Funding

Salary · Self Funded

Fellowship•Belgium · Brussels · Hybrid

Tobacco Free Future Fellowship

The School for Moral Ambition

Application Deadline

Closed · April 27, 2026

Reopens ~Apr 2027

Official Page

The Tobacco Free Future Fellowship moves experienced professionals into Europe’s tobacco control movement. It is run by The School for Moral Ambition, which helps people redirect established careers toward large and solvable problems.

Six fellows train together for one month, then spend six months working inside a leading tobacco control organisation in Europe. Host organisations named for the program include CEPS, Smoke Free Partnership, ENSP, the European Respiratory Society, WHO, Vital Strategies, Economics for Health, Impact Unfiltered, GATC and the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at Johns Hopkins.

The cohort works as one project team anchored on the European Union’s review of the Tobacco Products Directive. The program describes the work as countering industry disinformation, strengthening regulation and changing the public narrative.

Benefits & funding

  • Seven months in total: one month of training in September 2026, then a six-month placement from October 2026 to March 2027.
  • A monthly stipend of €4,000 for fellows based in Belgium, adjusted for cost of living in other locations.
  • Practical support with relocation where needed. EU fellows who travel to Brussels instead of relocating can claim travel and accommodation costs up to €1,000 per month.
  • A training month covering impact thinking, policy skills, industry tactics, regulatory frameworks and advocacy strategy, including a training week in the Netherlands and Brussels.
  • Regular cohort sessions throughout the placement, plus career support afterwards. The program reports that 80% of its first cohort stayed in the field. There is no job guarantee.
  • The part-time associate route of one day per week is self-funded and carries no stipend.

Eligibility

  • At least five years of experience in a relevant field. Non-linear careers are welcome and selection is based on skills rather than credentials.
  • Eligibility to work in the EU. The FAQ states that EU or EEA citizenship and/or permanent residence is required, and UK residents and citizens are eligible for this fellowship.
  • English at C1 level or above.
  • No tobacco or public health background is required. The program is built for career transitions and looks for transferable skills.
  • Backgrounds in demand include law, strategic communications, marketing, policy, health or fiscal economics, and strategy consulting. Legal expertise is singled out as especially needed.
  • The program is particularly recruiting professionals based in or connected to Germany, Poland, Romania, France, Lithuania, Greece and Italy. This is a stated preference, not a requirement.
  • No maximum age and no gender restriction are stated.
  • The associate route is for people already working at an organisation with a stake in tobacco control or public health, including health insurers and government health agencies.
  • Anyone who applies to the US Food System Reform Fellowship cannot also apply to this fellowship.

Can you apply?

Here's who can apply

Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.

  • Residence required

    Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece

    + 19 more

    Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · UK

  • Experience required

    ≥ 5 yrs

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Application process

  1. 1
    Submit the online application, which takes about 1.5 hours. The full-time round ran from 27 March to 27 April 2026; the associate route stayed open until 30 June 2026.
  2. 2
    Complete a short recorded video interview through Hireflix, scheduled 5 to 11 May 2026.
  3. 3
    Complete a written test task relevant to the fellowship, scheduled 19 to 26 May 2026.
  4. 4
    Interview with the fellowship program team, scheduled 2 to 11 June 2026.
  5. 5
    Go through host organisation matching, scheduled 17 to 26 June 2026.
  6. 6
    Receive the final decision between 26 June and 1 July 2026.

Program timeline

  1. Applications open.

    27 March 2026

  2. Full-time application deadline.

    27 April 2026

  3. Recorded video interviews.

    5 to 11 May 2026

  4. Written assignment.

    19 to 26 May 2026

  5. Personal interviews.

    2 to 11 June 2026

  6. Host organisation matching.

    17 to 26 June 2026

  7. 26 June 2026

    Decisions begin, running to 1 July 2026.

  8. Associate route application deadline.

    30 June 2026

  9. Training month, including the training week in the Netherlands and Brussels.

    September 2026

  10. Six-month placements begin.

    October 2026

  11. Placements end.

    March 2027

  12. Career support phase after the placement.

    April 2027

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