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Applications are now open for the 2025 USAID Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Fellows Program. The DHS Fellows Program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is designed to increase the capacity of countries to conduct further analysis of DHS Program data. Click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.
Opportunity Details
The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program is now accepting applications for the 2025 DHS Fellows Program. The DHS Fellows Program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is designed to increase the capacity of countries to conduct further analysis of DHS Program data. The primary objectives of the program are:
To teach Fellows to analyze and conduct research with DHS Program data.
To strengthen skills that Fellows will use to integrate DHS Program data into their teaching.
To increase the ability of Fellows to strengthen the capacity of others to use DHS Program data at their home universities.
The 2025 DHS Fellows Program will be a hybrid delivery with virtual elements and two in-person workshops.
Anticipated Timeline
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November 5, 2024 |
Applications are due |
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Mid December, 2024 |
Selected candidates are notified |
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February 1, 2025 |
Fellows complete the Dataset Users Course and submit their certificates |
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*Feb 26 March 6, 2025 |
First workshop to prepare Fellows to use DHS Program datasets, refine research questions, and begin data analysis |
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March 31, 2025 |
Fellows submit interim drafts of their papers |
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April 21, 2025 |
Fellows submit first report on capacity-strengthening activities |
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*May 14 - May 20, 2025 |
Second workshop for Fellows to finalize their papers |
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June 6, 2025 |
Fellows submit final papers and respond to reviews and edits throughout the publication process. Fellows also submit their policy-oriented presentation |
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August 8, 2025 |
Fellows submit second report on capacity-strengthening activities and revised policy-oriented presentation |
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September 9, 2025 |
Fellows submit proof that the working paper was submitted to a peer-reviewed journal |
*these are the anticipated dates for the in-person workshops but they will need to be confirmed by end of January 2025.
Selection of Fellows will be primarily based on the merits of their research proposal and on the applicants' potential for strengthening the capacity of their home university to use DHS Program data. Additional factors considered will be gender balance and previous experience in data use and statistical analysis.
Each fellow will be awarded a $3,000 honorarium to cover research expenses, travel expenses, and other incidentals which will be paid in installments based upon satisfactory completion of the deliverables. Non-participation in trainings or incomplete submissions will be deducted from this payment. The DHS Program will cover economy airfare from the home institution, lodging with breakfast and lunch only, for each fellow to attend both workshops. Each fellow will be responsible for obtaining a visa to the country where the workshop will be determined after the selection process and all other costs is expected to be covered by the honorarium.
Applications are accepted from faculty members at universities in:
Angola, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Jordan, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan
All team members must be based full-time at the home university. Applications must be from teams comprised of two members from the same university who teach and/or conduct research in demography, public health, economics, sociology, or other social sciences.
Individuals who have already participated in a data analysis workshop conducted by The DHS Program are not eligible, although individuals who have only participated in a Service Provision Assessment (SPA) or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) workshop facilitated by The DHS Program are still eligible to apply. Teams must include one senior faculty member. Both team members must be available to attend two in-person workshops organized by The DHS Program (see anticipated timeline below). In addition, all participants must complete the DHS Dataset User course online before attending the first workshop. This course will take approximately 1-2 days to complete depending on skill level. The most recent statistical software package Stata will be provided for use during the training.
The language for the program is English.
Each team will be expected to jointly complete a publishable-quality manuscript in English on policy-relevant questions that are primarily related to one or more of the following topic areas: sexual and reproductive health, family planning, fertility, maternal, child, and newborn health, malaria, nutrition, early childhood development, child discipline, child labor, gender, or other cross-cutting health issues. Research must use data from the DHS Program surveys.
Teams submitting applications from Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Lesotho, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Cambodia, Jordan, and Tajikistan are particularly encouraged to submit applications using the available data on child discipline, child labor, and early childhood development.
Completed manuscripts that meet the required standards will be published by The DHS Program in the Working Paper series . Fellows will also be required to submit their completed papers to peer-reviewed journals for publication. In addition, each team will be expected to design and implement a plan for strengthening capacity in the use of DHS Program data for teaching and research at their home universities. Teams are required to report back on the implementation of two capacity-strengthening activities prior to completion of the program.
Each team should submit a single application that contains the following items in pdf format:
A completed team application form
A brief, original research proposal (3 to 4 pages) with the following sections clearly described 1) introduction and rationale, 2) short literature review and/or conceptual framework on the topic, 3) research question(s), 4) scope of analysis (including how DHS Program data will be used to answer the research questions), and 5) potential policy implications. Use of other data for the analysis will result in rejection of the proposal. We recommend you visit the DHS Program website to find the Final report for the most recent DHS survey in your country. Please check the final report to understand what data is available to answer your research question.
A brief plan for internal capacity strengthening (1 to 2 pages) that describes realistic activities the applicants will undertake at home universities during the fellowship. These activities should enable fellows to pass on knowledge and skills learned through the program to students, faculty, and research colleagues at their home universities. Brief descriptions of each proposed activity should include a summary of the objective, target group, timing, measurement of progress, and outcomes. Two capacity strengthening activities are required, the first should be implemented between March 10 and April 14, 2025, and the second between May 25 and August 1, 2025, to meet the deadlines detailed in the timeline.
In addition, the joint application should include the following from each team member:
a) A curriculum vita with complete contact information, a list of publications, and names and contact information for three references
b) Proof of status as a current faculty member at home university and duration of employment
If selected, each candidate will be asked to provide evidence, such as a letter of approval from their department/university agrees to her/his participation in the fellowship program, including full-time participation in both workshops.
Contact Information
Please send inquiries to The DHS Program, ICF, 530 Gaither Road, Suite 500, Rockville, MD USA 20850. Email: [email protected].
Apply for The USAID Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Fellows Program