Young Family Doctors NCD Fellowship

Call for Applications: WONCA Young Family Doctors NCD Fellowship

WONCA is pleased to launch the WONCA Young Family Doctors Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) Fellowship, a 10-month global programme designed to strengthen leadership, clinical capacity, and community impact of early-career family doctors in the prevention and management of NCDs within primary care.

Supported by AstraZeneca through an educational grant, this fellowship reflects WONCA’s commitment to advancing equitable, high-quality primary care and empowering the next generation of family medicine leaders across all regions.

About the Fellowship

The fellowship offers selected participants:

• Monthly online learning workshops on NCD prevention and management in primary care
• Individual mentorship with experienced family medicine and NCD experts
• Practical experience through the design and implementation of a locally relevant NCD project
• Opportunities for leadership development, advocacy, and regional and global networking within WONCA

The fellowship runs for 10 months.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• Be an early-career family doctor, defined as:
  • Currently in specialty training for Family Medicine / General Practice, or
  • Having completed training within the past five (5) years
• Be a member in good standing of a WONCA Member Organization or a Regional Young Doctors Movement group.
• Demonstrate a clear interest in NCD prevention and management within primary care

Note

The fellowship will be conducted in English. Applicants should therefore have sufficient proficiency in English to participate in workshops, mentorship sessions, and programme activities.

Commitment and Time Expectations

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Availability to actively participate throughout the 10-month fellowship, including online learning workshops, mentorship meetings, and project-related activities
• Commitment to designing and implementing a feasible community- or practice-based NCD project (e.g. screening initiatives, adherence support, patient education, or similar interventions)

The expected time commitment varies across the fellowship and is indicative only. On average, fellows should expect to dedicate approximately 10–15 hours per month during the initial learning and project design phase, and during the implementation, data collection, reporting, and dissemination phase.

This includes time spent in online sessions, mentorship meetings, and work on the local project.

What is Expected of Fellows

Selected fellows will be expected to:

• Actively participate in all learning and mentorship activities
• Participate in a minimum of six (6) structured cross-learning and experience-sharing workshops, involving all fellows
• Engage in a minimum of six (6) one-on-one mentorship sessions with their assigned mentor, with increased frequency based on fellows’ needs
• Design, implement, and report on their approved community- or practice-based NCD project
• Contribute to evaluation, reporting, and knowledge-sharing activities

The fellowship is educational and non-promotional in nature and is supported by an independent educational grant from AstraZeneca. WONCA retains full responsibility for the programme design, content, and implementation.

Programme Outcomes

At the end of the fellowship, fellows will:

• Become part of a WONCA NCD Fellowship Alumni Network
• Present their work at a WONCA regional or global conference
• Contribute to shared learning across regions

Financial Support

Each selected Fellow will receive a fixed fellowship award of USD 5,000 to support participation in the programme and the implementation of their approved community- or practice-based NCD project.

The financial contribution is intended to support fellowship-related costs, which may include:

• participation in learning and mentorship activities,
• local project implementation costs (e.g. materials, meetings, data collection),
• dissemination activities related to the fellowship (e.g. abstract preparation, conference participation).

The financial contribution does not constitute a salary or employment payment and is not linked to employment or service provision.

Disbursement will be made in accordance with the terms outlined in the Fellowship Agreement and is subject to the submission of the required documentation and completion of agreed milestones.

Recipients are responsible for complying with any tax, reporting, or regulatory obligations applicable in their country of residence.

In addition, the fellowship includes dedicated financial support for participation in one WONCA regional or global conference, covering registration, travel, accommodation, and reasonable subsistence expenses in accordance with fellowship travel guidelines.

Application Requirements

Interested candidates must submit an online application including:

• Personal Statement outlining motivation and interest in NCDs in primary care
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Endorsement Letter from a supervisor, employer, WONCA Member Organization, or a Regional Young Doctor Movement.
• Brief Concept Note (approximately 2 pages) describing:
  • The local NCD challenge to be addressed (300-400 words)
  • The proposed intervention or project idea (200-300 words)
  • The target population and setting (brief text)
  • Expected outcomes or improvements (200-300 words)

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Selection Process

• Applications will be screened by the WONCA Secretariat for eligibility and completeness
• Eligible applications will be reviewed by the Fellowship Steering Committee, composed of WONCA leaders and experts in NCDs and medical education, with invited multidisciplinary representation
• Applications will be assessed based on:
  • Motivation and commitment
  • Feasibility and relevance of the proposed project
  • Leadership potential
  • Anticipated impact on community-based NCD care
• Seven (7) fellows will be selected, one from each WONCA region. Each fellow will be paired with a qualified mentor.

Equity and Diversity

WONCA is committed to equity and diversity. Selection will ensure:

• One fellow from each of the seven WONCA regions (seven fellows in total)
• Consideration of gender balance, geographic diversity, and varied practice settings

Application Timeline

• Call for Applications opens: March 17, 2026
• Application deadline: April 10, 2026
• Notification of selected fellows: May 11, 2026
• Fellowship start date: June 01, 2026
• Fellowship end date: March 31, 2027

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted via the official online application form: Apply here

For enquiries, please contact: projects@wonca.com

Interested in Becoming a Mentor?

WONCA is also inviting experienced family doctors, academics, and primary care leaders to apply as mentors for the WONCA Young Family Doctors NCD Fellowship. Mentors play an important role in supporting fellows throughout the 10-month programme, helping them strengthen project design, reflect on learning, and translate ideas into meaningful, locally relevant action in NCD prevention and management within primary care.

Mentors are expected to provide one-to-one guidance, take part in shared workshops, review key outputs, and contribute to a supportive global learning environment. This is an opportunity to help develop the next generation of family medicine leaders while contributing your expertise to a practical, international fellowship focused on community impact.

To learn more about the mentor role, eligibility criteria, time commitment, and application process, please visit the mentor information page: Find out more about becoming a mentor