Global One Health Fellows

Diverse perspectives stemming from natural and social sciences, humanities, engineering, natural resources, textiles, education, design, and management are critical in addressing global One Health challenges. As such, students spanning all of NC State’s colleges and programs are encouraged to apply. The Global One Health Fellows program will support highly interdisciplinary cohorts that bring together diverse perspectives and approaches, learn best practices in cross-cutting communication and team science, and apply this interdisciplinarity for the benefit of their research.

To be eligible for the Global One Health Fellows program, applicants must be current or incoming graduate students at NC State. Incoming students must be already accepted to attend NC State or, if not formally accepted yet, have a PI who is committed to serving as their research advisor, pending their acceptance to NC State. We cannot assist with matching incoming students with PIs. Ideal applicants will be early in their academic career (1st or 2nd year), but later-career graduate students are welcome to apply if they have at least one year remaining prior to completion of their degree.

All applicants must have One Health-related research (i.e., at the intersection of human, animal, plant, and/or environmental health) that aligns with one or more of the following Global One Health Academy thematic areas: food and water solutions, infectious diseases, and/or climate and global change.

Global One Health Fellows will participate in the following activities: 

• 2-credit hour One Health: From Philosophy to Practice course in Fall 2025 (a one-of-its-kind interinstitutional course collaboratively led by NC State, UNC, and Duke and hosted at the NC Biotech Center in RTP)
• 1-credit hour Global One Health seminar course in Fall 2025
• Monthly professional development meetings
• Global One Health Academy Research Symposium in Spring 2026
• Fall and spring mixers for Fellows and their advisors

Opportunities to identify and work with interdisciplinary faculty co-mentors will be provided and strongly encouraged.

The application consists of four parts. Applications exceeding the page limit for any component will be returned without review.

1. Research Statement. The Research Statement must consist of the following sections. There are not specific length requirements for each section, but the Research Statement overall should not exceed 2 pages total (12 pt font), excluding references.
   1. Describe your current or intended research. The hypothesis and/or research objectives should be clearly stated, along with the methods for addressing the hypothesis/objectives. This section should provide enough detail that an expert in the field can assess the research plan, but should be accessible so that non-experts can understand the general plan and its significance.
   2. Explain how your research aligns with the One Health framework. This section should clearly demonstrate that the planned work is at the intersection of human, animal, plant, and/or environmental health (i.e., the research must move beyond focusing solely on a singular component of health and explicitly address the interconnectedness of these health systems). Please also note how the research aligns with one or more of the following GOHA thematic areas: food and water solutions, infectious diseases, and/or climate and global change.

2. Personal Statement. Describe how the scientific and professional development opportunities offered to the Global One Health Fellows will complement your current research program and contribute to your career goals. This may be discussed in terms of what you will gain from the program, and what unique perspectives you will contribute to the interdisciplinary cohort. Specific ways that you anticipate this training will impact your research (e.g., new/broader research directions) are encouraged. Limit 1 page total (12 pt font).
3. Curriculum Vitae (CV). No page limit.
4. Letter of recommendation. Your advisor should submit a letter of recommendation that speaks to your suitability for the Global One Health Fellows program and their support for you to fulfill the program requirements. To be submitted separately, directly from your advisor.
   1. If you are a student who is co-advised, please either select one of your advisors to submit the letter or have both advisors submit a joint recommendation letter. Only one letter of recommendation should be received; if more than one is submitted, the first letter received will be the one used as part of your application packet.
   2. If you are an incoming student, you may have a previous mentor (e.g., teacher, employer, research advisor) write a letter of recommendation speaking to your skills and suitability for the program. The mentor writing your recommendation letter does not need to be affiliated with NC State. However, this letter should be submitted by your new/future advisor at NC State; they must be the one to fill out the Google Form where the letter of recommendation is uploaded, as this indicates their support for you participating in this program.

Applicants will be assessed based on the strength of their current or proposed research, its alignment with Global One Health Academy priorities, and a holistic view of the applicant’s existing skills and their potential to contribute to and benefit from the Global One Health Fellows program. Applications will be reviewed by faculty members from broad disciplinary backgrounds, so should be written in a way that the content is accessible and compelling to an interdisciplinary group with expertise spanning the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Application packets should be submitted here, and advisor recommendations should be submitted here. All application materials must be received by 11:59pm on the deadline of Sunday, January 26th, 2025. Decisions are anticipated by mid-March, with selected applicants beginning their 1-year term as Global One Health Fellows in August 2025.