OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERTAKE YOUR MSC DISSERTATION WITHIN THE

IMPRESS PROJECT

INTRODUCTION
The Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) aims to “impart knowledge and produce
transferable skills by engaging in teaching, learning, research and consultancy and
application of knowledge, skills and aptitude to meet the professional needs of society at
national, regional and global levels”. In pursuit of this aim, KUHeS, in collaboration with the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is implementing a project titled
Innovative Management Practices to Enhance hoSpital quality and Save lives in Malawi
(IMPRESS). The project aims at identifying optimal health facility management practices to
improve care of sick newborn babies and will be implemented in 36 health facilities in Malawi.
Additional information about the project can be found at
https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/impress#about .

IMPRESS, in conjunction with the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences are inviting
applications from suitably qualified candidates to apply for highly competitive opportunities
available for postgraduate students within the University to undertake their dissertations within
the IMPRESS project. IMPRESS will provide students with an opportunity to use project data
and support collection of additional data as needed. IMPRESS will cover fieldwork and travel
costs related to data collection. IMPRESS will not pay any school fees or support the purchase
of any equipment.

There are three opportunities which are open to students enrolled in the following
postgraduate programs:
1. Master of Business Administration in Health Systems and Management
2. Master of Science in Sexual Reproductive Health Research and Rights
3. Master of Science in Global Health Implementation
 4. Masters in Medicine (MMed)
• Paediatrics and Child Health
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology
5. Master in Public Health (MPH)
6. Master of Science in Reproductive Health
7. Master of Science in Midwifery
8. Master of Science in Child Health Nursing
9. Master of Science in Epidemiology

Application Requirements
i. Students in their first year (or third / fourth year for MMED students) in the above-
mentioned programs
ii. Proposed research project should be aligned to the aims of IMPRESS.

Possible Areas of Research

The possible areas of research that the Team is interested in are as follows:
1. The role and performance of Hospital Advisory Committees in improving the
quality of neonatal care in hospitals.
2. Barriers and facilitators in the functioning of hospital quality improvement
structures (e.g. QIST, WIT, IPC, leadership), including linkages and coordination
between them.
3. Pre-hospitalization and community factors that influence clinical outcomes for small
and sick neonates.
4. Quality of clinical and supportive care provided to neonates discharged from
neonatal units.
5. Direct and indirect causes of neonatal mortality based on routine neonatal death
audits.
6. Keeping babies warm: understanding practices in the transfer of babies from the
maternity unit to the neonatal unit.
7. What do neonatal nurses do? A study of how neonatal nurses spend their time in the
care of small and sick newborns.
8. Changes over time in the adoption of hospital management practices in support of
small and sick newborn care
Application Procedure:
Please submit the following documents as part of your application:
a) Grades obtained in the first year of the master’s program, signed by the department
b) Abstract of research idea not more than 250 words
c) Academic transcripts and copies of certificates
d) Updated curriculum vitae
e) Motivation statement

Incomplete applications with missing documents will automatically be considered as

ineligible and will not be shortlisted.
If you would like more information on the scholarship, please contact the following:
Email: lmipando@kuhes.ac.mw
Catherine.Goodman@lshtm.ac.uk
Applications must be submitted as a single PDF document by email to Scholarship Officer, at
KUHeS on this email: scholarships@kuhes.ac.mw copied to the IMPRESS Project
Investigators; Assoc. Prof Linda Nyondo-Mipando (lmipando@kuhes.ac.mw) and Prof.
Catherine Goodman (Catherine.Goodman@lshtm.ac.uk ). The deadline for receiving
applications will be on 8th June 2023 at 23:59 hrs.