Global Health research experts

Our Global Health Programmes are looking to appoint research experts and community engagement and involvement specialists, to join their Funding Committees.

These opportunities are available within a number of Programmes, including:

NIHR is a major funder of high-quality global health research that directly addresses the diverse health needs of people in low and middle income countries (LMICs). We invest in applied health research relevant to the unmet needs of LMIC communities, health system priorities and the evolving global burden of disease.

The Global Health Research portfolio is underpinned by 3 principles which guide development and delivery. These are to:

meet eligibility criteria as Official Development Assistance (ODA), i.e. funded research which benefits people in ODA-eligible countries on the OECD DAC-list
deliver high-quality applied health research, building on our principles which are impact, excellence, effectiveness, inclusion, collaboration
strengthen research capability and training through equitable partnerships

About the Committees

The aim of our Global Health Committees is to fund research that will have a valuable impact on ODA-eligible countries.

Each of our Global Health Programmes has different timelines. If you are appointed on one of our committees, these are the dates you will need to keep free:

Global Health Policy and Systems Research

September 2024: Stage 1 committee meeting (online)
April 2025: Stage 2 committee meeting (in person in the UK)

Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (RIGHT)

January 2025: Stage 1 committee meeting (online)
September 2025: Stage 2 committee meeting (in person in the UK)

Global Health Research Programme

January 2025: Stage 1 committee meeting (online)
September 2025: Stage 2 committee meeting (in person in the UK)

Global Research Professorships

March 2025: Shortlisting committee meeting (online)
July 2025: Interviews (committee in person in the UK)

Global Health Research Training Programme awards

March 2025: Committee meeting (online)

About the role

As a committee member you will review funding applications and recommend which proposals you think should receive funding.

You will carry out in-depth reviews of your assigned funding applications, and higher level reviews of others. You will need to prepare thoroughly in advance of committee meetings and present your feedback to the group. You may need to do additional preparation work if we receive a high volume of applications.

The period of tenure is usually 3 calls. A call is usually a year. Subject matter specialists on the RIGHT Funding Committee will have a single call tenure which is around 1.5 years.

Stage 1 applications and shortlisting meetings are held online. Stage 2 meetings or interviews are in person.

Who we are looking for

Applicants should have:

previous experience in global health research and research capacity strengthening, ideally at a senior level
a significant track record in applied health research, research on health policy, services and systems, and publication in LMIC settings
some previous experience of working with global health research funders, for example through reviewing applications or as a member of an advisory committee or a funding committee

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

applied global health
artificial intelligence
child and adolescent health
digital health technologies
elderly care/dementia
emergency care
equitable and sustainable research partnership development
health economics
health policy research
health services and management research
health systems research
infectious diseases
injuries and accidents
implementation science
maternal and women’s health
mental Health
multiple long-term conditions
non-communicable diseases
public health and prevention
primary care
research capacity strengthening in LMICs
research methodologies
respiratory health
social science
surgery
tropical and infectious diseases
wider determinants of health

See our Global Health committee member guidance for a detailed person specification.

Community Engagement and Involvement specialists

Applicants should:

have demonstrable knowledge and experience of how to involve communities in the research process in LMICs
have an understanding of the various methods and techniques used to ensure vulnerable and marginalised community members are included in research
be familiar with different health research methodologies across a wide range of LMIC settings
be familiar with best practice in community engagement and involvement, for example UNICEF’s minimum quality standards and indicators in community engagement
ideally have previous experience of working with health research funders, for example through reviewing funding applications or as a member of an advisory or funding committee

How to apply

We welcome and encourage applications from individuals based in LMICs. We advise that you get support from your host institution before applying, as committee membership involves a significant time commitment.

Before you apply, please also read our committee member guidance to find out more about the role. When you apply, the online form will ask questions about yourself and your experience, and you will be able to upload any documents to support your application.

After the closing date, we will assess all applications against the criteria set out in the person specification. We will let you know the outcome by email, as soon as a decision has been made.

The closing date for applications is 22 May 2024.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive culture by having committees and panels that are made up of diverse skills and experiences. We will work with you to make reasonable adjustments to remove any barriers during the application process. If you have any access needs or require any support throughout the application process, please let us know. If appointed, we will also work with you to identify adjustments to carry out the role. We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and communities.

We collect and analyse information on the diversity of people who sit on our committees and panels as well as those who are awarded NIHR funding. You can help by sharing your own equality information with us. After you have applied you will receive an email from our Equality and Diversity Recording System, asking you to complete an anonymous equality monitoring form. We monitor all applicants’ data carefully in line with our privacy policy.

If you would like any support with your application, please email us at nihrglobalhealth@nihr.ac.uk

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact:

for our Global Health RIGHT Funding Committee - Louise Kim at right@nihr.ac.uk
for our Global Research Professorships Committee and Global Health Research Training Programme Committee - Hollie Leonard at ghrtp@nihr.ac.uk
for our Global Health Research and Health Policy and Systems Research Committee - Linda Welch at nihrglobalhealth@nihr.ac.uk

Apply now

Closing date