Global Health Emerging Scholars Program

The Global Health Emerging Scholars (GHES) program is a 12-month mentored global health research training fellowship at select institutions in low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC). The GHES program was established in 2012 and is comprised of four US partner institutions – Yale University, the University of California at Berkeley, Stanford University, and the University of Arizona – that together have collaborations across LMICs representing Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania.

The program is designed for pre- and post-doctoral trainees from the U.S. and post-doctoral trainees from collaborating LMICs who are dedicated to pursuing a career in global health and want to gain a solid scientific research foundation in a collaborative environment to develop into productive, independent researchers in global health. GHES offers hand-on opportunities to conduct research projects relevant to the health priorities of stakeholders and partners at established medical and research institutions and project sites in collaborating LMICs while being mentored by dedicated experts.

GHES is one of seven consortia funded by the Launching Future Leaders in Global Health (LAUNCH) training initiative. The program is sponsored by the Fogarty International Center (FIC) and several collaborating Institutes and Centers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The mission of the GHES program is to train new communities of researchers, educators, and professionals who are prepared to address emerging global health challenges. The program has historically focused on health challenges that arise from rapid urbanization and poverty prevalent in the world’s growing informal settlements, commonly known as slums. Rather than address one disease at a time, our program uses a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and integrated approach to training and research to tackle the complex health issues common in these settings. We encourage research on the challenges of delivering accessible and high-quality healthcare within resource-limited settings and research on interventions that promote the effective management of scarce resources and innovative solutions to improving health services. Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, HIV/STIs and other infectious diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, intentional and unintentional injuries, trauma, and mental health are additional areas of research supported under this program.

GHES LMIC research training institutions are part of a collaborative network of U.S. and LMIC partners with longstanding relationships built through joint research, grant funding, and mentorship. These partnerships support a robust training environment in which faculty from both U.S. consortium institutions and LMIC sites work together to mentor GHES fellows and contribute to ongoing research programs. The participating LMIC institutions maintain active federally supported research portfolios and demonstrate strong capacity in faculty mentorship, research oversight, and ethical review. Top-tier faculty and internationally recognized global health leaders from both U.S. and LMIC institutions provide mentorship to fellows, supporting their scientific and career development as global health researchers.

GHES offers a structured training curriculum that complements mentored research and prepares fellows to address complex global health challenges. The curriculum includes core areas in Innovation Design, Rigor and Reproducibility, Leadership, and Data Science/AI, equipping fellows with the skills needed to translate research into impact, conduct high-quality science, and lead multidisciplinary teams.

Through Innovation Design, fellows learn to develop practical, scalable solutions in real-world settings. Training in Rigor and Reproducibility emphasizes strong study design, data integrity, and ethical research practices. The Leadership component builds skills in communication, collaboration, and team science, while Data Science/AI introduces fellows to analytical tools and methods that support data-driven global health research.

GHES also includes a Mentoring-the-Mentor initiative for alumni, strengthening mentorship capacity and supporting fellows as they transition into leadership roles.

Together, this curriculum enhances the GHES training model by integrating technical, leadership, and translational skills to support the next generation of global health researchers.

GHES trains the next generation of global health leaders by embedding fellows in long-term, collaborative research partnerships that address pressing health challenges around the world. GHES trainees and alumni form global connections and join strong research networks that set them up for future success. Since 2012, GHES has trained 224 fellows[EC1] (115 US and 109 LMIC) across countries, with nearly half of all fellowships based in Africa and a strong presence in Asia and Latin America—reflecting our commitment to equitable, globally distributed training.

About 48% of the fellowships have been carried out in Africa, 35% in Asia, 17% in Latin America, and 2% in Eastern Europe. Of the US fellowships, 20% have been among under-represented minorities in the sciences.

GHES alumni go on to lead impactful careers in research, policy, and practice. Many have secured competitive grant funding, advanced to independent investigator roles, and taken on leadership positions in academia, government, and global health organizations. Importantly, GHES fosters a sustainable mentorship pipeline: alumni return as mentors, strengthening research capacity and supporting the next generation of trainees in both U.S. and LMIC settings. GHES has been a launching pad for many alumni who have secured grant funding and pursued becoming an independent investigator. Alumni interested in teaching, mentorship, and capacity building have become GHES mentors.