Issued on: 14 March 2025
Deadline: 21 April 2025
The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the WHO Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research (ACVVR). This “Call for experts” provides information about the advisory group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.
Background
The
ACVVR was established in 1999 with expert members appointed by the
Director-General upon the request of Health Assembly as set out in
resolution WHA52.10. The group advised WHO as to what research, if any,
must be carried out in order to reach global consensus on the timing for
destruction of existing variola virus stocks and, to develop a research
plan for priority work on the virus. The ACVVR has met annually to
continue oversight of this research agenda.
In May 2016, at the
69th World Health Assembly, Member States requested WHO to review the
composition of the ACVVR to ensure that it had expertise in new
biotechnologies and public health preparedness measures that would apply
to a potential re-emergence of smallpox. This document outlines the
work of the ACVVR which acts as an advisory body to WHO on matters of
variola virus research-related strategy and variola virus stock
management for the WHO Smallpox Secretariat.
Functions of the Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research
In compliance with Resolution WHA52.10, which was adopted by the 52nd World Health Assembly on 24 May 1999, and in its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the ACVVR shall have the following functions and make recommendations on these topics:
- advise WHO on all actions to be taken with respect to variola virus;
- develop a research plan for priority work on the variola virus;
- devise a mechanism for reporting of research results to the world health community; and
- outline an inspection schedule to confirm the strict containment of existing stocks and to assure a safe and secure research environment for work on the variola virus.
Operations of the Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research
The ACVVR normally meets once a year and the meetings are held in person (usually at WHO headquarters in Geneva) or virtually, via video or teleconference. Interim teleconferences may be required of the members. The WHO Secretariat may decide to establish smaller working groups of ACVVR members and additional advisors to work on specific issues. WHO may, at its sole discretion, invite external individuals from time to time to attend the open sessions of an advisory group meeting, or parts thereof, as “observers”, which category will include invited presenters and persons invited in an ad hoc capacity for their specific technical expertise. Observers may be invited either in their personal capacity, or as representatives from a government institution, intergovernmental organization, or from a non-state actor. The working language of the group will be English.
Who can express interest?
The Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research is multidisciplinary, with expert members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to orthopoxviruses, related countermeasures research, and global health security. For this open call in 2025, WHO welcomes expressions of interest from scientists, health professionals, and health regulators with expertise in:
- synthetic biology technologies;
- biosecurity, risk management, bioethics and law;
- clinical vaccine trial design;
- evolutionary virology.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the ACVVR, please submit the following documents by 17:00 Geneva time on 21 April 2025 to SmallpoxSecretariat@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research:
- a cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity as an expert, and not directly linked to academic or professional affiliation(s). Therefore, do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer);
- your curriculum vitae; and
- a signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest .
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO; only individuals selected for further consideration will be contacted.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of WHO advisory groups (AGs) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of an AG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation, and other criteria).
All AG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts (doi-en-annexb.pdf). AG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking (confidentiality-undertaking-fillable.pdf) prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant AG.
The selection of members of the AGs will be made by WHO at its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations. The selection of AG members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of an AG will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two documents.
WHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for WHO's action. WHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the AG, disband an existing TAG or modify the work of the AG.
WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
WHO may publish the names and a short biography of selected individuals on the WHO internet page.
AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of AG members to participate in AG meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to SmallpoxSecretariat@who.int well before the application deadline.