The GBD Fellowship is a cohort-based postdoctoral training program run by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. Fellows join the Global Burden of Disease study, the worldwide effort to measure health loss and its causes.
They start with a 4–6-week Boot Camp, rotate across IHME teams, help produce GBD estimates and co-author papers. The first cohort began in September 2026; this call recruits the second, starting September 2027.
Benefits & funding
- Salary of US$105,000 in year one, US$108,156 in year two and US$112,488 in a third year.
- Two-year appointment, renewed annually on performance and available funding, with a possible third-year extension.
- UW postdoc benefits: medical, dental and vision cover, paid holidays, leave, retirement plans and tuition exemption.
- The University of Washington sponsors the visa.
Eligibility
- Open to all nationalities; fellows must be able to obtain a US visa and be on site by the first day.
- A PhD, MD, DPhil or foreign equivalent; doctoral students may apply if they finish before September 2027.
- No more than five years past the most recent degree, and no more than three years of prior postdoctoral work, both as of the start date.
- A quantitative degree, research experience in data analysis and statistics, and strong R or Python skills.
- Working familiarity with GBD concepts (DALYs, YLLs, YLDs, uncertainty intervals) is expected.
- Full-time in Seattle; no other enrolment or position at the same time.
Application process
- 1Apply on Interfolio by 21 December 2026, 11:59 PM US Eastern Time; review is rolling.
- 2Submit a CV and four short essays: your research (300 words), your contribution to GBD (200), production work (200) and why this fellowship now (250).
- 3Name three referees; no letters are needed now, and referees are contacted only if you reach interviews.
- 4Shortlisted applicants have phone and virtual interviews, then an in-person final round.
Program timeline
Application deadline (11:59 PM ET)
21 December 2026
Phone and virtual interviews
Winter 2027
In-person final interviews
Early spring 2027
Decisions
Spring 2027
Fellowship starts in Seattle
September 2027