The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Technical Advisory Group on Noncommunicable Disease-related Research (TAG-NCDR). This “Call for experts” provides information about the technical advisory group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.

Functions of the TAG-NCDR

In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the TAG-NCDR shall have the following functions:

1. To identify and describe current and future challenges;
2. To advise WHO on strategic directions to be prioritized;
3. To advise WHO on the development of global strategic documents; and
4. To propose other strategic interventions and activities for implementation by WHO.

Operations of the Technical Advisory Group on NCD-related Research  and Innovation

The TAG-NCDR shall normally meet once each year. However, WHO may convene additional meetings. Meetings may be held in person (at WHO headquarters in Geneva or another location, as determined by WHO) or virtually, via video or teleconference.

1. TAG-NCDR members are expected to attend meetings. If a member misses two consecutive meetings, WHO may end his/her appointment as a member of the TAG-NCDR. 
2. Active participation is expected from all TAG-NCDR members, including in teleconferences, and interaction over email. Members may, in advance of meetings, be requested to review meeting documentation and to provide their views for consideration by the TAG-NCDR.
3. WHO shall determine the modes of communication by the TAG-NCDR, including between WHO and the TAG-NCDR members, and the TAG-NCDR members among themselves.
4. The TAG-NCDR meetings will be conducted in English. All documentation, including reports and working documents, will be provided in English.

Who can express interest?

The Technical Advisory Group on NCD-related Research will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to the important areas mentioned below. Up to 12 members may be selected.

WHO welcomes expressions of interest from:

Scientists, public health experts, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, innovators and policy-makers representing the broad range of disciplines relevant to research on non-communicable diseases including but not limited to NCDs researchers (health research including public health and clinical research, risk factors and social determinants), public health, epidemiology and implementation research (public health policies and prevention, epidemiology and disease burden, implementation research), health governance and health service delivery (health system and primary health care, essential economics and finance) and with expertise in the following areas:

• National and international investments for quality research
• How to strengthen national capacity for quality research including implementation research  
• How to support and facilitate NCD-related research and innovation and  its translation to enhance the knowledge bae for national action
• How to promote the use of information and communications technology to improve programme implementation, health outcomes, health promotion, and reporting and surveillance systems and to disseminate, as appropriate, information on affordable, cost-effective, sustainable and quality interventions, best practices and lessons learned in the field of NCDs

Submitting your expression of interest

To register your interest in being considered for the Technical Advisory Group on NCD-related Research, please submit the following documents by 30 April 2021 24h00, Geneva time to NCDDepartment@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Technical Advisory Group on NCD-related Research”:

• A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore, do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer);
• Your curriculum vitae; and
• A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.

After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO.  Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed. 

Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment

Members of WHO Technical Advisory Groups reporting to WHO  must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of a TAG-NCDR is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).

All TAG-NCDR members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). TAG-NCDR members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.

At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant TAG-NCDR.

The selection of members of the TAG-NCDR will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations. The selection of TAG-NCDR members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.

If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of a TAG-NCDR will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two documents.

WHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for WHO’s action. WHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the TAG-NCDR, disband an existing TAG-NCDR or modify the work of the TAG-NCDR.

WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.

WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO internet.

TAG-NCDR members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the TAG-NCDR or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of TAG-NCDR members to participate in TAG meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.

TAG-NCDR members shall not speak on behalf of, or represent, the TAG-NCDR or WHO to any third party.

The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.

If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to NCDDepartment@who.int well before the applicable deadline.