Project Research Scientist I Non-Medical/ Consultant

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for three scientists, with demonstrated experience in bringing together communities, health facilities, and the larger health ecosystem to design solution space in order to address issues of neonatal health and survival, as well as the health of mothers. We need:

    A Community Design scientist will systematically develop interventions and strategies to address challenges of newborn survival, in close consultation with stakeholders in the community.
    A Health Facility Design Scientist who will work towards engineering solutions at health facility operations, improving its functionality effectively to address challenges of newborn and sick newborn care.  This position will be responsible for seeding our research findings in institutional settings.
    A Systems Design Scientist will work across with government agencies like the NHM and district health administration and beyond health agencies ( like - Panchayat Raj System, Education System, Rural Development, District Administration, and Political leaderships)  to continuously synergies and harmonize solutions that will strengthen actions towards newborn health and survival.

Scope of Work

 Conduct a comprehensive review of existing literature, data, and initiatives related to neonatal mortality and solution designing

 Identify key stakeholders including healthcare providers, policymakers, and community leaders, for insights and strategize stakeholder onboarding 

 Analyze demographic trends, healthcare infrastructure, health facility operations, cultural factors, and socioeconomic conditions and various influencing neonatal health outcomes.

 Plan, design and facilitate design thinking workshops involving cross-disciplinary teams to generate innovative solutions.

 Utilize human-centered design methodologies to empathize with end-users (mothers, families, health workers, and other stakeholders), define problem areas, ideate potential interventions, prototype solutions, and delineate testing protocol.

 Develop social design strategies that consider the socio-cultural context, community norms, and behavioral factors influencing neonatal care practices.

 Design interventions that empower and engage communities, leveraging local resources and knowledge to foster sustainable solutions

 Explore the integration of technology such as telemedicine, mobile health applications, or wearable devices to enhance neonatal healthcare delivery and monitoring.

 Ensure technological solutions are accessible, user-friendly, and compatible with the local infrastructure and resources.

 Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including public health experts, clinicians, designers, and policymakers, government agencies, private professional bodies and non-health players to integrate diverse perspectives and co-develop holistic solutions.

 Bridge disciplines and sectors to leverage complementary expertise, resources, and networks in support of shared goals and collective impacts.

 Establish metrics and indicators to measure the effectiveness and impact of implemented interventions.

 Document the design process, learnings, and outcomes to create a knowledge repository. Share insights, best practices, and successful case studies through reports, presentations, and publications to contribute to the broader discourse on neonatal health

Qualification, Experience and Skills

 First Class Post Graduate Degree, including the integrated PG degrees, in Public Health/ Epidemiology/Social Sciences/Engineering/ IT/ CS or a related field, with a focus on maternal, newborn, and child health with three years’ Experience OR PhD.

 ICMR age norms will apply and applicants (age - 40 years or below)

 Proven experience applying human-centered design principles and methodologies to address social challenges, preferably in the context of public health or community development.

 Strong analytical skills with proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methods, data analysis, and interpretation.

 Excellent communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders and build consensus across multiple perspectives.

 Demonstrated commitment to social justice, equity, and community empowerment, with a track record of advocacy, activism, or community organizing.

 Experience working in interdisciplinary teams and navigating complex systems to drive collaborative action and systems change.

 Prior experience in implementation research is desirable.

 Willingness to travel extensively to the study sites.

 Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders.

 Experience in ethical use of AI tools in research (chatGPT etc.)

 Proficiency in Hindi and English is required.

Requirements

 First Class Post Graduate Degree, including the integrated PG degrees, in Public Health/ Epidemiology/Social Sciences/Engineering/ IT/ CS or a related field, with a focus on maternal, newborn, and child health with three years’ Experience OR PhD.

 ICMR age norms will apply and applicants (age - 40 years or below)