The HBNU Fogarty Global Health Training Program centers around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 of improving global health and wellbeing by 2030. The expanded focus on this goal reflects the long-neglected population-level health issues that are forecasted to contribute to significant morbidity and mortality globally, and specifically in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs).
The Program supports capacity-building in LMICs and the United States by training the next generation of global health researchers, educators, and professionals to address the world’s most pressing global health challenges. The Program provides 12-month, mentored research opportunities for pre- and post-doctoral fellows dedicated to research, health services, and academic careers.
Specifically, it aims to enhance the fellows’ abilities to independently plan, implement, and assess innovative clinical or operations research focused on reducing the mortality and morbidity associated with medium and high-priority HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health and nutrition, noncommunicable disease, mental health, and beyond.
The fellowship is aimed towards:
1. U.S. Pre-Doctoral Candidates who are enrolled in accredited doctoral level program (MD, PhD or equivalent) in public health, government, business, design, engineering, education, medicine, nutrition, law, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, or nursing.
2. U.S. Post-Doctoral Candidates who have received, as of the beginning date of the training period, a PhD, MD, DDS, or comparable doctoral degree from an accredited institution
3. LMIC Post-Doctoral Candidates who are citizens of one of HBNU’s collaborating LMICs, and have received as of the beginning date of the training period, a PhD, MD, DDS, or comparable doctoral degree from an accredited institution.
Fellowship Program Components
Each fellow’s program includes:
- Week-long orientation held at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
- 12-month, full-time research fellowship held at a partner LMIC site. Fellows are expected to work approximately 40hours per week on their fellowship research.
- Short-Term (1-3 month) U.S. Training for LMIC fellows at one of the HBNU-affiliated U.S. partner institutions (Harvard University, Boston University, Northwestern University, University of New Mexico).
- Mentor team composed of at least one HBNU-affiliated U.S. mentor and one LMIC site-based mentor.
- Funding support, including research funding and stipend/salary support.
- Monthly online seminars delivered by program faculty on interdisciplinary topics, designed to facilitate continued learning.
- Access to online learning resources including edX, Coursera, AuthorAID, and more.
- Research, technical, and administrative support provided by an integrated HBNU faculty and staff team.
Research Training Sites
Fellows spend 11-12 months at one of twenty-one training sites across fourteen countries in Africa, Asia, and South America available through the Harvard-BU-Northwestern-UNM Consortium.
Mentorship
Rigorous mentorship is a pillar of the HBNU Fogarty Global Health Training Fellowship. Each fellow selects their own U.S.-based mentor from the HBNU consortium’s leading faculty selection, who have expertise in a wide range of cross-cutting research areas. Fellows also select an LMIC site-based mentor from the local institution, facilitating a balanced and supportive dual-mentorship experience.
All fellows must communicate with their U.S. and LMIC mentors prior to submitting their application in order to develop and refine their research proposal and to secure letters of support from both mentors.
Mentors provide guidance for fellows throughout the program, as well as ongoing support for subsequent career development. At the onset of the fellowship, each fellow works with their mentor to develop a Mentorship Compact, setting expectations, developing a plan for regular communication, and creating mentorship goals. Mentors also support fellows in developing their research plan, timeline, and overall capacity-building for high-quality research and scholarly publication.
Financial Support
The HBNU Fogarty Global Health Training Program provides financial support for U.S. and LMIC fellows, including the following:
- 12 months of stipend/salary funding, depending on the type of award.
- U.S. doctoral and postdoctoral fellows receive a stipend according to the NRSA federal stipend scale
- LMIC fellows receive a stipend that is fair and equitable at their home institutions
- Research support funding for lab supplies, software, etc.
- Airfare and accommodations to NIH orientation.
- Roundtrip overseas airfare to the LMIC site and international health insurance for U.S. fellows.
- Roundtrip overseas airfare to the HBNU-affiliated U.S. institution and health insurance for LMIC fellows.
- Visa and passport fees.
Partial funding is also available for fellows with co-funding from other research training grants. Preference will be given to applicants with co-funding sources.
