Timor-Leste Health Research System Capacity Building Program

Applications from are now open for the Timor-Leste Health Research System Capacity 
Building Program (HRSB).

An initiative of The School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The University of 
New South Wales in partnership with The Ministry of Health Timor-Leste and the Australian 
National University, the HRSB aims to identify, establish, and support, a group of 10 to 
15 Timorese health research leaders in Timor-Leste and provide them with training across 
a range of health and development related research areas.  The HRSB program will run from 
November 2007 to May 2008.

The overall goal of the HRSB is to contribute to better population health outcomes in 
Timor-Leste and ensure progress is made towards achieving Millennium Development Goals 
and targets. Through strengthening the capacity of the health research system, and the 
conduct of health and health systems research in Timor-Leste, the HRSB aims to improve 
the quality of services, support good governance in the health sector, enhance the equity 
of health resource allocation, and promote evidence-informed health policy. The HRSB will 
contribute to the development of leadership, networks and infrastructure which will help 
shape the future of the health research system and health sector in Timor-Leste.

HRSB Program Objectives:

The HRSB will progress towards its goal by promoting two primary objectives:

· Establishing and supporting a cohort of dynamic Timorese research leaders and 
policy-makers, able to engage in producing, using and disseminating knowledge to promote 
health gain and develop the health system
· Providing a forum for discussion about, and establishing, a provisional framework for a 
health and health systems research institute in Timor-Leste

HRSB Benefit to Participants:

Selected participants will receive comprehensive conceptual and practical training in 
health and health systems research, research management, research supervision, 
commissioning and use of research, and research for policy-making and practice 
improvements. In addition, the HRSB will work, over the longer term, towards the 
establishment of a health and health systems research institute in Timor-Leste.  
Participants must be Timorese nationals in order to be eligible for the HRSB program.

Participants will be drawn from a diverse range of institutions working within the 
broader health and development sectors in Timor-Leste, including Government Ministries, 
Departments and Directorates, the Districts, local and international Non-Government 
Organisations, and Tertiary Institutions. Individual, organisational and system 
capacities to research and respond to health & system problems will be promoted in 
partnership with the Ministry of Health Timor Leste. 

The HRSB will actively support these identified research leaders in order to improve 
their capacity to assess current and potential demand for research and evaluation 
services; identify and pursue research and information priorities; and develop 
organisational options for a health research systems "centre" in Timor-Leste. 

Training approaches for the HRSB program will be developed to enable participants to 
develop and pursue health related research projects of relevance and benefit to their 
current employment and organisational base. Individuals who are not currently associated 
with an organisation but can demonstrate their capacity to contribute to health related 
research and systems development are also welcome to apply. 

HRSB Statement on diversity and equity:

The HRSB aims to provide opportunities to build skills and contribute to generating 
knowledge and information to promote health and development in Timor-Leste.  It aims to 
involve a diverse range of people working with the Timor-Leste Health Sector.  
Participants will be working in a range of health and development areas, for example: 
service delivery, policy and planning; needs assessment; operations research; monitoring 
and evaluation; research; education; health promotion; service improvement; statistics 
and surveillance. While not specifically a training program in monitoring and evaluation 
or operations research, the HRSB will be relevant to those working in such environments.  
It is geared to supporting people who have enquiring minds, who seek to answer questions 
to better understand and respond to problems, and through this to generate better 
responses to health and development issues and services delivery in Timor-Leste.

Participants will be drawn from a range of types of organisations working in the Health 
sector including local and international Non-Government Organisations; universities; 
professional associations; donor-funded agencies; UN agencies; Government Ministries and 
Directorates.   This program is aimed at Timorese people with energy and leadership 
potential, and who want to make a difference through using and applying research skills 
to answering questions which have a bearing on health, health-related services, and 
systems.

The HRSB maintains and will promote a commitment to social equity, social justice and 
nation building in all its activities. Women, young people, and those from the districts 
of Timor-Leste are strongly encouraged to apply.  We would also welcome applications from 
organisations that may be based in Dili but are involved in working in the districts.

Further information and application forms are available for download below. 

Additional enquiries can be directed to: 

d.traynor@unsw.edu.au

OR

domingossoares2002@yahoo.com 

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