Inclusive Digital Learning for Frontline Health and Agriculture Extension in Southern Ethiopia

(ref. BAP-2026-610) Laatst aangepast: 08/10/26 Project The proposed PhD project "Optimizing Digital Uptake: An Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Blended Micro-Certifications for Frontline Extension in Ethiopia" forms part of the VLIRUOS TEAM project EQUIP, in which Arba Minch University (AMU), KU Leuven and Arba Minch College of Teacher Education (AMCTE) collaborate to strengthen the professional practice of Health Extension Workers (HEWs) and Development Agents (DAs) in Southern Ethiopia through inclusive, low-bandwidth digital and blended learning. EQUIP will establish a Digital Learning Hub at Arba Minch University, co-create health and agriculture micro-certifications with the Gamo Zone bureau, and test offline-first learning approaches designed for remote and low-connectivity settings. Gender, location and other barriers to participation will be addressed through the PROGRESS-Plus equity framework and iterative design-based research. The PhD candidate will lead an equity-adaptive design-based research program examining which combinations of instructional design, motivational design, low-bandwidth technology and field coaching produce meaningful learning and sustained changes in frontline practice. The PhD candidate will work across the health–agriculture–education nexus and will help translate evidence into institutional standards, micro-certification design, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) recognition and implementation guidance. The final research questions and methods will be refined with the selected PhD candidate and supervisors, reviewed by the Scientific Quality Cell, and submitted for the required scientific, ethics and data-protection approvals. The approved project anticipates iterative prototyping, mixed-method evaluation, disaggregated learning analytics and field-based competency assessment across selected Gamo Zone woredas. The main responsibilities of the candidate will be to
• develop a rigorous doctoral proposal and equity-adaptive design-based research protocol
• conduct literature review, stakeholder/needs assessment and baseline research
• obtain and comply with ethics, informed-consent and data-protection approvals
• coordinate iterative design, pilot, evaluation and redesign cycles for the health and agriculture micro-certification tracks
• evaluate access, usability, learning, competency gain and application in frontline practice, with attention to gender and remote locations
• work with HEWs, DAs, zonal supervisors/Field Coaches, AMU/AMCTE staff, technical teams and policy partners
• integrate quantitative, qualitative and learning-analytics evidence
• contribute scientifically to the project’s behavioral-change, credential-value, cost and sustainability questions
• coordinate research linkages with four MSc projects and support MSc researchers (without replacing their supervisors)
• produce timely progress reports, peer-reviewed manuscripts, conference contributions, policy/practice briefs, open research outputs where appropriate, and a doctoral thesis
• contribute to the Digital Learning Hub, E-learning Champion training and project learning events
• comply with AMU, KU Leuven and VLIRUOS research-integrity, safeguarding, financial, visibility and scholarship requirements Profile The applicant must
• preferably be a permanent AMU academic staff member, appointment and continued institutional affiliation must be verifiable
• hold a relevant master’s degree in Computer Science or related fields
• meet the applicable academic admission requirements of AMU including NGAT and the agreed KU Leuven doctoral/visiting doctoral route
• demonstrate research readiness through a strong master’s record, thesis/research experience and a feasible concept note
• demonstrate aptitude and genuine interest in digital pedagogy, adult learning and inclusive low-bandwidth design
• be able to conduct interdisciplinary mixed-method research and work respectfully with non-academic stakeholders and rural frontline workers
• have a sufficient command of English for doctoral research and international collaboration, and be willing to provide any formal evidence or training required by the doctoral authorities
• be available for the full doctoral trajectory and for the approved research stays in Belgium (6 months in Activity Year 1, 12 months in Activity Year 3 and 6 months in Activity Year 5, subject to admission, visa and mobility administration)
• obtain a signed AMU/department commitment for meaningful study leave from normal academic/administrative duties, continued employment/salary and reintegration/retention during and after the doctorate
• pass the eligibility (CGPA, Publication, interview and/or written) exam to be administered by the project as per the Grant and Collaborative Projects guidelines of AMU
• be eligible for a VLIRUOS project scholarship, including the applicable institutional-affiliation and nationality requirements Desirable Experience
• Design-based research, implementation research or program evaluation
• Mixed-method study design, statistics and qualitative analysis
• Adult learning, instructional design, e-learning, HCI/UX or educational technology
• Working with health or agriculture extension systems and public-sector stakeholders
• Affinity with gender, inclusion, PROGRESS-Plus or other equity analysis
• Mobile/offline digital tools, LMS data or learning analytics
• Research ethics, secure data management and reproducible research
• Peer-reviewed publication, policy communication or supervision/mentoring
• Project coordination and ability to deliver across disciplines and institutions Note: No single applicant is expected to be an expert in every desirable area. The committee will assess research potential, thematic fit, learning ability and the strength of the complete profile. Offer Scholarship and Institutional Support
• The selected scholar will remain an AMU staff member. AMU’s agreed employment, salary and study leave arrangements will apply while the scholar conducts research in Ethiopia.
• During approved research stays in Belgium, the current budget provides a research scholarship allowance of EUR 1,900 per month, subject to the applicable VLIRUOS framework and final scholarship administration.
• The approved project budget provides financing for a research stay of 24 months in Belgium spread across three mobilities and includes budgeted international travel. Scholarship and travel payments remain subject to admission, registration, visa, mobility and financial procedures.
• Approved project research and fieldwork costs in Ethiopia will be covered according to the project work plan and financial rules. There is no separate local PhD stipend in the approved budget.
• The scholarship allowance is a compensation for living costs during the approved stays in Belgium.
• The researcher will receive joint scientific supervision from AMU and KU Leuven, access to the EQUIP research network and appropriate project facilities. The application should include the following documents in order :
• Cover page with name, AMU Faculty/department, Staff ID, contact details, and document checklist
• Motivation letter, maximum two pages
• Curriculum vitae, including education, employment, research, publications/outputs, methods/software, teaching, service, languages, and two referees
• Concept note of 1,500-2,000 words excluding references and containing the
• Problem statement and relevance to EQUIP
• Proposed research questions
• Conceptual/design-based research approach
• Proposed quantitative and qualitative methods
• Gender, location, and inclusion considerations
• Ethics and data-protection considerations
• Expected scientific and practical outputs
• High-level four-to-five-year work plan aligned with the three stays in Belgium
• Master’s and bachelor’s degree certificates and complete transcripts
• Master’s thesis abstracts plus one sample publication
• Evidence of current permanent AMU employment
• Signed faculty/department/unit head letter confirming in-principle study leave, continued employment/salary, and reintegration
• Available evidence of English proficiency
• Signed declaration of accuracy, availability, conflicts of interest, and consent to process application data The following selection procedure will be applicable :
• Administrative eligibility screening against the mandatory criteria
• Independent scoring of eligible written applications by the joint selection panel using the published criteria and as per AMU grant and collaborative projects guidelines
• Shortlisted candidates complete a short research/methods exercise and give a structured presentation/interview online or at AMU
• References, credentials, employment status and institutional-study leave feasibility are verified
• The joint committee records a ranked recommendation. The Project Steering Committee endorses the final selection as required by the approved proposal; university admission remains with the competent academic authorities
• Selection remains conditional on AMU and KU Leuven academic admission, the applicable scholarship/visa route and final institutional approvals Disclaimer AMU and KU Leuven are committed to a fair, transparent and inclusive call process. Female applicants and qualified staff from groups or locations under-represented in research leadership are strongly encouraged to apply. The same merit criteria will be applied to all candidates; where candidates are substantially equal, the project’s approved gender and inclusion commitments may be used as a documented tie-break in accordance with applicable policy. Interested? For more information please contact Dr. Mohammed Abebe, mail:mohammed.abebe@amu.edu.et, Prof. dr. Wim Van Petegem, mail: wim.vanpetegem@kuleuven.be or Prof. dr. ir. Koen Eneman, mail: koen.eneman@kuleuven.be. You can apply for this job no later than November 16, 2026 via the online application tool KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.
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