The HIV Mental Health Research Unit (HIVMHRU) was established in 2014 in response to the growing recognition of the burden of mental health disorders in people living with HIV – including depressive, anxiety, substance use and neurocognitive disorders. The HIVMHRU conducts niche research in the field of neuro-HIV and behavioural HIV in both adolescents and adults. Our guiding principle is to develop an evidence base to extend the provision of effective mental health services to persons living with HIV with a focus on South Africa and other resource-limited settings. The HIVMHRU is proud to invite applications from suitable candidates for the Clinical Research Internship 2025. 

CLINICAL RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2025 

We are looking to invite motivated students from diverse backgrounds to join the HIVMHRU and gain exposure to research in the fields of HIV and mental health in and around Cape Town.

Structure of the Internship

There are two intakes of five interns per semester per year. The first internship semester will be from January to June, and the second from July to December. All candidates will be selected for both intakes by November 2024. In total, there are ten positions available per year. 

The internship entails 8 hours/week (20% position), split between two 4-hour days as allocated. 

Responsibilities and learning opportunities

Half your time will be focused on Research Administration. This includes the following:

• Preparation of research materials (i.e., consent forms, intervention activities, workbooks etc.)
• Transcriptions and translation of intervention sessions
• Assisting with the financial reconciliation of participant reimbursements 
• Management of bio-marker specimens (viral load samples, dried blood spots, etc.)
• Assist with participant retention and tracking
• Assist with science dissemination and content development for the HIVMHRU website and social media platforms. 

Half your time will be focused on Clinical Research activities. This includes the following:

• Conduct site visits to research offices located at primary care facilities in the Cape Town area
• Assisting with day-to-day activities at sites
• Participating in clinical supervision of interventionists and research staff
• Attending debriefing sessions with project directors and clinical psychologist 

Details of internship

This internship is an unpaid position. It is targeted at recently graduated students who are building their experience and exposure to mental health research and interventions. During their internship, candidates will have access to short courses and research programmes in the HIVMHRU. 

Upon completion of this internship, successful candidates will receive:

• A certificate of completion (for > 80% attendance) 
• A letter of recommendation from the internship coordinator(s) 

Who Can Apply?

We invite applicants from diverse backgrounds. 

Requirements

• Have a minimum NQF Level 8 qualification (Honours or four-year degree) in a health or social science-related field.

Advantages (but not required)

• Have an excellent command of two or three official languages of South Africa.
• Demonstrate excellent writing and communication skills.
• Are capable of working in a multicultural team environment.

Application Instructions

There are limited placements for this programme, and admission is highly competitive. In addition to the application form, we will request short-listed candidates to attend a selection interview.

Please read and follow these instructions carefully, as they are not repeated on the application form itself.

• Please complete the attached application form.
• The application form must be completed in full and submitted with all required supporting documents as a single PDF file, with your surname and initial as the file name, to stephan.rabie@uct.ac.za on or before 31 October 2024. 

Current Availability