WHO Seeks Expressions of Interest to Join as Regional Biomanufacturing Training Center

The World Health Organization (WHO) is opening its call for expression of interest (EOI) to join as a Regional Biomanufacturing Training Center under the WHO Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative.

The initiative will be coordinated and managed by Jicui Dong, PhD, unit head of the local production and assistance unit, on behalf of the access to medicines and health products division at WHO. An array of centers is being established to provide access to training for the development of the workforce in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), equipping them with the relevant skills for biomanufacturing.

Role of regional training centers

According to the WHO, each training center will be part of a global network of training centers expected to:

1. Deliver comprehensive didactic and hands-on courses on biomanufacturing meeting WHO Academy quality standard, including both existing and newly developed training programs with WHO support.
2. Utilize innovative pedagogical approaches to foster learning, establish assessment tools, and maintain quality criteria aligned with WHO Academy standards.
3. Provide online training to scale up delivery and expand global reach, ensuring wider access to training opportunities.
4. Collaborate with universities to attract future talent and integrate new skills into biotechnology curricula, contributing to workforce development.
5. Partner with local biotechnology industries to support on-the-job training and provide access to the latest technologies, enhancing practical skills acquisition.
6. Serve as a resource center for WHO capacity-building activities in biomanufacturing, facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration among stakeholders.

Additionally, operate as separate and independent entities from WHO and be self-financing, and establish a legal agreement with WHO prior to commencing activities, outlining terms and conditions for collaboration and accountability.

Selection criteria

WHO is seeking expressions of interest from institutions supported by Individual Member States, with participation from manufacturers, research, and academic institutions, able to provide the necessary know-how, process training, curricula, candidate selection, maintain an interactive ecosystem with target audiences and mobilize the necessary funding for the operation of the Center. Candidate centers are expected to:

• Be non-for-profit organizations
• Be experienced in designing and delivering biomanufacturing training activities adapted to the local and regional context
• Focus on activities targeting LMICs
• Offer a full range of accredited courses on biomanufacturing topics
• Have explicit commitment from the head of the institution, as well as the relevant ministry of health and/or ministry of education and/or ministry of industry
• Have a GMP-like environment to offer trainees a realistic simulated training environment in an industrial type setting
• Have access to adequate infrastructural conference facilities that are conducive to learning, with technologies including access to high-speed internet, video conferencing, computers, and IT support
• Have adequate and relevant human resources who can support the training activities and related initiatives such as the mentorship capacity to develop future trainers
• Have management and technical lead staff proficient in English and technical staff proficient in at least one of the languages of greatest needs for the targeted audience (to be justified)
• Be able to assess learning of trainees and to evaluate the effectiveness of the training program
• Have a sustainability strategy for promotion of continued education/training, including specific plans for institutionalization of the training programs
• Have a strong advocacy and communication strategy for promotion and wider dissemination of training activities
• Have well-established and adequate governance, accounting, and administrative systems for quality assurance of training management and delivery
• Have a well-established business model ensuring its financial sustainability while ensuring affordability for trainees from LMICs
• Willing to offer a reasonable number of free seats to WHO-selected trainees from LMICs
• Not be part of or have links, financial or otherwise, with the tobacco or arms industries

Interested institutions should submit a comprehensive proposal to WHO through Jicui Dong, PhD, unit head of the local production & assistance (LPA) unit, [email protected], with a copy to [email protected], mentioning in the subject “EoI–Regional-Biomanufacturing Training Center [Institution name],”  by February 28, 2025.

The proposal should comprise the following components:

1. List of participating institutions including Member States, Manufacturers, Universities, or other relevant academic or training institutions, supported by institutional declarations of acceptability by relevant officers.
2. Coordinating Institution and coordination focal point: list of key staff with their anticipated role and CV.
3. A business plan aiming provisionally at the first two years of activities: including training areas pertaining to all or part of the biomanufacturing processes, targeted countries (LMICs), resource allocation, funding strategies, proposed overall budget with high-level break-out for the first two years and measures to establish long-term sustainability.
4. Number of free seats to selected courses to be offered to WHO-selected trainees from LMICs.
5. Background and previous training activities of the applicants at national/regional and international levels, including relevant staff involved.
6. Application should specify in which language the center intends to operate and justification for the selected language, beyond English.
7. Tentative start date of the Centre’s activities and proposed activities before the start of the proposed training programs.
8. Any additional information considered relevant by the applicant.