> skip to content
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Gillings School of Global Public Health
170 Rosenau Hall, CB #7400
135 Dauer Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400
919-966-3215
Contact
GILLINGS SCHOOL OF GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
170 Rosenau Hall | CB 7400 | 135 Dauer Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400 | 919.966.3215
UNC HOME  |  Feedback  |  Help  |  Text Size
Home

Malawi-Carolina Summer Public Health Institute



 

Details of Summer 2010 opportunity in Malawi forthcoming
in December, 2009 or January 2010 

Summer 2009 Institute: June 1-5, 2009

View the student posters from internships for the Malawi-Carolina Summer Internship Program (2009, 2007 and 2006 posters now available).



The fourth annual Malawi-Carolina Summer Institute will be held in June 2009 at the University of Malawi College of Medicine in Blantyre. UNC has over 250 employees in Malawi conducting research and providing health care on nutrition and infectious diseases such as HIV and malaria.

Program Description (download program description)

Baboon hanging out on CDC sign in Michiru Forest Preserve.
Baboon hanging out on CDC sign in Michiru Forest Preserve.
The Malawi-Carolina Summer Public Health Institute is held in Blantyre, Malawi, during the summer each year, with the first being held in 2006. Students from UNC join Malawian MPH students in a one-week course on research design and proposal development. This course will allow UNC students to partner with their Malawian counterparts to learn how to develop projects in a resource-poor setting. UNC students are then matched with and participate in on-going research projects in Malawi for a minimum of 6 additional weeks.

The Malawi Summer Institute is open to all graduate students at UNC-Chapel Hill who focus on health issues in developing countries (cannot graduate before August 2009). The program is administered by the Office of Global Health in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, with funding from the Fogarty-funded UNC Partnership in Global Health and the GlaxoSmithKline Foundation (UNC GSK Global Health Project) . The UNC-University of Malawi Fogarty Infectious Disease Epidemiology Training Program is also a key sponsor of this initiative.  

UNC student working on malaria vaccine clinical trial.
UNC student working on malaria vaccine clinical trial.
An orientation workshop will be held during the 2009 spring semester, covering IRB, language (Chichewa) and cultural issues. This workshop is co-sponsored by the African Studies Center. Malawi Institute participants are required to attend this workshop. Dates for the workshop will be announced later.

UNC faculty also teach courses in health economics, epidemiology and biostatistics during the summer as part of the University of Malawi College of Medicine MPH program.

Ongoing research topics in Malawi include:

  • Little girl being weighed at a well child checkup.
    Little girl being weighed at a well child checkup.
    HIV prevention and care
  • epidemiology and prevention of malaria
  • malnutrition
  • HIV and breastfeeding
 Student internships are determined based on students' interests, skills and position availability. Possible organizations where students may intern include the Malawi Children's Village, the UNC School of Medicine Project in Lilongwe, local health departments or hospitals, ongoing UNC or other university research projects, and Medicins Sans Frontiere.

Funding

The Office of Global Health will award $4,000 to each student to cover travel and living expenses. Students are encouraged to pursue other funding options as this award may not support the full costs of the summer.

Application requirements

  • Completed application form.
  • Resume or CV.
  • Current official transcript.
  • Letter of recommendation from faculty advisor.
  • Letter of recommendation from previous employer or professional recommendation.

Submit your application materials electronically to the Office of Global Health  The mailing address for letters of recommendation and official transcripts is: Office of Global Health, CB#7400, 124 Rosenau Hall, UNC School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400.

Students will be selected based on their background, commitment to global health, and on how well their interests match with possible internship placements. Selection and notification of 2008 awardees will be made by Friday, February 13, 2009.

For more information, your can email the Office of the Global Health or call 919-966-3564. 

Frequently Asked Questions about the Malawi-Carolina Summer Internship Program

Q: My faculty advisor does not know me that well, do they have to write the recommendation for me?
A: Yes, your advisor must write a letter of recommendation stating that you are in good academic standing and eligible to participate in this program.  You may include additional letters of recommendation from other faculty or employers which will be taken into consideration during the application review process. 

Q: What do you mean by "professional recommendation"?
A: You must provide a letter from a previous employer in your application package. This letter should speak to your abilities demonstrated during your time of employment.

Last updated November 11, 2009
 
sub navigation
Check out the SPH YouTube Channel.
 
< top of page