Call for Applications

TDR’s Implementation Research Leadership Fellowship Programme for Public Health Impact 2026/2027

Deadline for applications: 30 January 2026 at 17:00 (CET)

Description

The Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, which supports TDR’s Postgraduate Training Scheme and Research Training Centres, invites qualified candidates to apply for the Implementation Research (IR) Leadership Fellowship Programme for Public Health Impact for the academic year 2026/2027.
This programme is funded by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), co-sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO). Only applicants from low- or middle-income countries (LMICs) in the WHO South-East Asia, Western Pacific or Eastern Mediterranean Regions are eligible.

The objectives of the fellowship programme are to:

develop professional and innovative leadership in IR;
enhance the capacity of public health institutions to generate new knowledge through dedicated IR and contribute to improved health outcomes; and
establish a collaborative network of LMIC-based leaders in IR that will contribute to health policy and practice at local, regional and global levels.

The programme focuses on strengthening IR skills to improve health outcomes while addressing four global health challenges affecting diseases of poverty as identified in the TDR Strategy 2024-2026: control and elimination of infectious diseases of poverty, resistance to treatment and control agents, epidemics and outbreaks, and climate change’s impact on health.

As part of this programme, fellows will be able to lead the design of large-scale IR interventions, drive knowledge transfer and contribute to policy making.

A limited number of fellowships will be offered for the year 2026/2027 at the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, UGM. The programme will be conducted in-person, in English, and will provide a comprehensive leadership training package in IR, knowledge translation, and leadership.

The fellowship will be offered to two target groups:

individuals pursuing careers in academia and in implementation research and
public health practitioners with managerial position.

Therefore, there will be two streams of fellows: those pursuing leadership roles in research and academia, and those focusing on public health programme leadership. The duration of the fellowship for both streams will be 6 months, starting in May 2026. Both streams will have opportunities to work together and in parallel, developing IR leadership skills related to stakeholder engagement, collaboration, and complex IR challenges in real-life settings.

Eligibility

Mandatory requirements:

Residency and nationality: Applicants must be residents and nationals of a low- or middle-income country in the WHO South-East Asian, Western Pacific or Eastern Mediterranean Regions.
Age: Applicants must be under 40 years old at the time of application.
Career Interest: Be interested in developing an academic or public health leadership career in IR focusing on areas such as the impact of climate change on health, antimicrobial resistance, control and elimination of infectious diseases of poverty, and epidemics and outbreaks, using a One Health approach.
Employment: Applicants must be employed at a university, research institution, Ministry of Health (MoH), public health institution with a registered legal entity in a LMIC. The institution should be conducting research or implementing projects in areas such as the impact of climate change on health, antimicrobial resistance, the control or elimination of infectious diseases of poverty, and epidemics and outbreaks.
IR proposal
For the academics and researchers stream
Applicants must submit a proposal for planning and conducting an IR project at their home institution. A home mentor must be identified to collaborate with the fellow and the host supervisor/mentor during the fellowship.
For the public health practitioner’s stream
Applicants must submit a proposal on how to integrate IR into the related health programme.
English proficiency

Academics/researchers stream	Public health practitioners stream
Be proficient in English, as demonstrated by achieving a minimum score of 500 on the official TOEFL paper-based test or an equivalent score on the IELTS Academic.	Be proficient in English, as demonstrated by achieving a minimum score of 450 on the official TOEFL paper-based test or an equivalent score on the IELTS Academic.

Study leave: Applicants must provide evidence of the ability to obtain study leave from their current employment, proven by a letter of statement from their current employer.
Health requirements: Applicants must consent to meet the health requirements set by the host country’s regulations.

Equity

TDR is committed to promoting equality, equity, diversity and inclusivity in science. Researchers are encouraged to apply regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural and social background or (dis)ability status.

The Fellowship Package

The Fellowship covers:

Return economy airfare between the fellow’s home country and Yogyakarta,
Indonesia.
Basic medical and accident insurance.
Support for IR project expenses, including travel and sustenance during data collection in the home country.
Indonesian language course to facilitate integration into the university environment.
Monthly stipend to cover living expenses, equivalent to the local cost of living in Indonesia.
Travel and accommodation for specific training, international exposure, conferences and networking.

Examples of planned activities include:

Contributing to the design and leadership of a large-scale IR project, focusing on IR in areas such as the impact of climate change on health, antimicrobial resistance, control or elimination of infectious diseases of poverty, and epidemics and outbreaks. This includes engaging in collaborative fundraising for the project.
Participating in leadership development opportunities, including workshops and seminars, to build essential leadership skills for advancing IR and influencing public health practice.
For the academics and researchers’ stream: Participating in and delivering courses offered by the Master in Public Health (MPH) or PhD program at UGM, engaging in IR- related activities, publishing a peer-reviewed paper on IR, and preparing a project
For the public health practitioners stream: Drafting policy briefs, participating in policy design, participating in dissemination activities, attending conferences, and advocating for relevant issues.

How to Apply

To apply for the TDR IR Leadership Programme, you must:

Submit a concise motivation letter for the IR Leadership Programme (one page).
For the academics and researchers stream, provide an IR proposal (maximum of 5 pages, including references).
For the public health practitioners stream, provide a proposal on how to integrate IR into the related health programme (maximum of 3 pages, including references).
Identify a mentor who will collaborate with you and UGM during the fellowship (name only).
Include a curriculum vitae (CV) with a list of peer-reviewed
Provide two letters reference

Calendar for Application

The application timeline is outlined below:

Call for applications	17 December 2025
Deadline for applications	30 January 2026
Announcement of selection result	30 March 2026

Please note that:

This programme requires 100% on-site participation from May 31 to October
Only complete applications will be considered for further
Selected applicants will receive a letter of offer from the University and must confirm acceptance within 3 calendar days of notification.
The Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing at UGM reserves the right to refuse or withdraw the scholarship if any provided information is found to be false.