MASTERS RESEARCHER TRAINEE

Closing Date
2026/05/31
Reference Number
HSR260520-1
Job Type
Fixed Term contract- long term
Job Title
MASTERS RESEARCHER TRAINEE
Business Area
Public Health, Societies and Belonging – PHSB
Department
PHSB
Number of Positions
2
Workplace Type
Hybrid
Location – Town / City
Cape Town, Pretoria and Pietermaritzburg
Location – Province
KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Western Cape
Location – Country
South Africa
Minimum Education Level
NQF8 – Hons Degree or equivalent
Application Closing Date
31-May-2026
Job Category
Scientific
Job Advert Summary
The Public Health, Societies and Belonging (PHSB) research division within the HSRC employs a multi-disciplinary group of social scientists and public health specialists who conduct numerous empirical and policy-related studies each year, three-quarters of which are donor-funded. PHSB division conducts transdisciplinary, intersectional, policy and programme-relevant research to improve health, well-being and promote a socially just and cohesive society.

PHSB has offices in Pretoria, Cape Town and Pietermaritzburg. The division seeks to appoint Two (2) Masters interns to join a dynamic team of researchers in the HSRC community. The incumbent will be based in one of the HSRC offices.
Minimum Requirements
Key requirements:

Applicants must be in possession of a relevant Honours degree and be registered, or intending to register, for a Master’s degree at a recognised South African or international university in Public Health, Social Sciences, Behavioural Sciences, Health Sciences, Biostatistics, Data science, Epidemiology or a related field relevant to the work of PHSB;
A sound grounding in research methods will be a strong recommendation;
Requisite computer skills (e.g. Microsoft Office,)
Working experience with some of the following data software packages: STATA, SPSS, R, Nvivo, AtlasTI or other relevant statistical packages;
Ability to work well under pressure and to meet deadlines.
Duties & Responsibilities
Key responsibilities:

In addition to being registered for a Masters degree, at a recognized South African university and currently working on their degrees, or eligible for registration at a recognized South African university, research interns are required to participate in all aspects of the research process as they work with other staff on different research projects.
Among other duties, they will participate in the following activities under supervision:
Participation in the conceptualization and execution of research projects;
Participation in the formulation of research questions and writing proposals;
Assisting with the submission of research proposals for ethical review;
Management or supervision of research projects
Collection and analysis of data;
Writing up of research results, research reports and manuscripts for publication;
Presenting results of projects in different forums (webinars, conferences, seminars, and other forums);