About the HBNU Fogarty Global Health Training Program
About the HBNU Fogarty Global Health Training Program
Learn about the HBNU Fogarty Global Health Training Program, which provides early-career researchers with opportunities to engage in global health research through U.S. and international partnerships. Discover how the program builds research skills and promotes global health solutions.
The Global Health Program for Fellows and Scholars/Launching Future Leaders in Global Health Research Training Program (LAUNCH)
The HBNU Fogarty Global Health Training Program is one of seven consortia under the Launching Future Leaders in Global Health (LAUNCH) Research Training Program, which builds on the successes of the Fogarty Global Health Training Program (2017-2022).
The LAUNCH program aims to cultivate the next generation of global health scientists by supporting U.S. predoctoral and pre-professional trainees and postdoctoral and post-professional trainees from both the U.S. and LMICs. It emphasizes global collaboration between LMIC institutions and U.S. partners and promotes diversity by encouraging applications from individuals from underrepresented backgrounds and institutions.
Since 2004, these programs have trained over 1,300 researchers and led to more than 2,400 peer-reviewed publications. Supported by multiple NIH institutes and centers, the LAUNCH program currently includes the following consortia:
The HBNU Fogarty Global Health Training Program brings together a consortium that includes:
- Harvard University
- Boston University
- Northwestern University
- University of New Mexico
The Addressing the Research Capacity Gap in Global Child and Adolescent Health Disparities Utilizing Implementation and Data Sciences among Vulnerable Populations in Resource-limited Settings (ACHIEVE) Training Program brings together a consortium that includes:
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Boston College
- New York University
- University of Illinois Chicago
The Global Health Equity Scholars (GHES) Program brings together a consortium that includes:
- Yale University
- University of California at Berkeley
- Stanford University
- University of Arizona
The Integrated Networks of Scholars in Global Health Research Training (INSIGHT) Program brings together a consortium that includes:
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Maryland Baltimore
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Baylor University
The Northern Pacific Global Health Leadership, Education, and Development for Early-Career Researchers (NPGH LEADERs) Program brings together a consortium that includes:
- University of Washington
- University of Michigan
- University of Hawaii
- University of Indiana
- University of Minnesota
The UJMT Global Consortium: Building Research Capacity through Mentored Training (UJMT) Program brings together a consortium that includes:
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Johns Hopkins University
- Morehouse School of Medicine
- Tulane University
The University of California Global Health Institute Program for Fellows and Scholars (GLOCAL) Program brings together a consortium that includes:
- University of California San Francisco
- University of California Los Angeles
- University of California San Diego
- University of California Davis
- Candidates may only apply through one consortium and will only be considered by that consortium.
- Former trainees or alumni of any LAUNCH consortium are ineligible to apply to other consortia.
- U.S. applicants affiliated with a university that is part of one of these consortia must apply through their university’s consortium.
To learn more about the HBNU Partnership and the broader LAUNCH program, visit the Fogarty International Center.
HBNU Funding and
Co-Funding
The program is funded by Fogarty International Center (FIC) and other collaborating Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Funding typically allows for 15-20 fellows each year.
Each year, the HBNU consortium receives committed co-funding from NIMH and NIDDK to support projects that are strongly aligned with their priority research areas:
Other institutes that have provided co-funding to HBNU fellows in the past include:
- Office of the Director (OD)
- Office of AIDS Research (OAR)
- Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
- National Eye Institute (NEI)
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
- Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH)
Travel for U.S. Fellows
U.S. fellows are required to complete at least 11-months of training at their partner LMIC site, typically beginning on August 1. U.S. fellows may return home during the 11-12 month training at the LMIC, though multiple trips are not advised due to the rigor of program requirements.
In the event that a fellow needs to return to the U.S., a written request to the HBNU Administrative Team must be made prior to travel. Whenever leaving the site for any reason (including weekends, holidays, to visit family, etc.), fellows must inform their U.S. mentor, international/LMIC mentor, and the HBNU Administrative Team of their plans. The safety of trainees is our utmost concern and we need to know your location should any threats arise (weather, natural disaster, civil unrest, etc.). Leaving the training site without notifying the appropriate individuals is considered unacceptable behavior and could be grounds for dismissal.
The HBNU program is only able to cover one international round-trip flight to/from the LMIC site. Any travel expenses beyond one international round-trip flight, or outside of the LMIC site, is the responsibility of the fellow. Accommodations may be made in extenuating circumstances.
Short-Term Training in the U.S. for LMIC Fellows
The U.S.-based short-term training requirement for LMIC fellows is a key component of the HBNU Fogarty Global Health Research and Training Program. LMIC fellows are required to undertake short-term (1-3 months) training at their HBNU-affiliated U.S. partner institution with their U.S. mentor(s). Tailored for each LMIC fellow, the short-term training will introduce trainees to the U.S. host institution and facilitate the advancement of their research and professional development.
The purpose of the short-term training requirement is to allow all trainees the opportunity to broaden their global perspective on research and health by advancing their development of intercultural competence, appreciation of indigenous knowledge, acquisition of special skills, growth from alternative research practices, and networking with potential future collaborators.
A portion of the LMIC trainee stipend is allocated toward the U.S. short-term training visit (the specific amount is subject to change based on the overall LMIC stipend amount). Depending upon the specific U.S. partner institution, the trainee stipend will either be disbursed ahead of travel by the LMIC research site or held at Harvard University to be disbursed upon the trainee’s arrival in the U.S.
Trainee short-term U.S. training stipends should be used to cover living expenses such as food, housing, and basic transportation.
HBNU is responsible for covering the cost of health insurance while in the U.S. and the cost of roundtrip airfare (one roundtrip flight to/from the LMIC research site to the U.S. partner institution).
Based on trainees’ needs and local research infrastructure, activities may include hands-on training with cutting-edge technologies, participation in high-profile scientific conferences and/or workshops, or engagement in interdisciplinary collaboration. Other activities could include mentor lab meetings and corresponding departmental and divisional meetings, weekly global health conferences, research-in-progress seminars, medical and surgical Grand Rounds, or monthly seminars on topics related to their research area. Mentors should work with their trainee(s) to determine what activities will be most beneficial for their fellowship research and professional development goals.
Mentors should assist prospective candidates in the development of an acceptable short-term training plan. U.S. mentors should also work together with their department /university administrators to discuss the obligations of the host institution and pre-travel arrangements.
Pre-travel arrangements include reviewing visa guidelines (B-1 visa vs. J-1 visa; as it relates to the proposed training activities and relevant funding guidance), preparing the visa (the U.S. host institution must sponsor the visa – Harvard University is unable to sponsor visas for trainees who are visiting other universities), any English Language Proficiency requirements for visiting or international scholars, and any institutional health insurance requirements.
During the trainee’s visit, the host institution is also responsible for arranging office/desk space, a temporary ID, and building access, and should assist trainees in locating suitable housing/lodging (all as needed and based on the needs of the trainee/of the overall visit).
The initial plan included in the candidate’s application materials should be high-level and does not need to be highly detailed. If awarded, trainees and their mentoring teams will be required to submit a longer, more detailed training plan during the onboarding and orientation phase between July – August of the fellowship year. If the trainee or the proposed mentor has any concerns about being able to successfully fulfill this requirement (e.g., concerns about traveling for an extended period of time), please indicate any concerns or considerations in this initial plan.
HBNU Mentorship
Mentorship Approach
Rigorous mentorship is a pillar of the HBNU Fogarty Global Health Training Fellowship. Each fellow selects their own U.S.-based mentor from the HBNU consortium’s leading faculty selection, who have expertise in a wide range of cross-cutting research areas. Fellows also select an LMIC site-based mentor from the local institution, facilitating a balanced and supportive dual-mentorship experience.
Mentors provide guidance for fellows throughout the program, as well as ongoing support for subsequent career development.
Candidates must secure the support of at least one HBNU-affiliated U.S.-based mentor and one LMIC/site mentor who is based at the site where they will conduct the research project. However, we encourage candidates to form multi-mentor teams that best suit the needs of their research project. Candidates may, for instance, work with additional mentors who are not affiliated with our collaborating institutions.
Please review the lists of mentors and their specialty areas to find both a U.S.-based and an LMIC-based mentor.
Note that a candidate’s mentors do not need to be on our lists. As long as the mentors are affiliated with one of the four U.S. HBNU institutions (Harvard, BU, Northwestern, UNM) or with one of our 21 collaborating LMIC sites and are willing to mentor the fellow throughout the fellowship, then they can be approved and added to our mentor lists later on.
The program is unable to match prospective applicants with mentors. Candidates should reach out by email to mentors/faculty with whom they are interested in working with. Candidates should ensure that they provide as much detail as possible in their initial email to a prospective mentor, such as including their CV/Biosketch and an abstract of the project proposal.
If a candidate is having difficulty locating or contacting a potential mentor, then they should reach out to the HBNU Administrative Team for assistance. The program will do its best to connect candidates with a potential mentor, but mentor-mentee relationships are best made by the candidate, and it is at the discretion of the potential mentor to determine whether they are willing and able to provide mentorship for the fellowship year. We encourage candidates to seek out mentors whose research area and expertise best align with their project.
All fellows must communicate with their U.S. and LMIC mentors before submitting their application to develop and refine their research proposal and to secure letters of support from both mentors.
Information for Current and Prospective Mentors
If you are interested in becoming a mentor for the HBNU program or providing mentorship to a future HBNU fellow (e.g., you would like to be listed on our website and are open to being contacted by prospective candidates), please contact the HBNU Administrative Team to express your interest or with any questions.
U.S. and LMIC mentors are typically faculty at HBNU U.S. partner universities and collaborating LMIC sites. HBNU’s program mentors possess a breadth of expertise and are committed to the training and advancement of early-career researchers in global health. Proposed faculty mentors from HBNU’s collaborating U.S. and LMIC partners are reviewed by HBNU’s core multi-principal investigator Leadership Group and Site Directors for evidence of successful mentorship, such as involvement in training grants or leading doctoral and postdoctoral programs. HBNU mentors should be at an academic rank of Assistant Professor or higher.
Mentors from institutions outside of HBNU (U.S. or LMIC) may become affiliated on a case-by-case basis but may not serve as the sole U.S. or LMIC mentor on a fellow’s mentoring team – fellows are required to secure the support of at least one U.S. mentor (from Harvard, BU, Northwestern, or UNM) and one LMIC mentor from a collaborating institution (please review our list of collaborating LMIC sites). There are no requirements or restrictions on additional mentors.
The HBNU program does not match mentors to fellows. Interested applicants must identify and contact potential mentors with whom they are interested in working during the application process.
If trainees have an existing mentor at a partner institution, then they may request to continue working with that mentor for the fellowship.
During the application process, faculty mentors who agree to provide mentorship to a prospective candidate are expected to provide a letter of support (a required application material) and assist in the development and refinement of the candidate’s other application materials (e.g., the research proposal, mentorship plan, etc.). U.S. mentors are also expected to assist in the development of a high-level short-term U.S. training plan if they have agreed to mentor an LMIC candidate.
At the onset of the fellowship, each fellow works with their mentor to develop a Mentorship Compact, setting expectations, developing a plan for regular communication, and creating mentorship goals. Mentors also support fellows in developing their research plan, timeline, and overall capacity-building for high-quality research and scholarly publication. Mentors must agree to program-specific requirements during the fellowship year, including:
- Completing a Mentoring Compact, which lays out expectations for the mentoring relationship with their trainee.
- Assisting their trainee in developing a Fellowship Training Plan.
- Attending annual mentoring workshops, trainee progress evaluation meetings (up to four meetings), and committee meetings (as needed). Mentors will not be asked to attend more than one meeting per month (not including individual mentor-mentee meetings as outlined in the compact).
- Serve as the primary contact for technical assistance at the trainee’s HBNU partner institution and connect the trainee with the appropriate contacts for administrative assistance, as needed.
- Provide support to the trainee, as needed, to ensure a successful fellowship experience. U.S. mentors will work with their trainee to plan an enriching short-term U.S. training experience, as well as hosting the trainee at their U.S. institution.
Mentors are informally evaluated throughout the fellowship year based on regular progress reports from trainees and formally through pre-fellowship, mid-point, and post-fellowship surveys.
The HBNU program recognizes that research training is a purposeful activity that is the product of thoughtful analysis of the background, interests, and needs of each trainee. All trainees, with their mentors, will develop a Fellowship Training Plan. This should include research planning (determining timelines, roles, etc.) as well as an assessment of the trainee’s needs and goals. Additionally, the Training Plan will include a description of short- and long-term career objectives, and professional development activities needed to reach them.
The trainee and their mentoring team will complete a Mentoring Compact to formalize mutually agreed upon mentoring goals, frequency of contact, deliverable timelines, and resources. The Mentoring Compact is intended to help in the planning process and to facilitate communication between mentees and mentors. It is viewed as a dynamic document that should be periodically reviewed and updated throughout an individual’s training.
The HBNU program does not provide mentors with any stipend/salary during the fellowship year. However, the HBNU program does provide some financial support to our partner sites for supporting HBNU trainees during their fellowship. The exact amount of financial support is determined by the number of trainees being hosted by the site. The use of these funds is fully at the partner site’s discretion and can be used to support the effort of the mentors; offset the administrative responsibilities of staff who oversee the day-to-day work and progress of the trainee(s); or support infrastructure, development, and procurement, such as specialized space, laboratory supplies, and computer/internet access for the trainee(s).