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.
