Name of the Event: Youth for Biosecurity Fellowship
Date: June - August 2025
Place: Geneva
Mode: Online and Field Visit in Geneva
Working language: English
Last Date of Application: 7 April 2025
Link to Apply:
Organized by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs in Geneva, in partnership with key international actors that empower youth in science diplomacy and global biosecurity, the Youth for Biosecurity Fellowship provides a unique learning and networking experience in the framework of the Biological Weapons Convention.
Launched in 2019 as a Biosecurity Diplomacy Workshop, the Youth for Biosecurity Initiative organized its first fellowship in 2023. For the third edition, the fellowship will provide the opportunity for 20 competitively selected young scientists from the Global South to join an online interactive training programme prior to a field visit during the meeting of the BWC Working Group on the Strengthening of the Convention in Geneva.
Who can apply?
To be eligible to apply, prospective fellows must-
Be under 35 years old at the time of applying,
Be citizens of a BWC State Party listed as least developed country, low- or lower/upper middle-income country (Check if your country is in the Development Assistance Committee List of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Have an advanced degree in the life sciences or a related discipline from a recognized university or institution. [Candidates with backgrounds in other fields such as social sciences can be exceptionally considered if they have a demonstrated interest in biosecurity, health security and/or disarmament and non-proliferation]
Have a strong command of written and spoken English
What does the programme include?
The Fellowship runs over a 3-month period and requires a minimal time commitment to accommodate fellows’ work or academic schedules. Activities include-
A series of online Biosecurity Diplomacy Workshops from 5 June to 5 July 2025, with approximately one session (two to three hours) per week.
A collaborative project to prepare in July 2025 and to be presented at the BWC Working Group on the Strengthening of the Convention in August 2025
A five-day field visit in Geneva from 11 to 15 August 2025 during the meetings of the BWC Working Group on the Strengthening of the Convention.
We are not the official organisers of the program. If you have any queries regarding it, kindly contact the organisers at - marykate.monaghan@un.org