Call for Applications: Emerging Voices for Global Health 2022

Background

Emerging Voices for Global Health (EV4GH) is an innovative multi-partner blended training program for promising and emerging health policy & systems researchers, decision makers, and other health system actors with an interest to become influential global health voices and/or local change makers. EV4GH coaches “Emerging Voices (EVs)” to participate on global health platforms and raise their voices in scientific and policy debates. The EV4GH program is managed by an internationally representative governance committee consisting of EV alumni elected by previous EV4GH participants and several invited (liaison) members from EV partner institutes. EV4GH became a Thematic Working Group (TWG) of Health Systems Global (HSG) in 2015 and was reconfirmed as a TWG in 2021. So far seven EV4GH training programs have been organized, all linked to a global (or regional) health event. The first edition of the EV4GH program (2010) was conducted in conjunction with the 1st Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Montreux. Since then, the editions have been linked to the 2nd Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Beijing (2012); the AIDS in Africa Conference (ICASA) in Cape Town (2013); in 2014, 2016 and 2018, EV4GH ventures were linked to the 3rd, 4th and 5th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Cape Town, Vancouver, and Liverpool, respectively; and in 2020 to the (virtual) 6th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Dubai. Till now, 290 EVs from over 60 countries have participated in the EV4GH training program. Many EVs are now in leadership positions in their countries, regions, and globally.

In early 2021, an Emerging Voices consortium was established with a (new) EV secretariat hosted at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), Nairobi, Kenya (July, 2021). The current list of partner institutions are (in alphabetical order);

• Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru, India
• Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium
• Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China
• The University of Cape Town (UCT), Cape Town, South Africa
• University of the Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town, South Africa
• Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
• Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
• Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
• Universidad Javeriana sede Cali, Cali, Colombia

What is the EV4GH 2022 training program?

EV4GH 2022 is a blended learning training program and consists of an e-coaching and distance learning phase, followed by a face-to-face training phase held prior to the Symposium. It uses innovative training methods and activities to enable emerging researchers, and other health system actors and change agents to present their work effectively and engage on various global health platforms. In addition, the global network of EVs fosters networking and learning across contexts and regions. After the training program, EVs become members of the EV4GH thematic working group and can then join other thematic working groups of HSG.

Stages of EV4GH 2022 training program

1. Early November 2021: Call for applications launch
2. 15 April 2022: Deadline for applications (12 pm EAT)
3. Mid-April till end of May 2022: Selection of new EVs
4. June-July 2022: Notification of acceptance to the program
5. August-October 2022: E-coaching and distance learning phase
6. Last week (/ten days of) October 2022 (kick-off: around 22-24 October): Face-to-face training, including scientific presentations, networking and communication skills, content training, and field visit to local health system facilities in Colombia.
7. 30th October 2022: Emerging researchers and other changemakers’ pre-conference (/TWG event)
8. 31st October-4th November 2022: Participation in the 7th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Bogotá, Colombia.
9. 5th November 2022: Wrap-up session focusing on emerging beyond Bogotá, Colombia
10. After 5th November 2022: Participation in the EV4GH network (and other HSG thematic working groups) with other emerging researchers, professionals, peers as well as senior researchers, policy makers, and experts in health systems and global health. Some of the activities of the EV4GH network include regular discussion and information sharing in the Google group; webinars; regional meetings; residencies; blog writing etc.

Who is eligible to apply?
There will be two tracks for which participants can apply to be an EV 2022. Track 1 is reserved for researchers involved in health policy and systems research (researchers’ track), Track 2 seeks to attract health professionals, activists, policy makers, knowledge brokers, health journalists, and other health system actors (other health system actors’ track). All applicants must have been born on or after 1st January 1982.

Expected Outcomes EV4GH 2022 Participants:

1. Poster presentation (track 1)
2. Improved knowledge of tools and strategies to become a more effective health systems/policy change agent (both tracks)
3. Oral presentation during pre-conference (in an innovative format) (both tracks)
4. Blogs, publications, and other forms to disseminate messages (both tracks)
5. Participation in the 7th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (both tracks).

Selection process
An advisory board consisting of past EV governance board members, and some senior members from partner institutes will review the application materials and help with the selection process based on a mix of transparent selection criteria.

What does the EV4GH 2022 scholarship include?

A limited number of full and partial scholarships will be awarded to successful applicants. The full scholarship will cover participation in the three-month blended learning training program, the (approximately) 10-day face-to-face training (plus pre-conference/TWG event) and include participants’ airfares to and from Colombia, accommodation, meals, and materials, as well as participation in the 7th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Bogotá. Scholarships shall prioritise LMIC participants. HIC participants from universities and research institutions (or other change agents) from the ‘Global North’, if selected, are expected to raise their own funds to cover all costs of participation in the EV4GH program.

Please note: successful EV selection cannot guarantee a successful and timely visa process, so if selected, we encourage participants to start visa application as soon as possible.

Who can apply?

There will be two tracks for which participants can apply to be an EV 2022. Track 1 is reserved for researchers involved in health policy and systems research (researchers’ track), Track 2 seeks to attract health professionals, activists, policy makers, knowledge brokers, health journalists, and other health system actors (other health system actors’ track). All applicants must have been born on or after January 1, 1982. In case of any difficulty, please write to EV Secretariat at  [email protected].

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