Assistant Director of the DGHI Evidence Lab

 Assistant Director of the DGHI Evidence Lab

The Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) seeks to hire one full-time staff member (either Associate in Research or Research Scholar depending upon candidate qualifications) to support the work of the DGHI Evidence Lab.

DGHI is creating an Evidence Lab to: 1) support Duke faculty and their worldwide partners by offering skilled DGHI Evidence Lab staff as evaluation partners, particularly partners in program and technology evaluation, in translational and implementation research, and in cost effectiveness evaluation; 2) produce evidence-based knowledge to inform program and policies worldwide; and 3) provide educational opportunities for Duke students to learn rigorous evaluation methods in the classroom and field. The Evidence Lab was envisioned in DGHI’s five-year report and this key Evaluator position will help make the Evidence Lab a reality.

The DGHI Evidence Lab will engage in a variety of global health evaluation activities, including:

• Summative evaluation, e.g., program, intervention, and policy outcomes evaluation;
• Formative evaluation, e.g.,  contextual and cultural assessment prior to intervention implementation;
• Process monitoring combined with evaluation, e.g., quality of program components, who was reached, and how external factors affected program delivery when paired with outcomes evaluation;
• Cost effectiveness evaluation;
• Health policy recommendations and dissemination;
• Maintaining research databases and registries; and
• Teaching research methods.

It is hoped that the Evidence Lab will enable DGHI to have a greater impact on global health through rigorous evaluation. In addition, the Evidence Lab should result in a larger, global network of evaluation opportunities, which, in turn, may spawn more non-evaluation research opportunities.  The Evidence Lab will have the opportunity to develop innovative methodologies, be both reactive and proactive to health technologies and funding opportunities, and create a stronger link between evaluation and health policy.

The Assistant Director’s work will initially focus on writing proposals to secure funding, and then will be a balance of conducting funded evaluation work combined with continued proposal writing. The specific work activities are:

Write proposals to secure additional funding

Write grant and contract proposals to secure funding.

Conduct project management of funded evaluations

1. Travel to the evaluation site, connect with the program/intervention leaders, connect with the funders, and determine the project needs on the ground.
2. Develop protocols and conduct training on protocols at all sites, adapting as needed to site and culture, and changes over time.
3. Oversee IRB approval processes, such as supervising others to secure Duke IRB approvals and coordinating with in-country partners such that the partner gets the in-country approval.
4. Hire or contract with needed staff (e.g., statisticians, database developers, data collectors), based on the specific project.
5. Oversee data collection and conduct regular data review to ensure data quality.
6. Analyze the data with statistical consultation as needed.
7. Once staffing plan is in place, manage project budgets with DGHI staff.
8. Write reports.
9. Write dissemination materials. Publish in journals when possible. Consider policy implications and disseminate to stakeholders.

Mentor DGHI students on evaluation

1. Meet with students who are considering conducting evaluation research and help them determine the best research design; review instruments and protocols; consider cultural issues.
2. Mentor students who are placed at the field sites where the Evidence Lab is working, or ensure that the project coordinator and other Evidence Lab staff are providing appropriate mentorship.
3. Potentially teach short courses or semester-long courses related to evaluation and methods.

Create methods products

Over the course of multiple evaluations, develop materials useful for DGHI staff and students when conducting diverse international evaluation projects. What tools are needed? What core structures, decision trees, etc., are helpful for most projects?  How can these be tailored to various kinds of evaluations?

Give the Evidence Lab an external presence.

1. Produce promotional materials.
2. Create a “look” for materials.
3. Promote the Evidence Lab through networking via associations and conferences.

Create a master Evidence Lab database that combines data from multiple Evidence Lab studies

1. Create protocols of storage and use and seek IRB approvals.
2. Maintain a listing of data available for cross-study analysis.

Qualifications:  Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant specialty required. The ideal candidate will be well-networked with health monitoring and evaluation organizations and have extensive experience writing proposals and competing for grants and contracts from diverse government and foundation sources.  The ideal candidate will also have conducted evaluation research in several different countries, and be skilled at making site visits to assess monitoring needs and viable research protocols.  Excellent communication and writing skills are required, as is the ability to work well across cultures.  We hope to grow the Evidence Lab; the ideal candidate will also possess an entrepreneurial spirit.  International travel required.

How to apply:  Interested applicants should submit via email a cover letter and CV to Tammy Sorrell at tammy.sorrell@duke.edu.   Applications will be reviewed upon receipt, and some applicants may be asked to submit reference letters. Please write “Evidence Lab” in the subject line of your email.