Global Health Emerging Scholars (GHES) Fellowship 2027–28: NIH-Supported Global Health Research Fellowship for U.S. and LMIC Scholars

The Global Health Emerging Scholars (GHES) Fellowship 2027–28 is now accepting applications from emerging health researchers interested in advanced, mentored training in global health research. Supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the Fogarty International Center (FIC), the fellowship provides a 12-month research training experience designed to prepare the next generation of researchers and health professionals to address major and emerging global health challenges.

The GHES Fellowship brings together a consortium of leading U.S. universities, including Yale University, Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Arizona, together with partner institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The program offers research training opportunities across 15 countries, providing fellows with the opportunity to work within international research environments while receiving mentorship from experienced global health researchers.

For scholars seeking to develop a career in global health research, epidemiology, public health, medicine, disease prevention, health systems, environmental health, or related fields, the GHES Fellowship provides an opportunity to gain specialized research experience, strengthen academic and professional networks, and contribute to research addressing population health challenges.

What Is the Global Health Emerging Scholars Fellowship?

The Global Health Emerging Scholars (GHES) Fellowship is a 12-month, NIH-supported, mentored global health research training program.

The fellowship is designed to improve population health by developing researchers who can conduct rigorous research and contribute to solutions for pressing health challenges around the world.

The program is part of the Global Health Program for Fellows and Scholars/Launching Future Leaders in Global Health Research Training Program (LAUNCH), which is sponsored by the Fogarty International Center and collaborating institutes and centers at the NIH.

The fellowship year typically runs from July through June and provides participants with opportunities to undertake research training through a network of partner institutions in 15 LMICs.

Rather than focusing solely on classroom-based education, the program emphasizes mentored research training. Fellows are connected with experienced faculty members and research institutions whose work aligns with their research interests.

This structure allows participants to develop their research skills while gaining experience in international and multidisciplinary global health settings.

GHES Fellowship 2027–28 Application Deadline

The application for the 2027–28 GHES Fellowship year is currently open.

Deadline: October 1, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Applicants are encouraged to review the eligibility requirements carefully before submitting an application, particularly because eligibility requirements differ between U.S.-based applicants and applicants from LMICs.

Who Is the GHES Fellowship Designed For?

The fellowship is intended for emerging researchers at the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels.

There are three major applicant categories:

1. U.S. postdoctoral scholars
2. U.S.-based doctoral or professional students
3. Postdoctoral scholars based in eligible low- and middle-income countries

The precise requirements depend on the applicant’s academic status, citizenship or residency, institutional affiliation, and doctoral or professional qualifications.

U.S. Postdoctoral Fellowship Eligibility

U.S.-based postdoctoral applicants may be eligible if they meet the program’s requirements.

Applicants must generally:

• Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident.
• Provide a green card number where required for the application.
• Have completed a qualifying doctoral degree within the past five years or be on track to complete the doctoral degree by June 2027.
• Obtain endorsement from appropriate GHES mentors.
• Have research interests that align with the expertise of available GHES mentors.

Applicants may come from any U.S. academic institution, rather than being restricted exclusively to Yale University, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, or the University of Arizona.

However, applicants who are not already affiliated with one of the consortium universities must obtain approval from the GHES Program Manager before applying.

Such applicants are expected to provide information including:

• Their curriculum vitae.
• A description of their research interests.
• Potential GHES mentor(s) whose research aligns with their interests.
• An NIH biosketch where required.
• Information demonstrating that they have contacted potential mentors.

The doctoral degrees considered for eligibility include, among others:

• PhD
• MD
• DVM
• DrPH
• PharmD

Applicants should carefully confirm whether their specific degree and academic status meet the current eligibility requirements.

U.S. Doctoral Student Fellowship Eligibility

The GHES program also provides opportunities for eligible U.S.-based doctoral and professional students.

Applicants in this category must generally:

• Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident.
• Be enrolled at UC Berkeley, the University of Arizona, Yale University, or Stanford University, or establish an appropriate affiliation with one of these institutions for the fellowship.
• Be advanced-candidacy doctoral students or eligible professional students.
• Professional students may include students pursuing degrees such as:
  • MD
  • DDS
  • DVM
  • PharmD
  • Other qualifying professional degrees.
• Professional students must generally have completed at least three years of professional schooling.

The program is therefore particularly relevant to advanced doctoral and professional students who are preparing to develop research careers in global health.

LMIC Postdoctoral Fellowship Eligibility

The GHES Fellowship also welcomes eligible postdoctoral scholars from low- and middle-income countries.

For this category, applicants must generally:

• Be a citizen of a low- or middle-income country as defined by the World Bank.
• Have received a qualifying doctoral degree within the previous five years.
• Be affiliated with one of the GHES partner LMIC institutions.
• Obtain endorsement from appropriate GHES mentors.
• Have research interests that align with the available research training opportunities and mentors.

Qualifying doctoral degrees can include:

• MBBS
• MMed
• PhD
• Other qualifying doctoral or professional degrees.

Importantly, the LMIC postdoctoral category requires a doctoral or professional degree. A master’s degree alone does not meet the stated requirement for this category.

Countries and Regions Represented by the GHES Network

The GHES consortium operates through collaborations involving institutions in 15 LMICs.

The network spans multiple geographical regions, including:

• Africa
• Latin America
• The Caribbean
• South and Southeast Asia
• The Middle East
• Eastern Europe
• Oceania

This international structure gives fellows access to research environments addressing health issues in different populations and geographic contexts.

The program’s partner-site model is particularly important because applicants are expected to identify research sites and mentors that align with their proposed research interests.

GHES Fellowship Research Sites Associated With Stanford

The information provided highlights several Stanford-affiliated research sites.

Ethiopia

The Stanford-associated site in Ethiopia is:

Addis Ababa University

The Stanford University mentor listed for this site is Tom Weiser.

Addis Ababa University mentors include:

• Dr. Miliard Derbew
• Dr. Tihitena Negussie Mammo

Kenya

The Stanford-associated site in Kenya is:

Kenyatta National Hospital

The Stanford University mentor is Christine Ngaruiya.

Kenyatta National Hospital mentors include:

• Dr. Irene Inwani
• Dr. Cyrus Mugo
• Dr. John Kinuthia

The Kenya site provides an important opportunity for eligible researchers whose interests align with the research conducted through the partner institution and available GHES mentors.

Bangladesh

The Stanford-associated Bangladesh site is:

icddr;b

Stanford University mentors include:

• Steve Luby
• Jade Benjamin-Chung

The listed icddr;b mentors include:

• Rehnuma Haque
• Zhahirul Islam
• Mahbubur Rahman
• Rubhana Raqib
• Fahmida Tofail

Senegal

The Stanford-associated Senegal site is:

Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD)

The Stanford University mentor is Nathan Lo.

The listed Institut Pasteur de Dakar mentors include:

• Daouda Ndiaye
• Amadou Sall
• Ines Vigan-Womas

Uganda

The Stanford-associated Uganda site is:

Makerere University College of Health Sciences

The Stanford University mentor is Prasanna Jaganathan.

The listed Makerere University mentors include:

• Alfred Andama
• Richard Echodu
• Moses Kamya
• Achilles Katamba
• Martin Muddu
• Isaac Ssinabulya

India

The GHES network includes multiple research collaborations in India.

One of the listed sites is:

Christian Medical College Vellore (CMC)

The Stanford University mentor is Jason Andrews, while Jacob John is listed as a Christian Medical College Vellore mentor.

Another India-based collaboration is the:

Kirk Smith Collaborative

The Stanford University mentor is Andres Cardenas.

The listed mentors associated with the Kirk Smith Collaborative include:

• Kalpana Balakrishnan
• Sagnik Dey
• Siuli Mukhopadhyay
• Naveen Puttaswamy
• Tavpritesh Sethi
• Chandra Venkataraman

Why the GHES Fellowship Is Important for Global Health Researchers

Global health challenges increasingly require researchers who can work across disciplines, institutions, countries and health systems.

The GHES Fellowship is structured around this need by combining:

• Advanced research training
• International collaboration
• Faculty mentorship
• Institutional partnerships
• Population-health research
• Cross-country research experience

Fellows have the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to contribute to evidence-based approaches to global health problems.

The program also places participants within established research networks, allowing them to learn from researchers and institutions working directly on health challenges in diverse settings.

What Applicants Should Consider Before Applying

Prospective applicants should not treat the application as simply a general fellowship application. A strong understanding of the program’s eligibility rules and research-site structure is essential.

Before applying, applicants should consider the following:

1. Confirm your applicant category

Determine whether you are applying as:

• A U.S. postdoctoral scholar
• A U.S. doctoral or professional student
• An LMIC postdoctoral scholar

Each category has different requirements.

2. Verify your academic qualification

Applicants should confirm that their degree meets the program’s requirements.

For LMIC postdoctoral applicants in particular, a master’s degree alone is not sufficient according to the stated eligibility criteria.

3. Identify an appropriate research site

Applicants should review the available GHES research sites and identify the location that best corresponds with their research interests.

4. Identify potential mentors

Mentorship is central to the fellowship.

Applicants should therefore investigate the research interests of available GHES faculty members and identify mentors whose expertise aligns closely with their proposed area of research.

5. Contact the appropriate program representative

Applicants who are not already affiliated with one of the core consortium institutions may need to obtain eligibility confirmation from the GHES Program Manager before proceeding.

Providing a CV, research-interest statement and information about the relevant research site and potential mentor can help the program determine whether the applicant is eligible.

Application Process

The GHES application is hosted through the Yale University Global Health Emerging Scholars program.

Applicants should begin by carefully reviewing the program’s eligibility and application information.

For applicants seeking clarification, the Stanford GHES information recommends providing:

1. A curriculum vitae.
2. A short description of research interests.
3. The research site and faculty member with whom the applicant’s research interests are aligned.
4. Any questions about eligibility or the application.

Questions can be directed to Yosefa Gilon, GHES Stanford Program Manager, at the email address provided by the program.

Applicants should avoid waiting until the final hours before the deadline to resolve questions about eligibility, institutional affiliation or potential mentorship.

APPLY HERE

Key Details at a Glance

Detail	Information
Opportunity	Global Health Emerging Scholars (GHES) Fellowship
Fellowship year	2027–28
Duration	12 months
Training focus	Global health research
Funding/support	NIH-supported
Program sponsor	Fogarty International Center and collaborating NIH institutes/centers
Consortium	Yale University, Stanford University, UC Berkeley and University of Arizona
Research opportunities	15 LMIC countries
U.S. postdoctoral applicants	U.S. citizens or residents meeting eligibility requirements
U.S. doctoral applicants	Eligible doctoral/professional students meeting institutional requirements
LMIC postdoctoral applicants	Citizens of eligible World Bank-defined LMICs meeting degree and affiliation requirements
Application deadline	October 1, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Fellowship cycle	Typically July–June

Who Can Apply for the GHES Fellowship?

The opportunity is primarily intended for emerging global health researchers, including eligible U.S.-based doctoral/professional students, U.S. postdoctoral scholars and qualifying postdoctoral scholars from participating low- and middle-income countries.

Applicants must satisfy the specific academic, citizenship/residency, institutional affiliation, degree and mentorship requirements applicable to their category.

The program is therefore not a general scholarship open to all students worldwide. Eligibility is structured around specific academic and professional stages and, for LMIC applicants, participation in the GHES partner-site network.

Visit HERE to learn more about the Global Health Emerging Scholars (GHES) Fellowship 2027–28.

Race, Nationality and Geographic Eligibility

The eligibility criteria provided do not specify a race or ethnic-group restriction.

Geographic eligibility, however, is important.

For the U.S. categories, applicants must generally be U.S. citizens or U.S. residents and meet the applicable academic and institutional requirements.

For LMIC postdoctoral applicants, applicants must be citizens of a World Bank-defined low- or middle-income country, must have the required doctoral qualification, and must be affiliated with an eligible GHES partner institution.

The program’s research network covers 15 LMICs across several regions of the world. Applicants should therefore verify that their nationality and institutional affiliation satisfy the current GHES requirements before applying.

Conclusion

The Global Health Emerging Scholars (GHES) Fellowship 2027–28 offers a specialized 12-month pathway for emerging researchers who want to build careers in global health research. Supported by the NIH and delivered through a consortium involving Yale University, Stanford University, UC Berkeley and the University of Arizona, the program connects fellows with mentors and research institutions across an international network of 15 LMICs.

The fellowship can be particularly valuable for researchers interested in developing advanced research capabilities while working on population-health challenges in international settings. Its emphasis on mentorship, institutional collaboration and research-site alignment makes choosing an appropriate research focus and mentor an important part of the application process.

Eligible applicants should carefully review the requirements for their specific category, identify an appropriate GHES research site and mentor, and prepare the required application materials well before the deadline.

The application deadline is October 1, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

For more global Fellowship opportunities visit OFY HERE