Uzbekistan Science Development Fellowship Program

TMC Global Professional Services (TMC) and the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) are pleased to announce the 2018 Uzbekistan Science Development Fellowship Program (SDFP).

SDFP is a non-degree-seeking program that provides the opportunity for highly qualified Uzbek biomedical scientists, researchers and experts from the Ministry and Institute system to spend up to 5 months working alongside medical, veterinary, and public health scientists, researchers and professionals at a U.S. university identified by TMC. All applicants are required to have intermediate English language proficiency.

Selected Uzbek fellows will develop relevant professional skills and knowledge in clinical medicine, veterinary science, food safety, epidemiology, laboratory sciences, and/or public health policy. The fellowship will combine technical and practical training in biological sciences and collaborative biological research within a U.S. university. Upon return to Uzbekistan, fellows will use their newly acquired skills and knowledge to contribute to improving Uzbekistan’s capacity to detect, diagnose, report, and mitigate infectious diseases, as well as participate in international scientific research.

---

Selection Topics and Program Priorities

The fellowship is open to early career researchers (graduate students in final year of their program, post-doctoral fellows, researchers, and officials, preferably within 10 years of their terminal degree) working at the Ministry of Health, State Veterinary Committee, Institutes of Research, as well as other relevant Uzbek government bodies approved by DTRA.

Selection preference will be given to applicants in the biological sciences, either within the public health sector or veterinary health sector, who demonstrate current work and/or academic research experience with the pathogens listed on the Select Agents and Toxins website (https://www.selectagents.gov/SelectAgentsandToxinsList.html). Applicants should also have clearly demonstrated experience with one or more of the following general areas:

• Research on infectious pathogens (human, animal (or zoonotic) and disease vectors)
• Modern infectious disease diagnostic techniques
• Epidemiological methods and reporting of infectious diseases
• Application and institutionalization of internationally accepted principles and best practices of biosafety, biosecurity and/or bioethics
• Application and institutionalization of One Health approaches, including adherence with World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), World Health Organization (WHO), and/or Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) guidelines

Applicants must hold, at minimum, Bachelor of Science degree; applicants with Master of Science, PhD, or DrSci degrees are preferred. Current employees of the Regional Diagnostic Laboratories (RDLs) of the Ministry of Health and State Veterinary Committee, Tashkent Institute for Post-graduate Medical Education (TIPME), Samarqand Agricultural Institute (SAI), other Research Institutes, and other Uzbek government institutions approved by the DTRA to be supported will be given preference for the fellowship.

Selected fellows are expected to return to Uzbekistan upon completion of their fellowships. TMC anticipates that fellows will continue working at their previous institutions to share their skills and knowledge with their colleagues and contribute to building Uzbekistan’s capacity to detect, diagnose, report, and mitigate infectious diseases, as well as participate in international scientific research.

---

Timeline

• December 20-January 15, 2018: Application submission period
• January 22-29, 2018: Application reviews and interviews
• By January 31, 2018: Fellow selection announcement
• February 2018-April 2018: Logistical arrangements
• June through September: Fellowship start

---

Program and Funding Details

Applicants are required to submit a signed application in order to be considered for the fellowship program.

TMC will make all necessary travel arrangements and accommodations (travel expenses, lodging, medical insurance and living stipends) for all selected fellows for the duration of the fellowship. Fellows will receive a monthly living stipend based on the location of the hosting university.

TMC has an extensive network of scientists, experts, laboratories and other research facilities in the USA and will match selected fellows’ research applications to a partner host U.S. research university within TMC’s network. The host institution will be selected by TMC. Chosen applicants should expect to arrive in the USA in June-September 2018.

Individuals seeking to participate in the program must:

• Submit a completed and signed application
• Have intermediate proficiency in English (speaking, writing and reading to be able to communicate with peers in the host institutions in the USA)

Once the candidate has been selected, he/she must:

• Provide all required supporting documents if selected (copy of passport, Letter of Support, etc.)
• Meet all U.S. visa requirements (applicants must currently reside in Uzbekistan and will be required to return to Uzbekistan after program completion.)

TMC and DTRA look forward to receiving application submissions. Please circulate this announcement within your professional networks.

Please submit your application to fellowship@cbep.uz. For any inquiries, please email fellowship@cbep.uz or call +998 71 120-30-37.

Funding for this program is provided by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) through a contract to TMC.