Background
WHO has launched a global scientific process to update its list of priority pathogens that can cause severe outbreaks or pandemics. To support this effort, the WHO Secretariat is constituting independent group of experts for the following viral families: Adenoviridae; Anelloviridae; Arenaviridae; Astroviridae; Bornaviridae; Bunyaviridae; Caliciviridae; Coronaviridae; Filoviridae; Flaviviridae; Hepadnaviridae; Hepeviridae; Herpesviridae; Orthomyxoviridae; Papillomaviridae; Paramyxoviridae; Parvoviridae; Picobirnaviridae; Picornaviridae; Pneumoviridae; Polyomaviridae; Poxviridae; Reoviridae; Retroviridae; Rhabdoviridae; and Togaviridae.
It is expected that over 300 experts will be convened to consider the science and evidence on viruses in these 26 viral families. Each Viral Family group convened will be tasked with
- Reviewing the proposed prioritization methodology and criteria;
- Completing online questionnaires for screening and prioritizing viruses within the family;
- Shortlisting priority and prototype pathogens within each family and making recommendations on pathogen X.
The work is to be done remotely with at least two online interactions representing between 5-6 day of work over a 3 month period.
Expertise needed
Viral Family groups are expected to be composed of members with the following expertise:
- Microbiology of severe diseases (including virology)
- Clinical management of severe infections
- Epidemiology and evolutionary biology (transmission)
- Animal health including veterinarians, expert in zoonoses from both livestock and wildlife
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered, please submit the following documents by 15 March 2023 to rdblueprint@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest to join a Viral Family Group”, including your curriculum vitae and a cover letter indicating the Viral Family group you would like to join, your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria.
Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore, do not use the letterhead (or other identification of your employer) for submission of your curriculum vitae and cover letter.
Only submissions received by 15 March 2023 will be considered.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of the WHO advisory groups (AGs) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts 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’s 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. AG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking 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 in 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 the selected individuals on the WHO website.
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 rdblueprint@who.int well before the applicable deadline.