The World Health Organization (WHO), through its Regional Office for the Western Pacific, invites expressions of interest from qualified experts to serve on the Expert Group to review research proposals on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and ageing in the Western Pacific.
Countries in the Western Pacific Region are facing the combined challenge of rapid population ageing and a growing burden of NCDs. These trends place increasing pressure on health and social systems, particularly where resources are constrained and evidence is not readily translated into practice. While effective interventions exist, gaps persist in implementation, scalability, and policy uptake across diverse country contexts.
The WHO–Kanagawa Partnership on Healthy Ageing and Noncommunicable Diseases in the Western Pacific was established by the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific and Japan's Kanagawa Prefecture to address these gaps. The partnership promotes implementation-oriented research and evidence-to-policy translation to support Member States in strengthening equitable and sustainable responses to population ageing and NCDs.
To support the implementation of the WHO-Kanagawa Partnership and to ensure that research and innovation activities are technically sound, independent, and responsive to Member State needs, WHO is establishing an Expert Group under the Strategic Partnership on Ageing and NCDs in the Western Pacific.
The Expert Group will act as an independent advisory body to WHO, providing multidisciplinary scientific and technical advice to ensure the rigor, relevance, and transparency of research and innovation activities supported under the WHO–Kanagawa Partnership on Healthy Ageing and Noncommunicable Diseases in the Western Pacific.
Functions of the Expert Group
In accordance with its Terms of Reference, the Expert Group will:
- Provide strategic advice to WHO on priorities, focal areas, and directions related to healthy ageing and NCD prevention in the Western Pacific;
- Advise on calls for proposals, including selection criteria and transparent review processes for Partnership-supported research, pilots, and evidence syntheses;
- Review and make recommendations on research collaboration proposals submitted in response to calls under the WHO-Kanagawa Partnership through participation in 1-2 meetings (in-person and/or virtual) per call cycle; and
- Recommend priority topics for implementation research and knowledge translation aligned with Member State needs and regional public health priorities.
Composition
The Expert Group will consist of up to five members, serving in their personal capacities.
Members will be selected by WHO through an open call for experts, with due consideration given to:
- Technical expertise and disciplinary diversity;
- Balanced geographical representation, including expertise from different subregions of the Western Pacific and, where relevant, complementary experience from outside the Region; and
- Gender balance, in line with WHO’s commitment to equity and diversity.
One member will be appointed as Chairperson, responsible for chairing meetings and liaising with the WHO Secretariat between meetings.
Members will be appointed for a two-year term, with the possibility of reappointment.
The Chairperson may serve only one term as Chair.
Qualification and Criteria for Expert Group Members
WHO encourages expressions of interest from public health experts with recognized experience in one or more of the following technical areas:
- Noncommunicable disease prevention and control;
- Healthy ageing and life-course approaches to health;
- Health policy, evidence-to-policy translation, and/or knowledge synthesis;
- Digital health, innovation, or data-driven approaches relevant to NCDs or ageing; and
- Equity-oriented research, including work relevant to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Minimum requirements
Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
- An advanced university degree (Master’s or doctoral degree, or equivalent) in public health or a closely related discipline (e.g., epidemiology, health systems, medicine with a public health focus, or relevant social sciences);
- A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience, demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications and/or substantive technical or policy-oriented outputs related to NCDs and/or healthy ageing; and
- Proven ability to critically review technical documents (including research proposals) and provide clearly written feedback in English within agreed timelines.
Desirable experience (assets)
The following will be considered an asset:
- Experience working with governments, international organizations, and/or regional research initiatives, particularly in the WHO Western Pacific Region.
Equity and representation
In line with WHO’s commitment to diversity and equitable representation, applications from experts based in LMICs, including Pacific island countries and areas, are strongly encouraged.
Ethical considerations and conflicts of interest
Selected experts will be required to comply with WHO policies on ethical conduct and independence, including submission of a Declaration of Interests, and adherence to requirements on independence and confidentiality. Please refer to the Ethical Considerations and Conflicts of Interest and the Important Information about the Selection Process sections for further details.
Operations of the Expert Group
- The Expert Group will normally meet at least once per year, either virtually or in person (typically in Manila, Philippines, or another location as determined by WHO).
- Members are expected to actively participate in meetings, working groups, teleconferences, and intersessional reviews conducted by email.
- Expert Group members do not receive remuneration. Travel costs and daily subsistence allowance will be covered by WHO for invited in-person meetings, in accordance with WHO rules and policies.
Ethical Considerations and Conflicts of Interest
Expert Group members must uphold the principles of independence, impartiality, and confidentiality required by WHO. All proposed members will be required to complete a WHO Declaration of Interests form. Appointment is subject to WHO’s assessment that no real, potential, or apparent conflict of interest exists.
Submitting your expression of interest
Interested candidates are invited to submit:
- A brief curriculum vitae (maximum 4 pages); and
- A short statement of interest outlining relevant expertise and motivation to contribute to the Expert Group.
Applications should be submitted electronically by 26 February 2026 to wprodsi@who.int, with the subject line: “Call for Experts – EG on NCD and Ageing (Western Pacific)”.
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO.
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed by WHO to ensure an appropriate balance of expertise, gender, and geographical representation. Only selected candidates will be contacted.
Important information about the selection process and the conditions of appointment
Members of the Expert Group (EG) 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 EG is, among 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 EG 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. EG 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, virtual 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 EG.
The selection of members of the EGs 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.
If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of EG 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 EG, disband an existing EG or modify the work of the EG.
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 Western Pacific website.
EG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the EG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of EG members to participate in EG 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 wprodsi@who.int before the application deadline.