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2019 Gilead Fellowship for the Advancement of Global Public Health

Applications now closed.

The UC Berkeley School of Public Health (SPH) is excited to announce the launch of the Gilead Fellowship for the Advancement of Global Public Health. This new fellowship award supports international students from low and middle income countries who would like to pursue a Masters of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology or Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology. This exciting new capacity-building program will provide support to five international Fellows from developing countries as they complete an 18-month Masters in Public Health (MPH) degree with a concentration in Global Health. Gilead Fellows will focus on critical areas of global health including infectious diseases, vaccinology, and epidemiology as they relate to challenges faced by their home countries as well as worldwide. These awards are made possible thanks to the generous support of Gilead Sciences, Inc, which strives to transform and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. The program will be overseen by the UC Berkeley Center for Global Public Health (CGPH) based at SPH. The multi-faceted mission of CGPH includes the development of global health education and training initiatives for the UC Berkeley campus and beyond.

Fellowship Details
In 2019, we will be offering five Gilead Fellowships. Fellows will be selected via a competitive evaluation process for an 18-month MPH program to start in January 2019.
• The fellows will conduct 6-8 months of online coursework from their home country from January through July 2019. This may be done in conjunction with part-time or full-time work.
• The online portion will be followed by one academic year of in-residence/on-campus courses in Berkeley, California from August through May 2020.
• Fellows will participate in a global health centered internship in the Bay Area the summer after their second year of study from May 2020 through July 2020.

I. Online MPH program component (January 2019 - July 2019)
Gilead Fellows will choose between two specific areas of study: Epidemiology or Infectious Diseases & Vaccinology, complimented by a Specialty in Global Health 1 . During their online study, Fellows will participate in the School’s top ranked Online MPH program from their home country, completing the majority of required breadth coursework in research methods, biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, and foundations of global public health, to name a few. Each Fellow will be assigned a Faculty Advisor from their respective area of study who will serve as a mentor during the 18-month program. Fellows will meet regularly with their advisor via Skype, and participate in peer learning opportunities and group projects with the other members of their cohort via Zoom video conference throughout the year.
II. On-campus MPH program component (August 2019-May 2020)
Gilead Fellows will be brought to Berkeley campus to complete the MPH course work in person and to participate in specialized activities for Gilead Fellows such individualized mentoring from their faculty advisor, special field visits to Bay Area global health organizations, and other global health community events. Fellows will also have the opportunity to shift their attention to their unique professional interests and enroll in a full complement of elective courses, which can be chosen from SPH as well as across the Berkeley campus. Potential options include graduate classes in Haas Business School, the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, Public Policy, and more.
III. Summer Internship (May 2020 through July 2020)
Gilead Fellows will complete a full-time summer internship at an organization, depending on their interests. Field placement sites could include biotech companies such as Aduro Biotech, research-based biopharmaceutical companies such as Gilead Sciences, healthcare providers such as Kaiser Permanente, and governmental organizations such as the Alameda County Department of Public Health. Bringing their own data sets, Fellows could also work alongside faculty to address the myriad health challenges their countries are facing today, from epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, to other infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B and C.

What The Award Covers
• Online and on campus (out-of-state) tuition and fees at UC Berkeley SPH: $63,000 (up to)
• Roundtrip Airfare and visa fees: $1,500 (up to)
• Monthly stipend for rent and living expenses in Berkeley during Fall/Spring semesters: $3,000/ month (10 months)

Eligibility
• Citizen of World Bank designated LMIC
• Bachelor’s degree in health related field
• Relevant work experience
• Fluency in English
• Commitment to pursuing a career in infectious disease-related public health
• Desire to return to home country in order to improve public health within that country

Important note: Fellows will be required to sign a contract outlining their commitment to
complete the program and return back to their home country at the end of the Fellowship.

Application Requirements

I. Application to online MPH program
To apply, fellowship applicants should follow admissions procedures for the SPH Online MPH program. Instructions on how to apply can be found here: https://onlinemph.berkeley.edu/how-to-apply/. The deadline to apply is October 1, 2018. Fellows will be notified by December 1, 2019. Please be sure to address explicitly why you are pursuing the Gilead Fellowship in your personal statement, and have your recommenders describe why you should get the Fellowship. Required materials include: 

TOEFL (see below)

GRE – required on a case-by-case basis. Most generally it will be required. (see below)

• Statement of Purpose

• Personal History Statement
• Transcripts
• Three letters of Recommendation
• Application Fee $105-125 (not covered by the Fellowship)

II. Evidence of English Language Proficiency (TOEFL) and GRE

• TOEFL is required of applicants with basic degrees from countries in which the official language is not English. The program usually requires a minimum 90 for the Internet-based test (IBT) or 570 for the paper-based format test (PBT).
• You must submit your valid, unexpired GRE scores through ETS using code #4833 on or before the application deadline. Exemptions may apply. Please reach out to online.mph@berkeley.edu if you feel that you meet ​one or more of the following criteria:
• You have completed an MD, PhD, or equivalent doctoral-level degree from a United States accredited institution by the time you apply. Equivalent doctoral-level degrees are defined as: chiropractic, dentistry, education (EdD), medicine, optometry, osteopathy, podiatry, pharmacy, and veterinary. (Note: If your degree is from a non- US institution, please email oomphadmit@berkeley.edu for additional information about your degree for review and approval of your exemption.)
• You are currently enrolled in, or have completed, a degree in medical, dental, optometry, business, or law school. Please submit your MCAT, DAT, OAT, GMAT, or LSAT scores, respectively, in lieu of the GRE exam. (Note: If you are currently enrolled in a clinically based professional degree program (e.g., MD, DO, DMD, DVM, OD, PharmD), you must complete your degree requirements before the application deadline of the semester to which you are applying.)
• You have completed a MBBS degree and have passed Steps 1 and 2 of the USMLE OR you have an ECFMG Certification. In order to be eligible for the GRE waiver, copies of both official USMLE scores or the ECFMG Certification must be uploaded with your application.
• At this time, all other professional school exams will not be eligible as alternatives to the GRE exam.

Note: GRE scores are valid for five years from the year in which you took the exam (July 1–July 30).

III. Cover Letter

In addition, a detailed cover letter should be submitted to cgph@berkeley.edu. In this 1-page cover letter (500 words or less) please describe why you want to be a Gilead Fellow. Outline your research interests, ambitions in public health, and what you hope to learn from this experience. Please describe how you envision the Fellowship improving health in your country. You may mention Faculty Advisors of interest at UC Berkeley and why their research interests you. Indicate if you are pursuing the Epidemiology or Infectious Disease/Vaccinology track of the Fellowship and confirm that you will definitely be able to begin studies January 2019.

Questions
• For questions for prospective students regarding applying to the program, including GRE and TOEFL requirements, please email oomphadmit@berkeley.edu.
• If you have already started your application, or have submitted an application, please email oomphadmit@berkeley.edu.
• For general inquiries about the Gilead Fellowship for the Advancement of Global Public Health program, please email cgph@berkeley.edu.

 

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