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Call for Experts | UHPR Advisory Group

WHO Open Calls | WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE)

Date

2021-09-10

Brief description

CALL FOR EXPERTS - WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE)

Issued on: 07 July 2021
Deadline: 10 September 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE). This “Call for experts” provides information about the advisory group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection. Through this current effort, WHO is seeking to fill an opening on the advisory group as of January 2022, but also aims to develop a roster of candidates for future openings, with a view to ensuring a more rapid and efficient recruitment and onboarding process, as the need arises.

BACKGROUND

SAGE is the principal advisory group to WHO for vaccines and immunization. SAGE reports to the Director-General of WHO and advises on global policies and strategies, ranging from vaccines and technologies, research and development, to vaccination recommendations and delivery of immunization, its linkages with other health interventions and integration into health systems. All vaccine- and immunization-related topics of public health relevance for which WHO requires strategic and policy advice are typically reviewed by SAGE.

FUNCTIONS

Members of SAGE have a responsibility to provide WHO with high quality, well considered advice and recommendations on matters of relevance to immunization policy and strategies. Members play a critical role in ensuring the reputation of SAGE as an internationally recognized advisory group in the field of immunization. In keeping with SAGE’s mandate to provide strategic advice rather than technical input, members are committed to the development and improvement of public health policies. SAGE has no executive or regulatory function. Its role is solely to provide advice and recommendations to the Director-General of WHO. This includes providing advice and recommendations on urgent public health issues as needed.

OPERATIONS

SAGE is expected to meet annually at least two times virtually or in person at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, usually for 2-3 days each time, with working groups established for detailed review of specific topics prior to discussion by the full group. Additional ad hoc meetings are scheduled on an as needed basis. Priorities of work and meeting agendas are developed by WHO. The working language of the group is English.

UNICEF, the Secretariat of the GAVI Alliance, and WHO Regional Offices participate as observers in SAGE meetings and deliberations. WHO also invites other observers to SAGE meetings, including representatives from WHO regional technical advisory groups, non-governmental organizations, international professional organizations, technical agencies, donor organizations and associations of manufacturers of vaccines and immunization technologies. Additional experts may be invited, as appropriate, to further contribute to specific agenda items.

SAGE working groups are established as resources intended to increase the effectiveness of SAGE deliberations. Members of working groups provide evidence-based information and options for recommendations for discussion by the full SAGE in an open forum. The need and charge for a working group is discussed and agreed upon during SAGE meetings.

EXPECTATIONS OF SAGE MEMBERS

In addition to attendance at meetings, active participation is expected from all SAGE members throughout the year, including participation in SAGE working groups, video and telephone conferences and interaction via e-mail. Review of documents may also be solicited. SAGE members may be requested to participate as observers in other WHO departmental or cross-departmental meetings.

WHO CAN EXPRESS INTEREST?

SAGE is a multidisciplinary group of experts. Members have highest standing in their field, and have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to vaccines and immunization. In recognition of the regular, phased rotation of SAGE members, WHO is seeking to constitute a list of highly qualified experts to fill seats in the Advisory Group as they become available.

It should be noted that there will be no call for SAGE nomination in 2022 or 2023. Anyone with a potential interest to be considered for selection for SAGE membership during the course of the next 24- 30 months, is encouraged to apply now.

The current call for experts constitutes the first of a two-phased process for SAGE member selection. During the initial phase, a diverse set of strong candidates for SAGE are to be retained on a roster. These candidates will then be further reviewed in a subsequent phase of the selection process as the more specific need for new members arises. Selection for the SAGE roster does not guarantee an eventual seat on the Advisory Group.

The candidates selected in the roster may also be considered for expert positions in SAGE working groups for which the candidates may be suitable.

WHO welcomes expressions of interest from Scientists, Researchers, healthcare professionals, and healthcare regulators of highest credentials with expertise in the following areas:

epidemiology, public health, immunology, vaccinology, clinical practice (in particular infectious diseases, pediatrics, internal medicine, geriatrics, obstetrics and maternal health, etc.), biologicals regulation, programme management, vaccine delivery, immunization and health systems, health-care administration, vaccine research and development, clinical trials, mathematical modeling, ethics, health communication, health economics, and vaccine safety.

Chairs of regional or headquarters technical immunization advisory groups and staff of WHO, other agencies of the United Nations, and donors are not eligible to serve on SAGE. Significant conflicts of interest may also exclude candidates from serving on SAGE.

SUBMITTING YOUR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST ?

To register your interest in being considered for the SAGE, please respond to the series of questions appearing in THIS LINK which will include a request to upload the following documents by 10 September 2021:

A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore, please do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer;
Your curriculum vitae; and
A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available here

After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by a dedicated selection panel which is composed of representatives from WHO and key partner organizations. This panel will first select individuals for the roster, and at the required time, further decide on a nominee to fill an available SAGE seat to propose to the WHO Director-General for appointment. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only applicants selected for the roster (and in turn, eligible for actual SAGE membership) will be informed.

Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment

Members of WHO advisory groups (AGs) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of
interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests (DOI) for
WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of an AG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO
determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately
managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and
other criteria). In the context of the two-phased SAGE member selection process, DOIs are requested for
initial consideration for the roster, and again on further review for appointment to the AG.

All AG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments,
any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other
bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of
>Conduct for WHO Experts. AG members
will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the
first meeting.

At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant
and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and
expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the AG.

The selection of members of the AGs will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the
following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country
policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural
backgrounds and orientations. The selection of AG members will also take account of the need for
diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for
gender balance.

If designated by WHO during the second phase of SAGE membership selection, proposed members will
be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of an AG will
be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two documents.

WHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest , to annul the open call process
and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant
or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds
for WHO's action. WHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the AG,
disband an existing TAG or modify the work of the AG. WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or
discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other
information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a
member.

WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO internet

AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise. Travel and
accommodation expenses of AG members to participate in AG meetings will be covered by WHO in
accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.

The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment- usually 3 years,
renewable once.

If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to sageexecsec@who.int well before
the applicable deadline.

WHO Open Calls | Technical Advisory Group for Measurement, Monitoring and Evaluation of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030)

Date

2021-09-30

Brief description

Call for Experts: Technical Advisory Group for Measurement, Monitoring and Evaluation of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030)

Issued on: 10 August 2021
Deadline: 30 September 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Technical Advisory Group for Measurement, Monitoring and Evaluation of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030). This “Call for experts” provides information about the advisory group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.

Background

With the adoption of the United Nation's (UN) Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030) by the 75th General Assembly on 14 December 2020, and by the 73rd World Health Assembly on 3 August 2020, countries have committed to 10 years of concerted and collaborative actions to improve the lives of the older people (defined as age 60 years and over), their families and the communities in which they reside. The goal of the Decade, is to optimize the functional ability of older people and contribute to the vision of long and healthy lives. The Decade addresses four, interconnected areas of action: a) change how we think, feel and act towards age and ageing, b) ensure that communities foster the abilities of older people, c) deliver person-centered integrated care and primary health services that are responsive to older people; and d) provide access to long-term care for older people who need it.

The UN resolution calls upon World Health Organization (WHO) to lead the implementation of the Decade, in collaboration with United Nations, using existing mechanisms such as the Inter-Agency Group on Ageing (IAGA). The resolution invites the Secretary-General to inform the General Assembly about the progress of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, on the basis of triennial reports to be compiled by WHO, in collaboration with other UN agencies, in 2023, 2026 and 2029. The Decade action plan notes a final report will be aligned to the UN’s 2030 Agenda and refers to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and indicators as important to healthy ageing. Moreover, the concept of healthy ageing needs to be operationalized from a programmatic perspective for the actions areas, and guidance on measures, data collection, analysis and reporting are urgently needed to support global, regional and national monitoring of the actions, programmes and policies.

To this end, WHO establishes the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Measurement, Monitoring and Evaluation of UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) to provide advice to WHO on the measurement, monitoring and evaluation of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030) and programmes related to the action areas.

Link to Terms of Reference

Areas of work

TAG in its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) shall provide technical advice in the following areas:

1. development of existing and new indicators for monitoring and evaluating the progress and impact of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing at all levels (global, regional , national and local), aligning and leveraging on other ageing related data efforts such as MIPAA (Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing), voluntary review of SDGs;

2. proposed methods for producing global, regional and national, and subnational estimates linked to the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing;

3. measurement and operationalization of new and existing indicators (e.g intrinsic capacity, functional ability and environments) linked to the Decade actions areas and related programmes or initiatives (such as, integrated care for older people, long-term care for older people, combatting ageism, age-friendly environments and communities, among others);

4. standardization of measures, mode of data collection, data harmonization for comparability, data analysis across all indicators for the Decade of Healthy Ageing and guidance for decision-making and capacity building in these areas at the country level;

Operations of the TAG

The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Measurement, Monitoring and Evaluation of UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) will be expected to meet annually at least twice virtually or in person at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, usually for 2-3 days each time. Interim teleconferences may be required of the members. The working language of the group will be English.

Who can express interest?

The TAG will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to epidemiology, geriatrics, gerontology, sociology, anthropology, economy and related specialties such as environmental gerontology, demography, community development, and statistics in relation to the Decade’s priority action areas mentioned in the background section. Approximately 20 members may be selected.

Members of the TAG must have excellent technical knowledge at least some of the following areas:

Epidemiology of ageing and health;
Methods for producing global health estimates related to ageing indicators, including engagement with stakeholder groups;
Monitoring and evaluation of programmes towards longer and healthy lives of older persons ;
Health information systems;
Operationalization and validation of indicators or development of new measure.

Submitting your expression of interest

To register your interest in being considered for the Technical Advisory Group for Measurement, Monitoring and Evaluation of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030), please submit the following documents by 30 September 2021 [24:00h (midnight) Geneva time] to TAG Secretariats Dr Amuthavalli Thiyagarajan Jotheeswaran and Dr Mikton Christopher (email: TAGHA@who.int ) using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Technical Advisory Group for Measurement, Monitoring and Evaluation of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030):

A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer or affiliation);
Your curriculum vitae; and
A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.

Note: Upon submission of the documents above, the technical unit will share online data call form for further information if required. After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.

Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment

Members of WHO advisory groups (AGs) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of a AG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).

All AG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). AG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.

At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant AG.

The selection of members of the AGs will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations .The selection of AG members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.

If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of an AG will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two documents.

WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.

WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO internet.

AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of AG members to participate in AG meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.

The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.

If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to

Dr Amuthavalli Thiyagarajan Jotheeswaran (email : amuthavallithiya@who.int) and

Dr Mikton Christopher (email: miktonc@who.int) well before the applicable deadline.

WHO Open Calls | WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO)

Date

2021-09-10

Brief description

WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO)

Issued on: 20 August 2021
Deadline: 10 September 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO). This “Call for experts” provides information about the advisory group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.

Background

The rapid emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 has highlighted the importance of being prepared for any future event, to be able to identify novel pathogens early and to address the risk factors that contribute to their emergence and spread. In May 2020, the World Health Assembly, through resolution WHA73.1, requested the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) to continue to work closely with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and countries, as part of the One Health approach, to identify the source of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the route of introduction to the human population.

There have been an increasing number of high threat pathogens emerging and reemerging in recent years with, for example, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, Lassa, Marburg, Ebola, Nipah, avian influenza, the latest being SARS-CoV-2. There is not only need for robust surveillance and early actions for rapid detection and mitigation efforts, but a need for a robust and systematic processes to establish the study around the emergence of these pathogens and routes of transmission from their natural reservoirs to humans.

To this end, the Director-General has established the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins on Novel Pathogens (hereinafter referred to as ‘SAGO”). The SAGO will advise the WHO Secretariat on technical and scientific considerations regarding emerging and re-emerging pathogens, and will be composed of experts acting in a personal capacity. It is established in accordance with the WHO Regulations for Study and Scientific Groups, Collaborating Institutions and Other Mechanisms of Collaboration.

Functions of the SAGO

In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the SAGO will have the following functions:

To advise WHO on the development of a WHO global framework to define and guide studies into the origins of emerging and re-emerging pathogens of epidemic and pandemic potential;
To advise WHO on prioritizing studies and field investigations into the origins of emerging and re-emerging pathogens of epidemic and pandemic potential, in accordance with the WHO global framework described in point (1) above;
To provide information and views to assist the WHO Secretariat in the development of a detailed work plan of the SAGO;
In the context of SARS-CoV-2 origins:
- To provide the WHO Secretariat with an independent evaluation of all available scientific and technical findings from global studies on the origins of SARS-CoV-2;
- To advise the WHO Secretariat regarding developing, monitoring and supporting the next series of studies into the origins of SARS-CoV-2, including rapid advice on WHO's operational plans to implement the next series of global studies into the origins of SARS-CoV-2, as outlined in the Joint WHO-China Global Study of Origins of SARS-CoV-2:China Part report published on 30 March 2021 and advise on additional studies as needed; and
To provide additional advice and support to WHO, as requested by the WHO SAGO Secretariat, which may include participation in future WHO-international missions to study the origins of SARS-CoV-2 or for other emerging pathogens.

Operations of the SAGO

The SAGO shall meet regularly. The first meeting will be held towards the end of 30 September or early October 2021. SAGO meetings may be held in person or virtually (at WHO headquarters in Geneva or another location, as determined by WHO), via video or teleconference. SAGO meetings may be held in open and/or closed session, as decided by the Chairperson in consultation with WHO. The working language of the group will be English. WHO may, at its sole discretion, invite external individuals from time to time to attend the open sessions of an advisory group, or parts thereof, as “observers”. The SAGO may decide to establish smaller working groups (sub-groups of the SAGO) to work on specific issues. SAGO members are expected to attend meetings. Reports of each meeting shall be submitted by the SAGO to the WHO Director-General. All recommendations from the SAGO are advisory to WHO, who retains full control over any subsequent decisions or actions regarding any proposals, policy issues or other matters considered by the SAGO. The SAGO shall normally make recommendations by consensus.

Who can express interest?

The SAGO will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to emerging and re-emerging pathogens. Up to 25 experts may be selected.

WHO welcomes expressions of interest from individuals with significant expertise in one or more of the following technical disciplines in order to ensure a One Health approach:

infectious disease epidemiology and conducting epidemiological studies;
field research;
virology;
ecology;
molecular epidemiology;
sero-epidemiology;
medicine;
bioinformatics;
outbreak analytics;
health statistics;
microbiology;
veterinary medicine;
food safety;
bacteriology;
environmental science;
biosafety;
biosecurity;
occupational health and safety;
laboratory safety and security;
ethics and social sciences;
or other activities related to the emergence or re-emergence of pathogens of pandemic potential.

Submitting your expression of interest

To register your interest in being considered for the SAGO, please submit the following documents by 10 September 2021 24:00 CET to SAGO@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the SAGO”:

A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria (maximum 500 words). Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer);
Your curriculum vitae; and
A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.

After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed. WHO intends to complete the selection of members of the SAGO by late September 2021.

Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment

Members of WHO advisory groups must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of the SAGO is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).

All SAGO members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). SAGO members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.

At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant AG.

The selection of members of the SAGO will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; previous participation in WHO international missions on studying the emergence of emerging and re-emerging pathogens; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations .The selection of SAGO members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.

If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of the SAGO will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two documents.

WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO internet.

SAGO members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the SAGO or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of SAGO members to participate in SAGO meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.

The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.

If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to SAGO@who.int well before the applicable deadline.

WHO Open Calls | Technical Advisory Group on Assistive Technology

Date

2021-09-15

Brief description

Call for Experts to Serve on Technical Advisory Group on Assistive Technology

Technical Advisory Group on Assistive Technology Banner

Call for Experts to Serve on Technical Advisory Group on Assistive Technology

Issued on: 18/08/2021
Deadline: 15/09/2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Technical Advisory Group (AG) on Assistive Technology (AT). This “Call for experts” provides information about the advisory group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.

Call for experts document