About the Sue Struengmann Scholarships for Doctoral Study (Public Mental Health)

The scholarships funded by the Sue Struengmann family have been established to provide support for two PhD students to join the team in the CPMH. Research topics will focus specifically on the development and adaptation of interventions to address the mental health implications of adversity and trauma for children and adolescents .

The purpose of the Sue Struengmann Initiative is to address the mental health implications of childhood and adolescent adversity and trauma by providing a base for research, capacity building and policy development. This initiative seeks to ensure the provision of high-quality interventions for the prevention and treatment of mental health problems among this vulnerable group. The Initiative is housed in the Alan J. Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health (CPMH), Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town.

The successful incumbent will be required to:

• Register for full-time PhD study at the CPMH in the Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health at the University of Cape Town from January 2021.
• Comply with the University’s approved policies, procedures and practises for the postgraduate sector.
• Enter into a bi-lateral Memorandum of Understanding with his/her supervisor.
• Live in Cape Town for the duration of the fellowship.

Successful candidates will not be permitted to be on salaried employment concurrently. No service will be required in return of the award.

Value & Tenure of Fellowship

The value of the Scholarship is R300 000 per year. This excludes tuition fees and research costs that will be covered by the Initiative to carry out the intended research.  Although the tenure of the scholarships is for 3 years, evidence of satisfactory academic progress will be required for continued registration.

Academic Criteria

 Applicants require a prior Master’s degree in a foundational discipline relevant to public mental health (e.g. psychology, public health, medicine, nursing, social work). Applicants should have strong interpersonal skills, and be able to work in a collaborative fashion as part of a multi­disciplinary team.

Deadline for applications is 15th September 2020.