Global Health Scholars Training Grant (Fall Application Cycle)

The Global Health Scholars Training Grant provides an opportunity for eligible students and scholars to work on a critical global health issue in a low resource setting or impacting underserved communities. Successful applicants receive the award to support global health research linked to Brown University faculty scholarly projects. We encourage applicants who are underrepresented in medicine to apply.

Funding Structure

Stand-alone research seed grant to cover research and travel. Awards are made for up to $3,500 (remote projects) or $5,000 (projects at international sites). Applicants send detailed budgets.

Eligibility

An applicant must:

1. Be a 2nd-4th year medical students, graduate students, residents, and clinical and non-clinical post-doctoral fellows in any BioMed Department or Brown Affiliated Hospital. (Please note: The Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown is composed of The Warren Alpert Medical School, the Program in Biology, and affiliated teaching hospitals. The School of Public Health is not considered a part of BioMed.)
2. Have a demonstrated interest and/or have engaged in activities related to global health.
3. Have taken or propose to take academic courses in preparation for global health work.
4. Have a proposed plan for global health work with a scholarly activity related to research, service, or advocacy.
5. Describe the Brown University faculty mentoring available for the proposed global health activity, and provide a required letter of support from the mentor. Applications should also include a letter of support from a collaborating research institution advisor based at the partner site or institution.
6. Have a plan in place to submit for IRB approval (if required). The faculty mentor must include a statement in their letter acknowledging the IRB plan
7. Be returning to campus the academic year following the completion of the project.

NOTE: Previous recipients of the Global Health Scholars Training Grants (formerly the Framework in Global Health Scholarship) are not eligible to apply for a repeat award.  The Global Health Scholars Training Grants is not available to applicants who plan to graduate and leave Brown at the end of the spring semester. 

Application

Please complete the online application, including all required documents, by Sunday, November 9, 2025. Applications will be reviewed by the Global Health Advisory Committee using this rubric.

A complete application must include the following:

• Project Proposal (5 pages maximum) including the following sections: title, location, name of foreign institution, dates of study period, objective and specific aims, background and significance, methods, data collection procedures, plan for data analysis, plan for dissemination, plan for IRB, bibliography
• Detailed Budget and Explanation
• Applicant CV or resume
• Letter of Support from Brown Faculty Mentor*:  Faculty advisors should briefly describe their role in mentoring the applicant and supporting the successful execution of the project. Faculty letters should also include how advisors plan to help the applicant integrate principles of equity, ethical engagement, and bidirectional collaboration throughout project design, implementation, and dissemination.
• Letter of Support from collaborating research institution Advisor*: This letter should come from a collaborator based at the partner site or research institution where the project will take place. It should reflect a shared understanding of the project goals and highlight how the work aligns with local priorities. Where appropriate, it can also describe the nature of the collaboration, expectations for mutual benefit, and local engagement in project planning or oversight.
• IRB Approval Letter (if applicable): Include IRB plan in Project Proposal.

* If an IRB is required, faculty mentors and advisors must acknowledge the IRB plan in their letters. Letters of support from advisors can be emailed directly to the Program Specialist, Laura Pleasants (laura_pleasants@brown.edu). 

IRB Approval 

Does my project need IRB review?

If your project involves human subjects (this includes data collection from living individuals through interaction or intervention, or data collection of identifiable, private information through secondary data analysis), Institutional Review Board (IRB) will be required. You must provide documentation that verifies approval by the respective IRB of the institution where the research will be carried out and/or Brown University. If this is not available at the time of application, you should describe your timeline for obtaining IRB approval in your proposal.

Requirements for funded projects 

Individuals who receive a Global Health Scholars Training Grant must:

1. Register with TravelSafe before travel begins. Brown University requires all students, faculty, and affiliates traveling on Brown-sponsored funds to register their international travel.
2. Participate in Global Health Research Day: Recipients agree to produce a quality scholarly product and to participate in a poster presentation at Global Health Research Day, held in April every year. Though data analysis may not be complete at the time of the poster session, the purpose of the event is to showcase your research-in-progress to your fellow awardees, faculty mentors, and interested members of the Brown community.
3. Complete pre-travel orientation: CGHE requires that all scholars complete a virtual asynchronous Global Health Research Experience training (including articles, videos, and a quiz) before the proposed research begins.

For more information and questions, please contact CGHE Program Specialist, Laura Pleasants (laura_pleasants@brown.edu).