NIH Fogarty INSIGHT Global Health Research Training Fellowship 2027–2028
A mentored global health research training opportunity for eligible U.S. doctoral candidates and U.S. or low- and middle-income country postdoctoral fellows. Fellows develop and carry out research at an international partner site with U.S. and LMIC mentors.
This captured cycle appears closed. Use this page for historical guidance unless the official source has reopened the program.
Captured cycle: This page is retained for historical guidance. Confirm whether the program has reopened before planning an application.
NIH Fogarty INSIGHT Global Health Research Training Fellowship 2027–2028
Overview and award details
The NIH Fogarty INSIGHT Global Health Research Training Fellowship is a mentored, one-year opportunity for U.S. doctoral candidates and U.S. or low- and middle-income country (LMIC) postdoctoral researchers to develop and carry out global health research. The University of Maryland School of Medicine describes the 2027–2028 award as fully funded. Fellows conduct research at an international partner site and receive mentorship from both U.S. and LMIC-based mentors. The scheduled fellowship year runs from July 2027 through June 2028. (University of Maryland program page; 2027–2028 announcement)
INSIGHT supports mentored biomedical and behavioral research at established LMIC sites. The described project areas and settings include clinical, public health, laboratory, and implementation research. The program announcement identifies a network of 27 partner institutions across 20 countries. Applicants should use the current application to identify an eligible site and establish that their research plan fits its setting and available mentorship; the brief does not enumerate all current partner sites or explain whether every site is available for every project. (University of Maryland program page; announcement)
| At a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| Fellowship period | July 2027 through June 2028 |
| Duration and funding | One year; described by the University of Maryland as fully funded |
| Research setting | An international LMIC partner site, with U.S. and LMIC mentors |
| Potential applicants | Eligible U.S. predoctoral candidates and U.S. or LMIC postdoctoral candidates |
| Postdoctoral degree window | Terminal degree completed within the previous eight years |
| Application deadline | October 16, 2026, at 11:00 p.m. EST |
| Application portal | University of Maryland REDCap application |
| Amount and available positions | Not stated in the reviewed current-cycle information |
“Fully funded” is the published description, but the reviewed current-cycle sources do not state a stipend amount or itemize the funding components. They also do not state how many fellows will be selected. Applicants should confirm those details with the program through its official current-cycle materials or the administering institution before making financial or planning assumptions.
Who should apply and eligibility
The current application accepts U.S. predoctoral applicants and U.S. or LMIC postdoctoral applicants. The fellowship is a potential fit for a doctoral or professional student, or a recent terminal-degree graduate, who can carry out a mentored research project at an LMIC site during the full fellowship year. The application defines a postdoctoral applicant as someone who completed a terminal degree within the previous eight years. Its eligibility language is tied to July 2027, so applicants should assess their status against that point in time and confirm any case that is not straightforward in the live application. (University of Maryland application)
A proposed LMIC research site and a two-location mentoring arrangement are part of the application. Applicants identify a U.S. mentor affiliated with one of the four consortium institutions and a mentor at the proposed international site. The research site and mentors should therefore be considered together: the proposal needs a feasible setting, a relevant local mentor, and a qualifying U.S. mentor. The supplied information does not name the four institutions or list every eligible site, so applicants should check the current application for those specifics rather than infer eligibility from a potential mentor’s title or affiliation alone. (University of Maryland application)
The program description covers biomedical and behavioral global health research, including clinical, public health, laboratory, and implementation work. A project is more likely to be workable when the proposed question is appropriate to the selected site and the mentors can support its methods and local execution. That is practical fit guidance, not a published selection rule: the reviewed brief does not provide a scoring rubric or state how applications are ranked.
What the fellowship provides
The confirmed benefit is a year of mentored global health research training at an international partner site. The program pairs the fellow with U.S. and LMIC-based mentors and describes the experience as fully funded. Its partner network spans 27 institutions in 20 countries, according to the University of Maryland announcement. This combination can provide a structured opportunity to develop and carry out research in a setting where the work is intended to take place. (University of Maryland program page; announcement)
The available descriptions do not specify the stipend, travel support, insurance, tuition treatment, research-cost allowance, or other individual funding components. “Fully funded” should not be treated as confirmation that any particular expense is covered. Before accepting or budgeting, ask the program to clarify the award’s components and any conditions that apply to the fellow’s circumstances. No amount should be assumed from a prior cycle or from the general program description.
How to Apply
The application portal is open and allows applicants to save their work and return later. The published deadline is October 16, 2026, at 11:00 p.m. EST. Use the current REDCap application as the controlling source for the form, field instructions, and upload requirements. (University of Maryland application)
The form requests several written components with strict maximum lengths:
- A personal statement of fewer than 800 words.
- A research proposal under 1,000 words.
- A mentorship plan under 1,000 words.
- An IRB and ethics plan under 500 words.
- A timeline under 500 words.
- A budget under 500 words.
The form also requires an NIH-style biosketch and two signed mentor support letters: one from a faculty mentor at a participating U.S. institution and one from the proposed LMIC site mentor. Doctoral and professional student applicants must upload their most recent transcript. Postdoctoral applicants instead need to provide proof of degree. Applicants whose research does not yet have IRB approval must describe the timeline for obtaining U.S. and international or national ethics approvals; the form says projects with existing approval receive priority. (University of Maryland application)
Applicants who need protected time from a current position or training program must attach a commitment letter from a supervisor or program director. The letter must confirm at least 40 hours per week for 12 months and explain the workload reduction. This requirement applies to applicants who need that protected time; check the live form’s wording to determine whether it applies to your appointment or training arrangement. (University of Maryland application)
A practical sequence is to first confirm your applicant category and degree timing, then identify a proposed LMIC site and both mentors, and next agree on a feasible research plan with them. Draft the six written components to the stated limits, request the signed letters and the appropriate academic record or degree proof, and prepare the biosketch. If approvals are not already in place, explain the approval pathway and timeline in the ethics section. Finally, review every field and upload against the live portal before submitting. This sequence is organizational advice; follow any additional instructions shown in the application itself.
Timeline and deadline
The fellowship year is scheduled for July 2027 through June 2028. The application portal currently accepts submissions, and the stated close is October 16, 2026, at 11:00 p.m. EST. The deadline is expressed in Eastern Standard Time on the form; applicants in other time zones should convert it carefully and avoid relying on a last-minute submission. The brief does not provide an interview schedule, decision date, or onboarding calendar, so those dates should be verified with the program if they affect planning. (University of Maryland program page; application)
Preparation and common mistakes
Optional preparation advice: start mentor and site discussions early enough to develop a coherent plan together. A proposal that depends on an international site should make clear what work can be conducted there and how the U.S. and LMIC mentors will contribute. This is preparation guidance based on the required site and mentor structure, not a stated scoring criterion.
Optional preparation advice: draft to a word-count cushion rather than treating the maximum as a target. The portal specifies “fewer than” or “under” for each narrative, so a draft at the exact stated number may not satisfy the literal limit depending on how the form counts words. Check the final count in the form or a consistent word processor, and ensure that any text pasted into a field stays within its limit.
Optional preparation advice: coordinate the ethics plan with the actual status of the project. If approvals are already in place, verify that you can describe them accurately. If not, the application calls for a timeline for U.S. and international or national ethics approvals, and states that projects with existing approval receive priority. Do not imply approval has been granted when it has not. Confirm with both mentors what review pathway applies at the proposed site.
A common avoidable problem is treating the two mentor letters as interchangeable. The application calls for two signed letters from different roles: a faculty mentor at a participating U.S. institution and a mentor at the proposed LMIC site. Another is uploading the wrong academic record: students provide a recent transcript, while postdoctoral applicants provide proof of degree. A third is overlooking the protected-time letter when it applies. Use the form’s instructions to check these conditional and category-specific items before submission. (University of Maryland application)
Frequently asked questions
Is this a grant or a training fellowship?
The current-cycle description presents it as a fully funded, one-year global health research training fellowship with mentored research at an international partner site. Applicants should use that description when considering fit; the brief does not provide a separate grant mechanism or independent award amount. (University of Maryland program page)
Can an LMIC-based researcher apply?
Yes. The application accepts LMIC postdoctoral applicants. It also accepts U.S. predoctoral applicants and U.S. postdoctoral applicants. The supplied eligibility information does not identify an LMIC predoctoral applicant category, so anyone in that situation should check the live form or verify eligibility with the administering program rather than assume that the postdoctoral category extends to students. (University of Maryland application)
Do I need ethics approval before applying?
Not necessarily according to the form’s stated instructions. Applicants without existing approval must describe the timeline for obtaining U.S. and international or national ethics approvals. However, the application says projects with existing approval receive priority. Confirm the applicable reviews with the mentors and site, and describe the project’s status accurately. (University of Maryland application)
How much is the stipend, and how many fellows will be selected?
Neither the stipend amount nor the number of positions is stated in the reviewed current-cycle information. The program is described as fully funded, but the detailed funding components are also not specified. Check the current program page and application for updates, or ask the administering program directly for written clarification before relying on a particular amount or expense being covered.
When will applicants hear back?
The supplied current-cycle information confirms the application deadline and the July 2027–June 2028 fellowship period, but it does not state a decision date or notification schedule. Do not assume a date based on the deadline; verify it through the current program materials or the administering institution.
Official sources
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, INSIGHT Fogarty Scholars program page.
- University of Maryland, 2027–2028 NIH Fogarty INSIGHT Consortium Fellowship announcement.
- University of Maryland, current application form.
Use the live application as the final reference for eligibility categories, document instructions, word limits, and the closing time. The amount of support, its detailed components, the number of positions, and the applicant decision schedule remain unconfirmed in the supplied current-cycle evidence.