Policy Modelling Fellowships

The South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling & Analysis (SACEMA), based at Stellenbosch University, specialises in modelling and analysis to improve health across the African continent. Our team brings together expertise in mathematics, statistics, public health, biology, physics, and epidemiology to uncover disease dynamics and inform real-world public health decisions.  

2025 Policy Modelling Fellows with the SACEMA team. Back row (left to right): Armand Malembe Mutwadi (2025 Fellow), Jeremy Bingham (Technical Lead), Shadé Horn (PMF Manager), Stephen Adeshina Ohuneni (2025 Fellow), Ngounou Armel Martial (Fellowship Coordination Team), Olivier Adjagba (MSc student), Niket Thakkar (IDM; Fellowship Training Support), Rakotoarimanana Nomenjanahary Levi Hosea (2025 Fellow), Habtamu Milkias Wolde (2025 Fellow). Front row (left to right): Cari van Schalkwyk (Principal Investigator), Sylvia Ezenwa-Ahanene (2025 Fellow), and Arrah Epse Leke Fossung Esther Ayuk (2025 Fellow)

Policy Modelling Fellowship: Measles and/or Polio

There are few disease modellers with a policy focus based in Africa, and policy-relevant modelling relies on modellers’ relationships with ministries of health, who hold key data and who ultimately determine policy.   

While several exceptional modelling training programs exist, there is a need to strengthen capacity for practical, data-driven modelling among people working within, or with strong relationships to, African ministries of health. Our vision is to foster a more informed, agile response to epidemics in Africa in which interventions are backed, where possible, by widely available data.  

Through this 10-month fellowship, SACEMA will train, mentor and support fellows to develop modelling insights with real-world impact. Fellows will focus on vaccination programme optimization and immunity estimation, developing and delivering modelling insights directly with and to government stakeholders and decision makers. Each fellow will focus either on polio or measles (in exceptional cases fellows may work on both diseases). 

About the Policy Modelling Fellow

Requirements:

  • Training or work experience in a quantitative field. 
  • An established working relationship or partnership with Ministry of Health decision makers in your country.
  • Access or ability to gain access to sub-national measles or polio vaccination and incidence data from your country’s surveillance system through the Ministry of Health.
  • If you do you not have direct access to this data and/or existing relationships with decision makers, identify a “champion” within the Ministry of Health who can provide mentorship and facilitation during your process of data acquisition and stakeholder engagement.
  • Some coding experience.
  • Ability and willingness to travel to South Africa for 6-8 weeks mid 2026 and 2 weeks in early October 2026.
  • Availability and willingness to spend 8-10 hours per week on fellowship activities throughout fellowship period (February – November 2026).
  • Awareness of public health challenges in Africa. 

Recommendations:

  • Experience working with public health data. 
  • Familiarity with disease modelling techniques or mathematical statistics.
  • Technical aptitude in learning and applying public health modelling tools and methods. 

In recognition of the gender gap in mathematical modelling and data science, women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Duties and deadlines:

The Policy Modelling Fellow will develop country-specific policy questions, model the potential impact of measles and/or polio outbreak scenarios and interventions, and present model outputs and recommendations to local policymakers.

Data Acquisition:
  • Acquire sub-national measles or polio surveillance data through the Ministry of Health (e.g. data on routine vaccination delivery, supplemental immunization activities, and age-specific incidence data) (remote, by middle March 2026).
Technical Training and Development:
  • Complete preparatory training courses (remote, by end of April 2026). 
  • Attend MMED workshop (in-person in Cape Town, late June 2026). 
  • Undergo training in specific immunity estimation and modelling methods (in-person at SACEMA, following MMED workshop, for 4 to 6 weeks). 
Policy Modelling and stakeholder engagement:
  • Meet with Ministry of Health and/or national vaccination programme stakeholders to collaboratively develop country-specific policy questions, with mentorship and guidance from SACEMA (remote, first meeting for needs assessment by end of April 2026). 
  • Apply immunity estimation methods and outbreak modelling techniques to country data to address research questions (in-person at SACEMA, following MMED workshop, for 4 to 6 weeks). 
  • Develop policy recommendations based on immunity estimates and model outputs and prepare policy brief document (remote, by end September 2026). 
  • Organise dissemination meeting with Ministry of Health and/or national vaccination programme stakeholders (remote, by end of fellowship period).  
  • Visit SACEMA to refine presentations and finalise policy documents (in-person at SACEMA, early October 2026).
  • Host in-country stakeholder engagement meetings, attended by SACEMA staff (in-person in your country, by end of fellowship period). 
Indicative timeline summary (subject to finalisation):
Activity  Modality  Timing 
Contracts, initial drafting of policy questions, introductory reading, and administrative activities  Remote  by mid-March 2026 
Data acquisition – sub-national vaccination and incidence data (routine, SIA, age-specific)  Remote  by mid-March 2026 
Preparatory training courses  Remote  by end-April 2026 
Needs assessments / engagement meetings with government stakeholders  Remote  by end-April 2026 
MMED Workshop  In-person, Cape Town  mid-June 2026 (2 weeks) 
Training in immunity estimation methods  In-person, Stellenbosch  July–August 2026 (4 weeks) 
Policy brief and recommendations development  Remote  August-October 2026 
Final visit to SACEMA to refine presentations and policy outputs  In-person, Stellenbosch  October 2026 (2 weeks) 
In-country dissemination meeting with MoH stakeholders  In-person, led by Fellow  by end-November 2026 

Funding support:

  • Fully funded travel, meals and accommodation during visits to South Africa. 
  • Generous fellowship stipend, contingent on meeting fellowship milestones. 
  • Limited child-care support stipend may be available during in-person visits. 
  • Limited support for in-country dissemination meeting. 
  • All required courses and training fees are fully funded.

Application guidelines:

Location: Remote within Sub-Saharan Africa with visits to SACEMA South Africa

Duration: 10 Months

Start date: 2 February 2026

Application Deadline Extended: 07 December 2025

Please make sure that you have the following required materials ready:

  1. Comprehensive CV (max 3 pages) highlighting skills and past projects relevant to the fellowship.
  2. Letter of support for data access from a duly authorised Ministry official, or a clear data-acquisition plan identifying the contact person who will facilitate access. This letter or plan must specify who within the Ministry of Health or national vaccination programme will be involved and must include mention of sub-national polio or measles vaccination data and age-specific incidence data. We recommend that you approach and co-apply with a “champion” within the Ministry of Health or affiliated institution, who can provide mentorship and help facilitate data access and stakeholder engagement. If you are not based within a ministry of health or related government entity, identifying and approaching such a champion is a requirement for your application.
  3. Letter of support from your employer/institution, stating that you will be allowed to participate in the programme should you be selected OR an explanation of how you will obtain such a letter. 

Considering the gender gap in mathematical modelling and data analysis fields, women are encouraged to apply. 

Selection process 

Shortlisted candidates will be notified via email by 15 December and invited to complete a brief skills exercise assessing programming, data analysis, and communication abilities. 

Further enquires may be directed to:

Fellowship Manager, Shadé Horn

shade@sun.ac.za