Periodic Reporting for period 2 - GlobalP3HS (SSPH+ Global PhD Programme in Public Health Sciences)
Reporting period: 2020-10-01 to 2024-09-30
GlobalP3HS was an innovative doctoral programme designed to competitively recruit and train talented students from all over the world, and to strengthen the academic public health workforce.
Public health sciences adopt interdisciplinary approaches and transdisciplinary concepts to respond to societal challenges related to determinants of health and health disparities, and to promote evidence-based health systems, community health, prevention, and health promotion while operating within the resource constraints of health systems. The field provides scientific evidence to policy makers, private and public stakeholders to foster the implementation and application of innovative research for better health.
GlobalP3HS promoted the innovative “sandwich model” where students from low- or middle-income countries (LMIC), proposed and performed research relevant to their own countries. They came to Switzerland for their PhD, where they completed courses and were mentored in research, while co-supervised by a research partner in the LMIC. The students under this model returned to their home countries for fieldwork and data collection during their studies. This model builds a stronger public health workforce, including having skilled researchers in countries where they are most needed to strengthen challenged health systems. This strategy aimed for mutual capacity-building while fostering research collaborations beyond PhD studies, supporting career paths of those motivated to work in countries with limited resources, and combating health disparities.
Objectives of the programme:
- To build capacity in public health sciences on a global scale and to prepare students for academic as well as non-academic career paths.
- Disseminate and exploit research results and outcomes generated under GlobalP3HS in both scientific (journals, conferences) and lay media.
Conclusions of the programme:
49 students, representing 32 countries, completed the programme, of which 20 under the “sandwich model” which contributed to capacity building and research relevant to LMIC. The students attended at least 18 ECTS of academic training under a Public Health PhD Programme, including courses in ethical conduct, while non-academic skills were developed through internships at non-academic institutions. Their research resulted in about 300 academic and lay publications, available as Open Access.
Public health sciences adopt interdisciplinary approaches and transdisciplinary concepts to respond to societal challenges related to determinants of health and health disparities, and to promote evidence-based health systems, community health, prevention, and health promotion while operating within the resource constraints of health systems. The field provides scientific evidence to policy makers, private and public stakeholders to foster the implementation and application of innovative research for better health.
GlobalP3HS promoted the innovative “sandwich model” where students from low- or middle-income countries (LMIC), proposed and performed research relevant to their own countries. They came to Switzerland for their PhD, where they completed courses and were mentored in research, while co-supervised by a research partner in the LMIC. The students under this model returned to their home countries for fieldwork and data collection during their studies. This model builds a stronger public health workforce, including having skilled researchers in countries where they are most needed to strengthen challenged health systems. This strategy aimed for mutual capacity-building while fostering research collaborations beyond PhD studies, supporting career paths of those motivated to work in countries with limited resources, and combating health disparities.
Objectives of the programme:
- To build capacity in public health sciences on a global scale and to prepare students for academic as well as non-academic career paths.
- Disseminate and exploit research results and outcomes generated under GlobalP3HS in both scientific (journals, conferences) and lay media.
Conclusions of the programme:
49 students, representing 32 countries, completed the programme, of which 20 under the “sandwich model” which contributed to capacity building and research relevant to LMIC. The students attended at least 18 ECTS of academic training under a Public Health PhD Programme, including courses in ethical conduct, while non-academic skills were developed through internships at non-academic institutions. Their research resulted in about 300 academic and lay publications, available as Open Access.
GlobalP3HS completed three phases: 1. The Call, 2. Evaluation and selection. 3. The implementation of the programme itself.
1. The Call was launched through national and international channels (SSPH+ networks and channels, EURAXESS, academic job portals) in three parts: from 2 July to 12 October 2018, from 3 December 2018 to 1 February 2019, and from 1 April to 28 June 2019. 598 applications were received 247 women, 351 men)
2. For each part, an evaluation and selection process was initiated. Complete applications were reviewed by an International Review Board and scored based on four dimensions (1. background and motivation of the student; 2. innovation and methodological quality of the proposal; 3. public health relevance of the proposed research; and 4. feasibility of study in the context of a 42-month PhD thesis). The Steering Board selected the best candidates to enter the supervisor matching process.
3. Implementation phase:
54 students enrolled in the programme, of which 5 dropped out in their first year of studies. As a result, 49 students completed the GlobalP3HS. There were 29 female and 20 male fellows. 29 students were enrolled under the default model and 20 as Sandwich Model Researchers. There were 32 nationalities represented in the pool of fellows and 41 students came from a low- or middle-income country (LMIC).
The fellows were enrolled at 7 different SwissSSPH+ partner universities, performing research at 14 different institutions affiliated to those universities. All students were registered in a structured PhD programme at their local university and at the SSPH+ Inter-university Graduate Campus (IGC), providing access to courses from all SSPH+ partner universities. They each attended at least 18 ECTS of academic training, including courses in ethical conduct communication, in addition to specific courses aimed at acquiring knowledge and skills related to their PhD work. Non-academic skills were developed through minimum 3 months internships at non-academic institutions and documented in an internship reporting form.
All fellows submitted a research protocol approved by their supervisors within 6 months after enrolment. The GlobalP3HS coordinator monitored the fellows’ progress throughout their PhD, informed and advised both fellows and supervisors, and offered mentoring when necessary. To that end, the fellows submitted periodic reports to the GlobalP3HS coordinator every 12 months and upon finalising their PhD. Students also had at least annual student-supervisor meetings and submitted the minutes of these meetings to the GlobalP3HS coordinator.
The Sandwich Model Researchers returned to their home countries for fieldwork and data collection during their studies, meanwhile fostering research collaborations between Swiss academics and academics in the LMIC.
The fellows submitted and presented abstracts or posters, and actively engaged at the Swiss Public Health Conferences and SSPH+ annual meetings between 2019 and 2024, as well as at international public health conferences. Beyond their PhD-thesis, the fellows published about 300 peer-reviewed academic papers and lay communications, available as open access and listed in the EU’s portal.
1. The Call was launched through national and international channels (SSPH+ networks and channels, EURAXESS, academic job portals) in three parts: from 2 July to 12 October 2018, from 3 December 2018 to 1 February 2019, and from 1 April to 28 June 2019. 598 applications were received 247 women, 351 men)
2. For each part, an evaluation and selection process was initiated. Complete applications were reviewed by an International Review Board and scored based on four dimensions (1. background and motivation of the student; 2. innovation and methodological quality of the proposal; 3. public health relevance of the proposed research; and 4. feasibility of study in the context of a 42-month PhD thesis). The Steering Board selected the best candidates to enter the supervisor matching process.
3. Implementation phase:
54 students enrolled in the programme, of which 5 dropped out in their first year of studies. As a result, 49 students completed the GlobalP3HS. There were 29 female and 20 male fellows. 29 students were enrolled under the default model and 20 as Sandwich Model Researchers. There were 32 nationalities represented in the pool of fellows and 41 students came from a low- or middle-income country (LMIC).
The fellows were enrolled at 7 different SwissSSPH+ partner universities, performing research at 14 different institutions affiliated to those universities. All students were registered in a structured PhD programme at their local university and at the SSPH+ Inter-university Graduate Campus (IGC), providing access to courses from all SSPH+ partner universities. They each attended at least 18 ECTS of academic training, including courses in ethical conduct communication, in addition to specific courses aimed at acquiring knowledge and skills related to their PhD work. Non-academic skills were developed through minimum 3 months internships at non-academic institutions and documented in an internship reporting form.
All fellows submitted a research protocol approved by their supervisors within 6 months after enrolment. The GlobalP3HS coordinator monitored the fellows’ progress throughout their PhD, informed and advised both fellows and supervisors, and offered mentoring when necessary. To that end, the fellows submitted periodic reports to the GlobalP3HS coordinator every 12 months and upon finalising their PhD. Students also had at least annual student-supervisor meetings and submitted the minutes of these meetings to the GlobalP3HS coordinator.
The Sandwich Model Researchers returned to their home countries for fieldwork and data collection during their studies, meanwhile fostering research collaborations between Swiss academics and academics in the LMIC.
The fellows submitted and presented abstracts or posters, and actively engaged at the Swiss Public Health Conferences and SSPH+ annual meetings between 2019 and 2024, as well as at international public health conferences. Beyond their PhD-thesis, the fellows published about 300 peer-reviewed academic papers and lay communications, available as open access and listed in the EU’s portal.
GlobalP3HS has built capacity while generating new insights through scientific doctoral research. The programme achieved this through an innovative approach for doctoral training.
1. Capacity building:
- The GlobalP3HS has trained 49 graduates towards a PhD in a public health domain. 20 of those worked under the Sandwich Model, which built sustainable north-south collaborations between Swiss academic institutions and institutions in 14 LMICs.
- The SSPH+ Inter-university Graduate Campus provided a unique educational and networking environment to the fellows. It covers a breadth in specific disciplines in public health sciences, all multidisciplinary educational needs, that can’t be offered by single institutions. This allowed fellows to construct a tailored training path from hundreds of courses.
- Internships in non-academic organisations allowed graduates to explore postdoctoral non-academic career tracks in Switzerland or abroad.
2. Dissemination of research and societal implications:
- The research on 49 different public health topics has been and will be further disseminated and exploited, both through scientific and lay media. This way, the programme’s outputs feed further research, policies, and inform the society.
- The outcomes of GlobalP3HS research have also been presented at national and international, general public health and specialist conferences. Such events also link academia, professionals, authorities, and policy makers, and ensure that research learning will be further explored or implemented for the benefit of the members of society.
- GlobalP3HS graduates collaborated with peers and contributed to tackling emerging issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, both through exchanges with Swiss public health experts and policy makers, but also by offering support and advice in the graduates’ home countries.
1. Capacity building:
- The GlobalP3HS has trained 49 graduates towards a PhD in a public health domain. 20 of those worked under the Sandwich Model, which built sustainable north-south collaborations between Swiss academic institutions and institutions in 14 LMICs.
- The SSPH+ Inter-university Graduate Campus provided a unique educational and networking environment to the fellows. It covers a breadth in specific disciplines in public health sciences, all multidisciplinary educational needs, that can’t be offered by single institutions. This allowed fellows to construct a tailored training path from hundreds of courses.
- Internships in non-academic organisations allowed graduates to explore postdoctoral non-academic career tracks in Switzerland or abroad.
2. Dissemination of research and societal implications:
- The research on 49 different public health topics has been and will be further disseminated and exploited, both through scientific and lay media. This way, the programme’s outputs feed further research, policies, and inform the society.
- The outcomes of GlobalP3HS research have also been presented at national and international, general public health and specialist conferences. Such events also link academia, professionals, authorities, and policy makers, and ensure that research learning will be further explored or implemented for the benefit of the members of society.
- GlobalP3HS graduates collaborated with peers and contributed to tackling emerging issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, both through exchanges with Swiss public health experts and policy makers, but also by offering support and advice in the graduates’ home countries.