Call for Applications EV4GH 2024 open!

What is the Emerging Voices for Global Health training program?

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.

The EV4GH 2024 venture aims to expand the global network with new Emerging Voices from across the world, specifically, underrepresented countries and regions. EV2024 is supported by the Emerging Voices Governance Board, partner institutions, and the new EV secretariat hosted at BRAC James P grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 

What is the EV4GH 2024 training program?

EV2024 venture 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 8th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research to be held in Nagasaki, Japan, in November 2024. It uses innovative training methods and activities to enable emerging health systems and policy researchers, practitioners, actors and change agents to present their work effectively and engage on various global health platforms and networks. In addition, the global EV alumni and facilitator network provides opportunities for 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.

What is the EV4GH training?

For both tracks, the full EV4GH 2024 venture consists of:

1. August-October 2024: E-coaching and distance learning phase
2. 5 - 14 November 2024: Face-to-face training in Nagasaki, Japan. This will include scientific presentations, networking and communication skills, content training, and field visit to local health system facilities in Nagasaki
3. 15 November 2024: Emerging researchers and other changemakers’ pre-conference (/TWG event)
4. 18 -22 November 2024: Participation in the 8th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Nagasaki, Japan
5. 23 November 2024: Wrap-up session focusing on emerging beyond Nagasaki, Japan
6. Beyond 23 November 2024: Participation in the EV4GH network (and other HSG thematic working groups) with other emerging researchers, professionals, peers, senior researchers, policymakers, 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?
EV2024 applicants can apply for two tracks - Track 1) Researchers involved in health policy and systems research (researchers track), and Track 2) Health professionals, activists, policymakers, knowledge brokers, health journalists, and other health system actors (other health system actors track). All applicants must have been born on or after 1 st January 1984.

Track 1: Researchers’ track
This track aims to attract applications from emerging researchers involved in health policy and systems research. Applicants must submit an abstract for the 8th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Nagasaki, Japan and have at least two of the following:

• A Master’s degree in health or a health-related field
• Be enrolled in a doctoral-level program in health or a health-related field
• Have at least two years of work or research experience in public health or development
• Experience and/or knowledge from working in low and middle-income countries

Track 2: Other health system actors track
This track aims at other emerging health professionals, activists, policymakers, knowledge brokers, health journalists, and other health systems actors. Applicants must fulfil one of the following:

• Be involved in a decision-making, implementation or practitioner role within health services or a health system in a low- or middle-income country
• Be a passionate voice for strengthening health systems within their local/national health systems as an activist, health journalist, or patient advocate or otherwise be involved in advancing health equity and social justice in their setting

Tracks 1 & 2:

• The EV4GH venture is in English. Participants thus need to have a reasonable command of the English language (written and spoken) to participate. All documents needed for the application should be in English (and/or have English translation (see below)).
• For both tracks, special consideration will be given to those who explicitly include the planetary and political dimension of health systems and services in their work and challenge power in whatever form, based on good evidence.
• Focus will be on applicants from the Global South, but candidates from the Global North can apply as well, if they have some relevant (long-term) experience in the Global South, and/or are currently working on health policy and systems research issues in the Global South. Please see the Scholarship details at the end of the call.
• Accepted participants should be able to participate in the training program in full. This includes participation and presence in both the distance e-learning phase and the face-to-face phase in-person in Japan from 5 – 23 November 2024. Applicants who cannot participate in full and can undertake only part of the program will not be eligible to participate in the program.
• Considering the location of the EV2024 venture in Nagasaki, Japan, we look forward to the application of participants from within the region.

Deadline for submission: 20 February 2024 (5 pm Bangladesh Standard time (GMT+6)/11 am GMT/ 6 am EST/EDT/12 pm CET) at the latest. If you have any queries/ questions, please contact the EV4GH Secretariat at [email protected].

For more information, consult the Call 2024 here attached or download the Call in different languages here 

The ITM Alumni Network promotes alumni participation to the EV4GH 2024 venture through travel grants. We strongly incite all ITM alumni eligible under tracks 1 & 2 to submit an abstract. The decision to award a travel grant will be made by the scientific committee based on the quality, originality and relevance of the submitted abstract. Travel grants will only be awarded to alumni being a resident and national of a country on the most recent version of the OECD/DAC list of ODA recipients.