Frequently Asked Questions

To close the gaps in life expectancy and health equity that exist within and between every country in the world, we need more robust leadership in both the technical and the moral issues related to health and well-being.

The Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity (AFHE) program is dedicated to training those leaders – individuals who will have health equity as their mindset and health disparities reduction as their explicit skillset. With this philosophy and support from the Atlantic Philanthropies, the Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity team at the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity designed, and in January 2017, launched the Leaders for Health Equity fellowship program, now called the Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity at the George Washington University.

This is a one-year fellowship. There are in-person meetings, called convenings, throughout the year that represent a total anticipated time commitment of five weeks. Convenings are full-time, out of office commitments that take place in different parts of the world. In between convenings, there is an online curriculum taught by the AFHE program faculty. These online trainings take place every two weeks for 90 minutes. There is an additional time commitment for self-directed learning of 12-16 hours per month. Self-directed learning activities include completion of program readings, videos and assignments. Assignments may be related to your individual project, reflection and/or program evaluation. Attendance and participation for both in-person and online coursework is required for successful completion of the program.

Fellows must be in their early to mid-career and want to become more effective leaders and work with others to achieve change. Fellows should be currently engaged in health-related work in a leadership role or in a position that has potential for leadership.

In order to address important determinants of health beyond biology and healthy behaviors, we need to involve people and sectors beyond traditional healthcare and public health, as we do in this fellowship program.

There are no specific educational requirements or ‘preferred’ professions – we are a community united by values. The shared attributes and values of the Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity include action/solutions orientation, equity, inclusivity, courage, curiosity, humility, diversity and creativity. If you share these values, we encourage you to apply.

January 2025: Program Launch and Initial Convening
February -May 2025: Semester 1 Online Learning
June 2025: Mid-Year Convening
July – October 2025: Semester 2 Online Learning
November 2025: Final Convening 

Fellows are inducted into the Atlantic Fellows lifelong community after they complete their fellowship year. Lifelong fellows continue to have access to an international network of leaders committed to combating inequity in their communities. They are invited to participate in global interest groups, seminars and conferences, as well as collaborate with other Atlantic Fellows on equity-focused projects.

Fellows do not receive a stipend for this program. They are expected to remain employed throughout the fellowship so that leadership lessons are applied in real-life scenarios. All educational experiences and travel expenses related to participation in this fellowship including in-person convenings are paid for by Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity.

We are paying close attention to COVID-19, including the needs of our community who are often on the front lines of health equity in the pandemic response. We plan to convene in-person over the course of the program if travel and convening can take place safely. Otherwise, we may convene virtually for the health and safety of our community.

AFHE will abide by current U.S. and GW’s COVID-19 and travel policies and CDC’s safety guidelines at the time of convening.

All international travelers should continue to monitor their own country’s travel requirements and COVID-19 restrictions. Each fellow is responsible for knowing and meeting their home country’s travel requirements.

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(1) A brief statement (no more than 500 words) addressing the reasons you want to be a fellow, including a discussion of your major strengths and unique personal and leadership characteristics, (2) a health equity project proposal you would like to complete during your fellowship year (3) your curriculum vitae (CV) or resume, (4) two letters of recommendation (5) and an employer support form completed by someone in a direct supervisory role that is willing to serve as your advisor, assisting with your growth as you pursue a focus on change leadership for health equity. More details on the application requirements can be found here.

You do NOT need to be a health professional to apply for this fellowship. We are looking to recruit fellows who are currently engaged in health-related work including, but not limited to: finance, economics, art, architecture, academia, government, public health, law, media, technology and healthcare delivery. We encourage those with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply.

Yes, but you need to have some area of active work and engagement with health equity so that you can really dive into the fellowship curriculum.

There are no educational/degree requirements for the fellowship program. Discussions will include advanced concepts and terminology in health equity, but we recognize that many leaders in the field have obtained advanced knowledge in non-traditional ways.

We are excited to welcome entrepreneurs and organizational leaders to the program. If you run your own organization, please have a member of your Board of Directors complete the letter of support and at least one letter of recommendation. The other letter of recommendation may come from a professional contact familiar with your work outside your organization.

U.S. Citizenship is not a requirement for this fellowship program. We welcome and encourage applicants from all countries. Fellows do need to be fluent in English and be able to obtain the appropriate Visas to travel internationally to participate in fellowship convenings.

A minimum of one year work experience, but most successful applicants have at least a few years of experience. The most important thing is to have a work record that demonstrates a consistent, enduring commitment to health equity.

No, AFHE will not provide funding for project proposals. Applicant project proposals should align with issues on which they or their organization focus. The project is a key part of the overall learning experience.