The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle is recruiting the second cohort of its Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Fellowship. It’s a paid, early-career postdoctoral training programme for quantitative researchers who want to build careers in health metrics by working directly on GBD, the world’s most comprehensive effort to measure health loss and its causes.
Fellows earn US$105,000 in year one, rising each year, with full University of Washington benefits. International applicants are welcome, and the university sponsors visas.
Deadline: 21 December 2026, 11:59pm US Eastern Time. That’s 5:59am on 22 December in Lagos, 6:59am in Johannesburg and Cairo, and 7:59am in Nairobi. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so applying early helps.
At a Glance
| Host | Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington |
| Location | Seattle, USA (full-time, in person; no remote or hybrid) |
| Level | Postdoctoral (PhD, MD, DPhil or equivalent) |
| Duration | 2 years, with a possible third-year extension |
| Salary | US$105,000 (year 1), US$108,156 (year 2), US$112,488 (year 3) |
| Visa | Sponsored by the University of Washington |
| Start | September 2027 |
| Deadline | 21 December 2026, 11:59pm ET |
What Fellows Do
- Train in GBD methods, starting with an intensive 4–6-week Boot Camp with their cohort
- Rotate across IHME research teams to learn how GBD estimates are produced
- Contribute to GBD estimates: extract and standardise data from surveys, vital registration, censuses and published studies, and build statistical models in R or Python
- Publish and present peer-reviewed papers, with writing workshops and media training
- Mentor and teach junior staff in later years
The first year focuses on learning GBD in depth. In the second year, fellows work more independently and help improve how GBD estimates are made. Renewal is annual and depends on performance and funding.
Benefits
- A salary of US$105,000 in year one (US$8,750 a month), US$108,156 in year two and US$112,488 in year three
- Medical, dental and vision coverage
- Paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, retirement plans, transport and fitness perks, and tuition exemption
- Visa sponsorship by the University of Washington
- Mentorship from IHME faculty and senior researchers, plus a monthly journal club, seminars and short courses
- Co-authorship on influential global health research
Eligibility
- A PhD, MD, DPhil or foreign equivalent. Current doctoral students can apply but must finish before the September 2027 start.
- A strong quantitative background, for example in epidemiology, demography, biostatistics, medical sciences, health policy, economics, mathematics, computer science or statistics.
- Research experience in data analysis and statistical methods, and strong programming skills in R or Python.
- No more than five years since your most recent degree by the start date.
- No more than three years of previous postdoctoral experience by the start date.
- Working familiarity with GBD concepts such as DALYs, YLLs, YLDs, attributable burden, age-standardised rates and uncertainty intervals.
- Able to get a US visa and be in Seattle on the first day. You can’t hold another position or be enrolled elsewhere.
Open to Africans: IHME says international applicants are welcome and the university sponsors visas.
How to Apply
- New to GBD? Start with IHME’s free GBD Learning Center (healthdata.org/research-analysis/gbd/learning).
- Prepare your CV.
- Write four short essays: your research (max 300 words), your contribution to GBD (max 200), production work (max 200) and why this fellowship, now (max 250).
- List three references with contact details. Letters aren’t needed at this stage.
- Apply on Interfolio before 21 December 2026, 11:59pm ET.
Timeline: phone and virtual interviews in winter 2027, final in-person interviews in early spring, decisions in spring, and the fellowship starts in September 2027.
Apply on Interfolio · Official GBD Fellowship page (IHME)
Tips for African Applicants
- Show real data work. Describe surveys, health records or census data you’ve cleaned and modelled, especially from African countries.
- Learn the GBD terms first. Interviewers expect you to understand DALYs and uncertainty intervals.
- Be honest in your essays. IHME allows AI writing tools, but interviewers will ask you to discuss your answers in detail.
- Plan for the US visa early, as you must be in Seattle on day one.
