Project Advisory Group Experts (Pretoria, Cape Town or Durban) at HSRC

Key requirements:

• Expertise in one of the following areas: relational wellbeing, youth wellbeing, youth, and any of the four thematic focus areas: climate change, digitalisation, livelihoods and mental health, research impact.
• Access to reliable, high-quality, and stable internet connection with access to remote conferencing facilities/software such as Zoom.
• Availability to travel to attend a minimum of 3 research project conferences and contribute to the programme over a 5-year period as a freelancer.
• A PhD degree in the Social Sciences.
• At least 20 years’ research experience in a research environment.
• Exposure to multi-stakeholder and/or multi-country research would be an advantage.
• Documented leadership experience.
• Track-record of peer reviewed, accredited publications (at least 20, with some first authored and some international).
• Understanding of research processes and activities.
• Fluency in English with excellent written and verbal communication
• Fluency in one or more of the following languages: Spanish and French.
• Competency in computer programmes such as Word, OneDrive, Excel, PowerPoint, referencing software.
• Academic affiliation will be an advantage.

Duties & Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Principal Investigators (PIs) and thematic leads by providing guidance relating to the substantive aspects of the programme from theoretical, research design, and methodological perspectives.
• Provide comment and expert input reflective of their respective knowledge areas.
• Support the decision-making process on the Expression of Interests (EoIs) and the selection of funded projects.
• Form the nucleus of the Community of Practice (CoP) and steer its development and activities.
• Provide guidance on priority areas and topics, including the development of new priority areas, actions, or interventions that encourage ambitious and innovative research.
• Mentor research PIs, if and where this might be required.
• Contribute to improving the potential uptake of the research findings by, for example, policy- and decision-makers and funders of youth-related programmes.
• Act as ambassadors for the programme internationally.
• Attend CoP events (a minimum of 3 per annum).
• Attend CoP meetings (1 per annum).
• Attend project conferences (3 over the course of the programme).