Applied International Nutrition Research Fellowship Opportunity

At the December 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation’s Board of Directors meeting, a request was approved for the release of funding to support an Applied International Nutrition Research Fellowship. This opportunity will support an RDN member of the Academy to participate in a one-year antenatal nutrition intervention and research project in Rwanda with Gardens for Health International (GFHI). The Fellow will reside in Ndera, Rwanda, about 30 minutes outside the capital city of Kigali. The Fellowship begins in January 2016.

 Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest, and resume by the end of the business day on Monday, December 21, 2015.
Skype interviews and selection of the Fellow will be completed by Wednesday, December 30. The Fellow will be expected to arrive in Rwanda by January 30, 2016. Please submit applications to Mary-Ann Johnson at: [log in to unmask] .

Overview
In the fall of 2015, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) approached the Academy regarding a collaboration opportunity between CGI, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Gardens For Health International (GFHI). The purpose of this collaboration was to align efforts on the implementation and evaluation of the effectiveness of a unique antenatal care program (ANC) to improve nutritional outcomes for women and infants in a targeted village in Rwanda. Garden focused programs such as GHI are becoming more and more common and an understanding of the nutrition potential for food interventions and health outcomes is important.
The collaboration would include a year-long applied research fellowship for an Academy member RDN, resource sharing and development and an opportunity to participate in formulating the research study. The fellow would be 1) developing nutrition and agriculture curricula, 2) training on the developed curricula to local health workers, and 3) facilitating monitoring and evaluation of outcomes from the intervention (curriculum execution). This experience will provide a rich research and cultural immersion at a level to identify aspects of the program critical to successful replication and scaling. The Nutrition Fellow will work closely with the GFHI Health Manager and Program Manager in the design of the ANC curriculum components, and the roll out of the program trainings. The Fellow will also work closely with the monitoring and evaluation team to understand the effectiveness of the pilot on nutritional outcomes, and will serve as the technical expert in the relationship with the Ministry of Health and the District of Musanze. As a member of the GFHI management team, the Fellow will also work across the organization to ensure that all the nutrition programming aligns with international research and best-practices.

The GFHI Project
The pilot project will introduce an educational curriculum on the importance of antenatal care as part of an existing health center program in Musanze District, reaching an estimated 2,000 women of childbearing age. Training on the curriculum for 60 nurses, nutritionists, and community health workers will be provided to increase the district’s capacity to provide quality clinical care. Four partner health centers will also incorporate educational materials on maternal nutrition as part of standard ANC care. These health centers will disseminate training materials specifically designed to improve maternal nutrition to an estimated 160 pregnant women during this pilot phase.
Gardens for Health International
Gardens for Health (GFHI) is a non-profit organization whose innovative approach works to bridge the gap between health and agriculture. Based in Rwanda with an office in Boston, their core program works to integrate agricultural support and comprehensive health education into the clinical treatment of malnutrition. GFH works in partnership with 18 health centers in two districts of Rwanda. This year, they are working directly with 2,160 families – providing them with the seeds, knowledge, and support to prevent and overcome malnutrition.

Fellow Criteria
 Registered dietitian nutritionist
 Advanced degree in Nutrition, dietetics, or other technically relevant degree
 3+ years of work experience, preferably in international settings
 Background in monitoring and evaluation and strong statistical skills – support from the Academy’s Research, International and Scientific Affairs Team
 Knowledge of issues in global health, especially key nutrition issues in global health
 Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work within different cultural environments, the ability to analyze and prioritize needs
 Ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions independently
 Ability to work within a team and relate to and motivate local staff effectively
 Creativity and the ability to work with limited resources
 Ability to read, analyze, and interpret administrative reports, technical procedures, or governmental regulations and make programmatic decisions
 Willingness to locate to Rwanda for one year, beginning in January 2016
 Willingness to participate fully in the expectations of the GFHI program in Rwanda
 Willingness to participate fully in the expectations of the Academy and Foundation, including project calls and reports, manuscript development, and professional presentations.

Fellowship award
The Academy Foundation will provide funding support for the following Fellowship expenses:
$7,800 Fellowship Stipend
The stipend of $650 / month is based on the standard set by the Global Health Corps, which currently has 22 professionals placed in Rwanda
$3,600 Health Insurance
This assumes a $300/month health insurance stipend, which is what GFHI currently provides to ex-pat staff members
$6,000 Travel (to and from Rwanda from Fellow’s home city and to the Academy
headquarters). This is expected to cover three round trip flights.
$2,600 Readjustment Stipend. This will assist the Fellow upon return to the USA after the
Fellowship has been successfully completed, given the large discrepancy between Rwanda salaries and USA salaries.
GFHI will provide housing this in-kind, along with work-related transportation and communications costs. An Academy staff site visit during the year to meet with the Fellow and GFHI staff is also planned.