
Must be a holder of a Master’s degree qualification with at least above average results
How to apply:
Interested applicants should submit the following documents:
A cover letter explaining your interest in the scholarship position, what you can bring to ILRI. The graduate fellowship project title and reference number DAAD/AHH/11/2017 should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter
Names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about your professional qualifications and work experience
Signed curriculum vitae scanned in PDF; please use the Europass CV template available on (http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu)
Certified scanned copies of all university degree certificates
Certified scanned PDF copies of all university transcripts
A temporary admission letter including fee structure of respective course or an official letter assuring admission (scanned PDF copy). This will be provided to you in soft by your institution upon shortlisting. If this is not available by the closing date for application; please include with the application a commitment letter that you will have obtained this by 1st September 2017 as this is a mandatory requirement before commencing the fellowship program
PhD research proposal including a detailed work plan (10 to 15 pages); plagiarism tests will be checked! The proposal has to be in line with the above outlined ILRI’s research project
Abstract of the proposal on one page (please include name and title of proposal)
Where applicable a recommendation letter by the head of department indicating that you are a present or prospective member of staff and how you will be integrated into the staff development agenda of the university (original only)
Confirmation of study leave from your university (if applicable; scanned PDF copy)
Confirmation of teaching release (university staff members only; scanned PDF copy)
All applications to be submitted online through our recruitment portal http://ilri.simplicant.com/ on or before 31 January 2017.
We thank all applicants for their interest in ILRI. 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 our websites at http://www.ilri.org
To find out more about working at ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org/ilricrowd/
Suitably qualified women and citizens of Sub-Saharan African countries, with experience of working internationally, are particularly encouraged to apply.
