Issued on: 18 November 2025
Deadline: 4 January 2026
The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking high-level experts to serve as members of its Science Council (SC). This “Call for experts” provides information about the Science Council, the expert profiles being sought, the process of expressing interest, and the process of selection.
Background
In a rapidly evolving scientific landscape, the Chief Scientist’s Office, within WHO’s Science Division, is committed to positioning WHO as a global leader of health sciences and innovation. Building on its mandate to harness the power of science systematically and with foresight, the Science Division provides scientific leadership, supports the issuance of high-quality and timely health norms and standards, promotes stronger and more ethical and equitable research ecosystems, and ensures that scientific evidence is effectively translated into impactful policy and action, including through partnerships and transparent communication.
Functions of the Science Council
The Science Council members shall have the following functions and responsibilities and will carry out the following activities:
- Identify breakthroughs and emerging trends in science and technology, with global health relevance, that WHO needs to address to harness the benefits of these advances and mitigate potential risks;
- Evaluate urgent, high-priority scientific issues and provide input and guidance on translating them to public health guidelines and otherwise in furtherance of WHO’s mission;
- Provide strategic orientation to WHO’s actions in science, research and innovation;
- Participate in the rapid and confidential review and prioritization of WHO normative products, when requested by the Director-General or the Chief Scientist;
- Provide strategic advice on current challenges to science, including decreased funding for research and science globally;
- Support WHO in drawing attention to the ethical, social, technical, and political issues arising from rapidly evolving scientific and technological advancements;
- Support the WHO in promoting trust in science and science-based policy and decision-making;
- Identify and link to potential funding opportunities;
- Produce regular annual reports and ad hoc interim reports; and
- Undertake other duties and functions consistent with these Terms of Reference, when requested by the Director-General or the Chief Scientist.
Operations of the Science Council
The Science Council shall normally meet at least three times a year. However, WHO may convene additional meetings. SC meetings may be held in person (at WHO headquarters in Geneva or another location, as determined by WHO) or virtually, via video or teleconference.
The working language of the Science Council will be English.
Further details are available in the Terms of Reference.
Who can express interest?
The Science Council will be multidisciplinary, with members having a wide range of technical knowledge, skills, and relevant experience. Approximately 15-20 members may be selected.
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from scientists and public health professionals working in topics relevant to WHO and the work of the Science Council, such as:
- Biomedical research
- Emerging technologies with health relevance
- Data science and analytics
- Equity access to products of science and research
- Social sciences
- Health economics
- Health systems
- Governance and ethics
Specifically, WHO is looking for individuals who are internationally-renowned experts with an outstanding record of achievements in their own field and a proven understanding of global health. The WHO Science Council is one of the highest level of advisory groups to the WHO Director-General, and members will have an outstanding record of achievement and personal credibility within their own field, as well as proven experience of operating at the highest strategic level (e.g. Head of International Research Agencies, senior government officials, etc.).
The selection of members of the Science Council will be made by the Secretariat in its sole discretion, also taking into account the need for diverse perspectives from different disciplines and regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for membership in the Science Council, please submit the following documents by 23:59, Geneva time, on 4 January 2026.
- 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. Therefore, do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer;
- Your curriculum vitae (max 2 pages)
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declaration-of-interests.
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of WHO Science Council 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 as indicated above, and the selection as a member of the Science Council 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 Science Council 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 (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). Science Council 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 Science Council.
The selection of members of the Science Council 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 Science Council 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 Science Council, disband an existing TAG or modify the work of the Science Council.
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 an applicant.
WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO internet.
Science Council members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the Science Council or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of Science Council members to participate in Science Council 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 sciencecouncil@who.int well before the applicable deadline.