Medicines for Humanity summer internship opportunity
Agency Name: Medicines for Humanity
Agency Department : Program Services
Title of Position: Research Intern
Address: 800 Hingham Street, Suite 1800, Rockland MA 02370
Website: www.medicinesforhumanity.org
Agency description/mission statement:
Medicines for Humanity (MFH) is a non-profit and non-governmental organization dedicated to reducing child mortality in impoverished communities around the world by collaborating with credible and competent healthcare providers already serving these communities and targeting the most vulnerable children and women. We are currently active in eight countries, four in Africa and four in Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2013, we provided over 338,000 health care services to children under five.
We support and build the capacity of our in-country healthcare partners in order to initiate or expand evidence-based, effective interventions to reduce child mortality and improve child survival. We leverage our extensive and successful project experience in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and Africa and focus on using child survival initiatives with evidence-based effectiveness.
Our projects are designed to increase the number of vulnerable children and mothers that receive maternal and child healthcare, assistance from trained community health workers (CHWs), nutrition services, and clean water and sanitation.
Mission Statement: Our mission is to save the lives of the greatest number of the world’s most vulnerable children with each donated dollar. We work in areas of high child mortality and build the capacity of in-country healthcare providers to implement the most clinically-effective, cost-effective, and sustainable child survival interventions.
Practicum description: (Describe the project(s) related to the practicum)
MFH is dedicated to the use of evidence in program design, implementation, and evaluation. We are in the process of creating a “user-friendly” database of evidence based interventions and services that are proven to reduce child mortality rates. We want this database to be usable by all departments within MFH (program service, development, executive) and helpful in developing proposals, program planning, donor reports, and resource allocation decisions. This practicum would be focused on the creation, application, and maintenance of this database.
Scope of work: (List the student’s responsibilities/duties)
- Review previous research on evidence based interventions and services for reducing child mortality rates (including neo natal mortality rates and infant mortality rates), and restructure according to impact on child mortality rates.
- Conduct additional research and literature review to document all major evidence based interventions and services that reduce child mortality and the level of this reduction with appropriate qualifications.
- Use database to analyze and evaluate projected impact on child mortality rates of interventions currently being used in MFH projects and present to MFH staff; assist program services staff to use database to develop program recommendations.
- Participate in meetings to develop process for writing donor proposals and reports that incorporates research and inclusion of EBIs; assist staff in learning how to effectively use database in creating more effective proposals and reports.
- Participate in meetings to develop process for program evaluation and planning that incorporates database information; assist staff in learning how to effectively utilize database in planning and evaluation.
- Analyze existing research on cost-effectiveness and sustainability of interventions and services in the database and assist in creating an overview document regarding this.
Minimum skills required: (List preferred or required skills, e.g., language, research, knowledge
of statistics or computers, familiarity with particular population, etc.)
– Experience in secondary research
– Ability to work independently
– Strong organizational skills
– Strong skills in Microsoft Office Suite with emphasis on Excel skills
– Strong written and oral communication skills/interpersonal skills
– Fluency in Spanish, French, or Haitian Creole a plus
– Experience in maternal and child health a plus
Estimated start/end date: June 1, 2014 / September 1, 2014
Estimated days/hours: 10-15 hours/week, no specific days required; schedule can be flexible
Application deadline: May 15, 2014
Number of students requested: 1
Is a car necessary? Yes, to get to and from our office in Rockland, MA.
Stipend: No
To apply: Please send your CV and letter of interest to Amelia Brandt (abrandt@medicinesforhumanity.org)
