The Sydney Brenner Fellowship aims to contribute to the advancement of biomedical research on the African continent, by providing support to advance the careers of young researchers of African nationality in health-related research.
In line with Dr Brenner’s work, the successful candidate will demonstrate research interests in genetics, complex traits, bacterial genetics and viral infections. The fellow will also be expected to work with big data and data integration across areas such as genomics, population genetics, bioinformatics, biomedical informatics, molecular and cellular biology, computational and structural biology and epidemiology.
The fellow will be hosted at the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience (SBIMB), Wits University in Johannesburg, and jointly supervised by scientists from the SBIMB and the University of Edinburgh, UK. The fellow will spend time at the University of Edinburgh to receive additional training and skills development, as well as mentoring and network opportunities. An annual visit of between 1 and 3 months will be arranged and funded as part of the fellowship. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the Institute’s research, the fellow will have the chance to work with collaborators at Wits, in South Africa, elsewhere on the African continent, and across the globe.
The Sydney Brenner Fellowship is for a four-year period (full-time) and will include an annual stipend, computer to facilitate research, funding to attend conferences and start-up fund for research.
About the Sydney Brenner Charitable Trust
On Sydney Brenner’s request, The Sydney Brenner Charitable Trust (SBCT) was established to provide opportunities for scientific advancement through capacity development and to continue the research legacy of Dr Sydney Brenner (13 January 1927 – 5 April 2019).
• PhD graduate within the last 5 years
• Must not be older than 35 years at the time of application
• Data management experience
• Interest in applying big data analytics in healthcare
• Must be an African national with a commitment to working in and advancing research in Africa
• Evidence of publications is an advantage
• Highly motivated and committed to biomedical research
• Available to start fellowship within 6 months
PhD
Please email your application through as follows:
• Your CV (maximum of 5 pages)
• A cover letter (maximum of 2 pages) indicating how your knowledge and skills would align with the research areas, and what your expectations are, should you be successful
• Academic record/transcript
• ID/Passport copy
• Contact details for three academic referees