Although high-quality epidemiological training programmes exist globally, Africa continues to face a shortage of disease modellers who work closely with ministries of health to translate evidence into policy. Effective modelling requires not only technical skill but also established relationships with national stakeholders who hold critical surveillance data and guide immunisation strategies.

The Policy Modelling Fellowship responds to this gap by building capacity among early- to mid-career professionals who work within, or have strong partnerships with, African ministries of health. The programme aims to support a more agile, data-informed response to epidemics, ensuring that public health interventions—particularly vaccination strategies—are grounded in robust modelling and accessible data.

Fellowship Overview

This fully funded, 10-month fellowship trains, mentors and supports selected fellows to generate actionable modelling insights with direct relevance to national immunisation programmes. Fellows will focus on measles, polio or, in exceptional circumstances, both diseases. Their work will contribute to optimising vaccination coverage, estimating immunity gaps and informing outbreak preparedness.

Throughout the fellowship, participants engage in a combination of remote learning, in-country data work and in-person technical training in South Africa. They will collaborate closely with SACEMA researchers, modelling experts and national immunisation programme representatives.

Candidate Profile and Requirements

Ideal candidates bring training or professional experience in a quantitative field, such as mathematics, statistics, data science, computer science, epidemiology or public health analytics. Because policy-relevant modelling relies heavily on access to national surveillance data, each applicant must already have, or be able to secure, access to sub-national measles or polio data—such as vaccination coverage, SIA records and age-specific incidence data—through their Ministry of Health.

If an applicant does not yet have established access or relationships, they must identify a “champion” within the Ministry of Health who can facilitate data access and provide ongoing mentorship. Coding experience, demonstrated interest in public health challenges in Africa and availability for travel to South Africa for 6–8 weeks mid-2026 and 2 weeks in October 2026 are essential.

Additional desirable attributes include experience working with public health data, familiarity with disease modelling concepts and the ability to learn and apply modelling tools. In line with SACEMA’s commitment to addressing gender disparities in modelling and data science, women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Key Activities and Timeline

Fellows will lead the development of country-specific policy questions, apply immunity estimation and modelling techniques, and present evidence-based recommendations to national decision makers.

Major activities include:

• • Data Acquisition (by mid-March 2026): Securing sub-national measles or polio surveillance data through the Ministry of Health.
  • Preparatory Training (by end-April 2026): Completing foundational modelling and data-analysis courses remotely.
  • Stakeholder Engagement (by end-April 2026): Conducting initial meetings with national immunisation programme officials to refine policy questions.
  • MMED Workshop (June 2026): Two weeks of in-person modelling training in Cape Town.
  • Immunity Estimation Training (July–August 2026): Four to six weeks of advanced in-person modelling work at SACEMA, Stellenbosch.
  • Policy Recommendation Development (August–October 2026): Producing a policy brief outlining key findings and suggested interventions.
  • Final Presentations and Dissemination (October–November 2026): Presenting results at SACEMA and organising national dissemination workshops with ministry stakeholders.

Funding and Support

The fellowship provides generous financial support, including:

• Fully funded travel, meals and accommodation for all in-person training in South Africa
• A stipend linked to completion of fellowship milestones
• Limited childcare support during in-person stays
• Funding to support in-country dissemination meetings
• Full coverage of all training and workshop fees