Calestous Juma Science Leadership Fellowship

The COVID-19 pandemic is a turning point for global health. It has emphasized how fragile progress can be, exposed major gaps in the global health system, and highlighted opportunities to change how we work to get better results, faster.

In order to restore progress, fill those gaps, and seize those opportunities, the world needs even more strong science leadership in communities around the world. For this program, we believe "leadership" is demonstrated by scientists who have not only the expertise to do transformative science on the ground but also the experience, networks, and skills to anchor health and development R&D in their communities, design or co-design projects with local and global partners, and mobilize key institutions in their countries. To help meet this need, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) is launching the Calestous Juma Fellowship program for scientists permanently located at an African research organization.

The fellowship is designed around a holistic view of leadership, so, in addition to five years of funding, the program will provide networking opportunities and access to trainings in critical non-scientific skills. Rather than focusing on a specific discipline or problem set, our hope is to establish a cohort of fellows with a wide range of expertise and interests so they can complement and support each other as a collaborative community of practice.

NOTE: This opportunity was open to an invited set of African investigators.