We invite applications from qualified and highly motivated students for a 3.5-year St Andrews–Max Planck PhD studentship in Population Health. The PhD studentship is funded by the University of St Andrews and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR). The PhD student will be working on population health using register and survey data and applying advanced quantitative methods. The project is expected to be part of International Max Planck Research School for Population, Health and Data Science (IMPRS-PHDS). The PhD student will be supervised by the following team: Prof. Hill Kulu (St Andrews), Prof. Mikko Myrskylä (MPIDR) and Dr. Jo Mhairi Hale (St Andrews).

In the first two years (more precisely 1.75), the successful applicant will be working at the University of St Andrews. S/he will become a member of the Population and Health Research Group at the School of Geography and Sustainable Development (SGSD), which combines expertise in advanced techniques of demographic, longitudinal and spatial analysis.

In the third and fourth year, s/he will be working in the Laboratory of Population Health at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany, one of the leading centres for demographic research in the world.

During the period in the UK, the St Andrews–Max Planck PhD studentship will cover:

1) A maintenance grant of £14,777 per year (in the 2018/19 academic year, subject to increase annually according to the ESRC rules and regulations);
2) A research training support grant (RTSG) of £750 per year; and
3) Tuition fee to the amount of a standard fee for UK/EU students (£4,260 in the 2018/19 academic year).

During the period in Germany, the PhD student will be paid according to the MPIDR rules and regulations. This includes:

1) A contract amounting to a gross salary of about €22,000 per year; and
2) Financial support for travel, research training, and data acquisition.

Students with an excellent master’s degree (first class or upper secondary in the UK) or the equivalent national qualification in any area of social sciences including statistics and applied mathematics who are interested in this opportunity must submit an application to Mrs Helen Olaez in the SGSD Postgraduate Office (ho10@st-andrews.ac.uk) by 31st October 2018 for consideration. Please include ‘St Andrews–Max Planck PhD studentship’ in the subject line of your email.

The full application consists of:

1) A brief research proposal on population health in one or several countries (max two pages), which outlines the rationale and context for the proposed study, and data and methods to be used;
2) An academic CV (max two pages) including details of two referees; and
3) Copies of transcripts of undergraduate and master’s degrees.

Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed in early November. The University of St Andrews and the Max Planck Society strive for equal opportunities. Applications of any background are welcome.

This is an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated PhD student to work in an international team of researchers on an important social science topic applying advanced quantitative methodology and statistical modelling. The student is expected to use the opportunity of preparing a PhD thesis as a collection of research articles according to the PGR regulations of the University of St Andrews. The studentship is available from 1st December 2018 or thereafter.

For informal inquiries, please contact Prof. Hill Kulu (Hill.Kulu@st-andrews.ac.uk) and Prof. Mikko Myrskylä (sekmyrskyla@demogr.mpg.de). Please include ‘St Andrews–Max Planck PhD studentship’ in the subject line of your email.

As a Data Manager and Analyst, you will work with multidisciplinary research teams on projects focused on integrating evidence-based care for unhealthy alcohol and other substance use into medical settings using large and complex healthcare databases. This position is based within the Health Services R&D program at VA Puget Sound in Seattle, WA.

Responsibilities include providing advanced data management support as well as performing advanced statistical analyses for multiple health services research projects of varying scope and complexity related to substance use under the supervision of Principal Investigators.

Key Duties:
• Query and extract large datasets from VA electronic medical records using relational database tools.
• Manage data architecture for study data and integrate data from multiple electronic file sources
• Clean and cross-check data for preparation of analytical files.
• Maintain secure “crosswalk” files.
• Maintain comprehensive data dictionaries.
• Uphold data security regulations and maintain compliance with human subject approvals.
• Quickly and accurately create aggregate clinic performance reports.
• Perform advanced statistical analyses drawing on methods across fields including health services, econometrics, biostatistics, and data science.
• Present statistical models and empirical results to the investigative teams in a clear manner
• Prepare statistical and scientific reports and work with investigative teams to publish the findings in peer-reviewed journals; potential to be first author on manuscripts, though not required.
• Collaborate with and maintain good communication with investigative teams and other scientific staff, including clinicians, researchers, and study staff.

Qualifications:
Candidates must have a masters-level or equivalent degree in health services, biostatistics, statistics, economics, psychology, applied mathematics or a closely related field. The applicant must be proficient in SQL and standard statistical software packages, such as Stata, R or SAS. Excellent written and spoken communication skills are necessary, as is the ability to work effectively in a team setting.

The ideal candidate is excited about using diverse sources of data to contribute to improving the quality of care for unhealthy substance use in medical settings, especially among vulnerable patient populations and is someone who is responsible and accountable and who has strong problem-solving and communication skills and experience working in multidisciplinary teams with varying backgrounds.

Candidates must be US citizens. Target salary GS-11 $66,386 to GS-12 $79,570 depending on experience, plus benefits. This position will be 50%-100% FTE (20-40 hours/week).

Please send a cover letter and resume using the subject line “HSR&D Data Manager Application” to Madeline.frost@va.gov.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

More information about Health Services & Development at the Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care here.

The Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship is a prestigious one-year fellowship that covers the last year of dissertation research and writing for students in humanities and social science departments. The award provides a $30,000 stipend, funds for research costs of up to $3,000 and for university fees of up to $5,000. The award period starts summer 2019. Students who are in their graduate program for six years or less are eligible to apply.

For successful applicants, the UW Graduate School will step in to cover the costs of tuition that the award can’t cover. Please contact your departments for more information on this.