1030- South Africa- Leveraging Routinely Collected Data via Adapted Data Repository to Focus the HIV Response in South Africa with Generalized Epidemics: A Data Harmonization #1: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and Female sex workers (FSW)

The overarching goal of this project is to build the capacity of key populations data stakeholders in South Africa, including health organization service partners, governmental program and policy decision-makers, researchers, and international technical partners, to better access and utilize routinely-collected HIV-related data for key populations. These include cisgender female sex workers, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, people who use drugs, prisoners, and transgender persons.

This project will be integrated within the Pan African Center for Epidemics Research (PACER). PACER supports the generation of cutting edge epidemiologic and public health evidence for the equitable and sustainable response to local epidemics and future pandemic preparedness strategies in order to guide new models of health care, strengthen health systems, mitigate direct and indirect impacts, optimize post-pandemic resources and eventually improve quality of life for all. PACER also leads the Boloka project, a multi-sector collaboration that includes the development of a data repository for heterogenous and relatively underutilized data sources within South Africa. The project aims to harmonize these disparate data sources to inform a more equitable and targeted HIV response within South Africa.

The process of the Boloka data repository and the harmonization of data from multiple data sources, including empiric, contextual, observational, auxiliary, and programmatic data, are outlined in the following five stages:
1. Identify and engage key stakeholders to develop meaningful data partnerships;
2. Acquire and collate heterogeneous data;
3. Assess data for accuracy, relevance, and quality;
4. Clean and store data in the Boloka data repository; and
5. Translate data into actionable knowledge.

The student will work collaboratively with partners on this exciting project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). One student is requested to support 1) technical support and implementation of the Boloka project activities, including data harmonization, as well as synthesis, assessments, additional tool development, and analyses and 2) liaising and collaborating with program faculty and staff, program partners, and other local key populations data stakeholders.

This placement will be located in South Africa at PACER based at the University of Johannesburg. The University consists of a number of facilities and has four campuses in and around Johannesburg comprising a diverse and multi-cultural community. The newly constructed PACER offices are located in the metropolitan area of the City of Johannesburg at the Auckland Park Bunting Road campus.

Technical activities of the project include:
1. Supporting the development of a data repository:
a. Building on the existing synthesis of all available key population data, with focus on adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and female sex workers (FSW), for South Africa to include an expanded range of data source types, with a focus on routinely collected program data by implementing partners, as well as including recent evaluations, peer-reviewed and grey literature sources.
b. This includes, but is not limited to, data characterizing HIV prevalence and incidence, STI co-infection, ART access and retention, PrEP coverage, mental health, maternal and child health, and gender based violence (GBV) (as data are available), and including data captured before and in the context of the COVID-19 response in South Africa.
2. Contributing to the development and implementation of a data harmonization tool:
a. To bring together different data sources from various partners with the aim to conduct integrated analyses to answer new HIV-related questions, including but not limited to the following core activities:
i. Reviewing identified primary and secondary indicators, and comparing these indicators with existing questionnaires/instruments from various data partners to further refine priority indicators;
ii. Routinely updating and refining the adapted data catalogue to capture information specific to each dataset (as received), such as study information and indicators measured;
iii. Routinely updating the codebook sheet (as data are received) to capture variable names and descriptions, consulting the codebook in alignment with standard operating procedures;
iv. Extracting from the data harmonization tool to REDCap form (as outlined in the standard operating procedures); liaising closely with the data security sub-team.
b. Additional tool development as identified and jointly approved by mentors (i.e., quality assessment tool for data harmonization).
3. Contributing to the writing of protocol and/or analytic products specific to the project:
a. Drafting and finalization of process/protocol papers:
i. Boloka protocol paper,
ii. Data harmonization, and
iii. Data security.
b. Additional papers as identified and jointly approved by mentors.
4. Developing and presenting data dissemination products including abstracts, conference presentations, reports, and data visualizations via in-person and virtual platforms.

As part of this placement, students may also choose to visit our team’s other research sites in South Africa to support the ad hoc needs of additional HIV-focused research projects and strengthen complimentary research skills. Activities will support the mission of the larger placement, but will provide further opportunities to shadow program staff, support primary data collection, participate in outreach, and potentially work with real-world data to understand the impact of programmatic activities, such as PrEP and ART delivery strategies, social media outreach, and gender-affirming care on key HIV outcomes.

This project offers an opportunity that is both professional and academic to gain critical skills in the intersection of health systems strengthening and epidemiological approaches through data capacity-building, community and stakeholder engagement and relationship building, as well as experience working on HIV-related implementation science and research activities aiming to impact public health practice in a low-to-middle-income country. Working in the field with local counterparts gives the applicant the opportunity to develop skills in project management and stakeholder engagement that will help them critically analyze how they would design future projects.

The professional work environment at the site is extremely positive and fosters mentorship and productivity across team members, partners and program staff. The PACER team comprises faculty, post doctoral fellows, graduate students, and esteemed staff. The workplace operates in a mature, respectful matter and collaboration and team work are hallmarks of the project. We as a team are always available for support and ongoing communication throughout this collaboration.

This placement would be a good fit for someone who is motivated and can take the lead on projects. Regular mentoring and supervision will be provided by investigators and staff in the US and South Africa, however it will be the responsibility of the student to use the ideas and advice provided by the investigative team to move aspects of the project along, requesting additional support along the way when needed. Students with an interest in key populations, data harmonization, and quantitative research are encouraged to apply.

Epidemiology and Biostatistics (620 series or above preferred); courses in health communications, health equity, and implementation science are a plus, but not required.

Experience working with marginalized populations and on sensitive topics preferred.
A minimum of 20 weeks is required unless COVID-19 related travel restrictions prohibit this duration, although students who wish to stay longer are encouraged to do so and expenses will be covered to support this. Students who continue to work with the project for longer than 20 weeks will likely have more of an opportunity to assist with data analysis and manuscript development.

Name: Kalai Willis, Department of Epidemiology, kwill218@jhu.edu

I would describe my communication and mentorship styles as... 

I am supportive of students and available to provide thoughtful feedback and guidance at any point either in-person or Zoom, WhatsApp/phone, or via email. I operate within a group mentorship model that includes faculty within our core team, senior staff, and graduate students/postdoctoral fellows across multiple degree programs in the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

This group mentorship model is flexible based on student needs and expectations, but generally includes the following:
• In-person meeting(s) at the beginning of the student placement and at least one (scheduled) additional visit by our core JHU team during the placement;
• Weekly check-ins with our core team via Zoom (i.e., either faculty and/or senior staff) to provide mentorship and discuss progress towards outlined activities/goals and expectations, to support professional development, and to discuss additional logistics, etc.;
• Opt-in weekly team meetings with fellow peers/colleagues, faculty and staff to discuss analytic questions/products in a student-led, collaborative environment (project- or portfolio-specific);
• Bi-weekly to monthly collaboration meetings between the PACER team and JHU to support ongoing progress of project activities via discussion-based setting (Zoom); and
• Ad-hoc meetings/communication as needed via methods outlined above (e.g., in-person, Zoom, WhatsApp/phone, email).

As a complement to this model, I am also readily available to meet individually with students to support individual goal setting and career development.

A complementary student would have a working style and mentorship expectations that are..

A complementary student will be interested in the work, hardworking, and able to work independently and collaboratively. We are looking for students that are excited about the work, flexible, willing to learn, and interested in integrating within the PACER team and being embedded within additional research opportunities in South Africa. Students who are able to take initiative and ownership of their responsibilities within the project will be a good fit for this placement. Given the level of work necessary for this placement, two students will be identified and will be expected to work collaboratively throughout the duration of the placement.

The monthly stipend is sufficient to cover housing, food and use of public transport. Students wishing to further travel for personal reasons may incur out of pocket expenses.

We will work with the student to develop a budget to cover monthly expenses including housing, transportation, groceries, and other basic living expenses. Any living expenses not covered by the GHEFP grant will be covered by the project. The project will cover the student’s airfare to and from South Africa.