Call for Applications

Deadline: 20 July 2026 at 17:00 (KST)

Background

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face significant inequity in terms of access to vaccines and other biologics and are actively working to establish biological manufacturing in their regions. However, establishing such manufacturing capacity, through bilateral technology transfer or local R&D efforts, is often constrained by the shortage of a trained workforce in biomanufacturing.

To address this gap and to build biomanufacturing capacity in LMICs, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the Republic of Korea as a Global Biomanufacturing Training Hub. In 2023, WHO and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MoHW) of the Republic of Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing (GTH-B). In May 2024, the GTH-B Support Foundation (GTH-B SF) was established to conduct and coordinate the GTH-B training programs as a non-profit foundation, under the Civil Act with the approval of the MoHW.

The hub is mandated to provide training in the manufacturing of high-quality vaccines and biologics in an industrial setting to resolve inequality in access to vaccines and biologics worldwide by expanding manufacturing capacity in LMICs.

Since 2022, GTH-B has offered two introductory courses: ‘Introductory Course for Biologics Development and Manufacturing’ and ‘Introductory Course for Standard Practice (GxP)’, in collaboration with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI). These courses have been provided to more than 1,300 participants from 76 different low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) so far.

For the fifth year in agreement with WHO, the Republic of Korea is organizing the Introductory Course for Standard Practice from October to November 2026 for 150 trainees from LMICs.

Course period

• Pre-Online Course: Tuesday, 6 October – Monday, 26 October 2026
• In Person Course: Tuesday, 27 October – Thursday, 12 November 2026

Course objectives

The purpose of this Introductory Course for Standard Practice (GxP) is to equip participants representing the biomanufacturing workforce from LMICs with the essential skills required to operate according to current good practices.

After completing the course, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills required to operate in a biomanufacturing facility according to international GxP standards. By investing in workforce development, the hub will support ongoing initiatives in local bioproduction and strengthen knowledge sharing between manufacturers. This includes, but is not limited to, didactic and practice sessions on Good Laboratory Practice, Good Clinical Practice, Good Clinical Laboratory Practice, Good Manufacturing Practice, and Biosafety.

Content and structure

This course will consist of preliminary online courses followed by three weeks of in-person courses. At the end of each session, participants will be required to test their learning through online or in-person assessments. Certification will be awarded to participants who achieve 100% completion of the pre-online sessions and 90% completion of all required assessments during the in-person courses.

For the specific areas of sessions being developed for the course, please refer to Appendix 1: Tentative Course Outline.

Eligibility, limitations, and selection criteria

The course targets individuals employed by entities in countries formally registered as LMICs on the OECD DAC list (https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/oda-eligibility-and-conditions/dac-list-of-oda-recipients.html) and currently involved in the production of bioproducts including vaccines, therapeutics, monoclonal antibodies, etc.

Training and services will be provided exclusively to selected individuals and cannot be transferred or shared. Applicants are expected to demonstrate in their application how they will apply the experience gained during the training program and commit to returning to their home institution upon completion.

The priority selection criteria for this course are as follows:

• Possess an educational background in the field of life sciences
• Hold a position as a technician, engineer, scientist, or manager with up to 6 years of experience in biomanufacturing or a related field
• Be employed by a company registered as a legal entity in an LMIC conducting activities within the scope of biomanufacturing
• Be a citizen of, and resident in, an LMIC
• Have at least an intermediate level of spoken and written English
• Demonstrate in the application how the acquired knowledge, skills, and competencies during the training will be applied within the applicant’s organization upon completion
• Explain in the application the relevance of the training to a professional project

Application procedure

All applications must be submitted via online application form by 20 July 2026, 17:00 (KST)

The online application form is available at the ‘Apply’ page of the following link: https://ivionlinecampus.ivi.int/

Applicants must provide the following information:

• Personal information including name, gender, date of birth, nationality, country of residence, passport information, contact details, etc.
• The primary contact must be through an official email from the applicant’s institution or organization (e.g., @university.edu, @institute.int, @organization.org, @gov.kr). Applications using personal email accounts will not be considered for selection (e.g., @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, @hotmail.com, etc.)
• Educational background and level of English proficiency
• Professional background
• GTH-B training history (if applicable)
• Course preparation information (travel, dietary restrictions, etc.)

Applicants must upload the following documents:

• Copy of a valid passport
• Letter of endorsement from the director of the applicant’s institution confirming the applicant’s capability to successfully undertake the training and certifying their current employment status. Please refer to the endorsement letter sample in the online application)

Applicants must demonstrate the following:

• A description of their current position and justification for their selection.
• A description of the relevance of the training to their professional project.
• A description of the knowledge and skills they wish to acquire during the training.
• A description of their organization’s needs related to the training and the anticipated impact on their institution.
• A description of the plan to apply and share the acquired knowledge and skills after returning to their home institution upon completion of the training.
• Agreement to the GTH-B code of conduct.

Selection process

The selection process includes the following steps:

• Eligible applications will be reviewed by the selection committee consisting of members recommended by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea and WHO.
• When the selection process is completed, participants will be informed of the next steps and necessary information by e-mail.
• Due to limited capacity, a maximum of 5 participants from each organization will be allowed to participate.
• The Selection Committee may limit participants from any single country to 10% of the total selected participants if accepted applications exceed total enrollment capacity.
• For institutions involved solely in animal vaccine production, a letter from the institution should be addressed to the GTH-B with an institutional plan to expand its scope to human vaccines.
• The selection process will be based solely on the eligibility and merits of the applicants. Personal connections or informal recommendations will not be considered under any circumstances.

Financial provisions

The course is offered free of charge to participants. Accommodation and breakfast will be provided during the course days and on weekends. Lunch will be provided ONLY on weekdays.

The trip cost to and from Seoul, Republic of Korea will NOT be covered. Applicants must fund travel-related costs at their own expense. It is recommended to schedule the return flight within 3 days following the conclusion of the course. Selected applicants will be responsible for obtaining any visas and vaccinations which may be necessary for travel. Supporting documentation will be provided for visa applications if required.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

The Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea and the World Health Organization are dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in science. We especially encourage women to apply as well as any qualified applicants regardless of sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural and social backgrounds, and (dis)ability status.

Further information

For any questions regarding the application, please contact the GTH-B Support Foundation at gthb@gthbsf.org.

Applicants will be notified upon receipt of the application. Acknowledgement of the application does not imply that the participant has been selected for the program. A separate notification will be sent to selected applicants.