RICE360 Global Health Fellowship 2026: Fully Funded Engineering Fellowship for Emerging Innovators in Global Health Technologies

The Rice University through its RICE360 Institute for Global Health Technologies is inviting applications for the prestigious Global Health Fellowship, a one-year post-baccalaureate fellowship designed for exceptional early-career engineers passionate about creating life-saving medical technologies for underserved and low-resource communities around the world.

This fellowship provides a rare opportunity for young innovators and engineering graduates to work directly on impactful global health projects while receiving mentorship from world-renowned experts in medical technology development. The program combines engineering innovation, humanitarian impact, hands-on research, and real-world healthcare problem-solving into one transformative experience.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis starting April 27.

About the Rice360 Global Health Fellowship

The Rice360 Global Health Fellowship is an intensive, hands-on program aimed at empowering the next generation of engineers and innovators to design affordable and high-performance healthcare technologies for low-resource settings.

The fellowship focuses on solving healthcare challenges that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, especially in areas where access to advanced medical technology is limited.

Selected fellows will collaborate in multidisciplinary teams to:

• Develop medical technologies
• Refine healthcare devices
• Evaluate product effectiveness
• Conduct design and engineering research
• Improve healthcare accessibility globally

The program emphasizes innovation that can directly improve survival rates and healthcare outcomes in underserved communities.

What Fellows Will Work On

Fellows will contribute to meaningful healthcare innovation projects. Previous projects have included:

1. Warming cribs for newborn babies
   • Designed to help premature and vulnerable infants maintain safe body temperatures in low-resource hospitals.
2. Diagnostic tests for jaundice
   • Affordable tools for early detection and treatment of neonatal jaundice.
3. Machines for assisting newborn breathing
   • Low-cost respiratory support devices for newborns in healthcare facilities with limited resources.

These projects are specifically designed to address critical healthcare gaps in developing and underserved regions.

Work With Globally Recognized Innovators

One of the most valuable aspects of the fellowship is the opportunity to work closely with internationally recognized leaders in global health innovation, including:

• Maria Oden
• Rebecca Richards-Kortum

Their mentorship provides fellows with exposure to world-class engineering practices, humanitarian innovation strategies, and global healthcare systems.

Fellowship Benefits

The Rice360 Global Health Fellowship offers a comprehensive support package for selected fellows.

Fellows Will Receive:

• Competitive salary
• Full employee benefits package
• Visa sponsorship for eligible international applicants
• Funding for technology development
• Potential international travel opportunities
• Access to advanced research and development resources
• Mentorship from leading innovators and engineers
• Opportunity to work on impactful global health technologies

Additionally, fellows may have the opportunity to extend the fellowship up to two years based on performance and project needs.

Why This Fellowship Matters

Healthcare inequality remains a major challenge in many parts of the world. Millions of people lack access to reliable medical technologies due to cost, infrastructure limitations, and resource shortages.

The Rice360 fellowship addresses these challenges by empowering engineers to create practical, scalable, and affordable healthcare solutions that can save lives.

This opportunity is ideal for individuals who want to:

• Combine engineering with humanitarian impact
• Build a career in global health technologies
• Gain hands-on medical device development experience
• Work on real healthcare challenges
• Develop leadership and innovation skills
• Contribute to healthcare equity worldwide

Eligibility Requirements

The fellowship is open to:

• Graduating seniors
• Recent graduates
• Individuals with a bachelor’s degree in:
  • Engineering
  • Physical sciences

Applicants must have graduated from an accredited college or university.

Preferred Candidates

The program highly encourages applications from individuals who have:

• A master’s degree
• Medical device industry experience
• Biotechnology industry experience
• Demonstrated interest in global health technology development

Applicants should clearly show their passion for healthcare innovation and problem-solving in low-resource environments.

Required Application Materials

Interested applicants must submit:

1. A cover letter
2. Resume/CV
3. Academic transcript
4. Three professional references

Applicants are encouraged to prepare strong application materials that demonstrate technical ability, leadership potential, teamwork, and commitment to global health innovation.

Application Deadline

• Applications are accepted on a rolling basis starting April 27.

Because applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, interested candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible to improve their chances of selection.

How to Apply

Applicants can apply directly through the official Rice360 fellowship application portal.

Apply here

Official Website

Rice360 Global Health Fellowship

Contact Information

For additional information, applicants may contact:

• rice360GHfellowship@rice.edu

About Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies

The RICE360 Institute for Global Health Technologies at Rice University is dedicated to developing innovative technologies that improve healthcare delivery globally, particularly in underserved communities.

The institute is known for its strong emphasis on:

• Humanitarian engineering
• Medical innovation
• Global collaboration
• Student-led research
• Affordable healthcare technologies

Its programs have impacted healthcare systems and patient outcomes in multiple countries worldwide.

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