LEA-WH nurtures and equips Africa's next generation of women's health research leaders. Hosted at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Graduate School, the program bridges research excellence and innovation, equipping fellows with the technical expertise to develop scalable solutions and the leadership capabilities to drive equitable health outcomes.
Through a unique dual-track model, LEA-WH builds capacity for cutting-edge scientific research while fostering market-ready innovation. Over a year-long immersive fellowship, fellows strengthen their leadership, refine their research, and translate discoveries into products, services, and policies that make a measurable difference in women's health across Africa.
The inaugural cohort launches 30 April 2026.
Technical training and mentorship for African women advancing scientific knowledge in reproductive and women's health.
Capacity-building for product developers and innovators translating discovery into scalable, context-relevant solutions.
A snapshot of the inaugural cohort that joined LEA-WH on 30 April 2026 — drawn from across the continent, representing both research and innovation tracks, supported by a global mentor network.
Twenty fellows. Eleven countries. One bold cohort. Meet each researcher and innovator shaping Africa's women's health agenda.
Outcome metrics — follow-on funding secured, products reaching market, startups launched, patent applications filed, and grant success rates — will be published as Cohort 1 milestones are achieved. Subscribe to our newsletter for monthly updates.
Cohort 1 fellows enter an immersive twelve-month program designed to generate knowledge, build solutions, and deliver context-relevant impact. The fellowship combines technical mastery, leadership development, and global convening into a single, integrated experience.
Targeted training in research methods, data science, biostatistics, regulatory pathways, and translational science — matched to whether you're advancing knowledge or building products.
Coaching, peer learning, and lived case studies in scientific leadership, equity-centred decision-making, communication, and team-building — the human side of changing systems.
In-person gatherings across Africa and abroad bring fellows face-to-face with mentors, peers, and the international women's health community — building the network that follows you for life.
Cohort 1 fellowships span the full breadth of women's health priorities across Africa — from foundational research questions to market-ready innovations. Each fellow has selected one area in which to drive measurable impact over the year.
A year-long arc moving from orientation to graduation, with structured convenings and milestones throughout.
Virtual kick-off, cohort introductions, mentor pairing.
A five-day in-person convening where fellows interacts with the team
Foundational modules across both tracks; first one-to-one mentor sessions.
African gathering for peer exchange, technical workshops, and leadership labs.
Track-specific deep dives. Research fellows refine proposals; innovation fellows advance prototypes.
Fellows prepare submission-ready research and venture proposals.
Certification and onboarding into the LEA-WH alumni network.
A fellowship that takes the brightest minds from across Africa and gives them the tools, the network, and the platform to lead.
The LEA-WH PromiseA five-day in-person convening at Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club, Nairobi — where 20 fellows arrive as talented individuals and leave as a cohort, electrified by what lies ahead.
Arrival, welcome, opening keynote, V-log showcase, lived-experience panel.
Press breakfast, human-centered design, grant writing, fireside chat.
Track deep-dives, Communities of Practice, Africa Health Challenge.
Vitae Leadership Workshop, IDP framework, cohort gala dinner.
Reflection harvest, platform demo, fellowship pledge, send-off.
Program leadership, faculty, and partner-institution voices welcoming Cohort 1 to the journey ahead.
Hear directly from the LEA-WH leadership and the partners behind the program. The full program overview, the vision, and what Cohort 1 means for the future of African women's health science.
Program Director
Curriculum Development Lead
R&D and Technical Training Lead
Leadership Development Lead
LEA-WH is powered by a global network of women's health leaders, scientists, clinicians, and innovators who guide our fellows through every stage of the twelve-month journey.
Whether you're a senior researcher with a track record of impact or a clinician building a new field, we're recruiting two communities to support Cohort 1: faculty who shape the curriculum and lead training sessions, and mentors who walk alongside individual fellows through their research or innovation projects.
Lead modules, masterclasses, and group convenings. Shape the technical and leadership curriculum across both tracks.
One-on-one guidance for individual fellows. Monthly virtual sessions plus in-person engagement at convenings.
Mentors don't just teach — they open doors that take a career a decade to find on its own.
The LEA-WH approachCurated digital resources to support your twelve-month fellowship — research databases, learning platforms, library access, and the LEA-WH knowledge base.
KEMRI's primary learning management system. Access course modules, video lectures, and assessments.
Open Portal → Get MentoredGet intouch with your mentor, meet, exchange knowledge. Access mentorship resources as a fellow.
MEET YOUR MENTOR → Library CatalogueSearch the KEMRI online public access catalogue for books, journals, theses, and reference materials.
Search Catalogue → Knowledge BaseAccess KEMRI's full archive of theses, peer-reviewed publications, and primary research on women's health.
Browse Repository → Off-Campus AccessOff-campus access to library subscriptions and licensed databases — read full-text journals from anywhere in the world.
Sign In → Reference DocumentThe complete LEA-WH Fellowship Scholars handbook — program structure, expectations, deliverables, and convening calendar.
Download PDF →Quick answers about LEA-WH eligibility, structure, costs, and the application process.
The fellowship is open to early- and mid-career African researchers, clinicians, and innovators committed to advancing women's health. Applicants must be nationals or permanent residents of an African country and hold a relevant terminal degree (PhD, MD, or equivalent), or demonstrate equivalent professional experience in product development.
Applicants must also commit to the full twelve-month program, including all in-person convenings.
The two tracks are designed for different career trajectories:
Both tracks share leadership development, technical training, and global convenings — but project mentorship and outputs differ by track.
Yes. LEA-WH provides a competitive monthly stipend, a project budget, and full coverage of travel and accommodation for in-person convenings. Specific figures are shared with shortlisted applicants and align with comparable African fellowship programs.
Fellows remain employed by their home institution — LEA-WH supplements rather than replaces existing employment.
The fellowship runs for twelve months. Fellows commit roughly 30–40 percent of their working time to LEA-WH activities, with the balance at their home institution.
The structure includes monthly virtual masterclasses, quarterly in-person convenings (4–5 days each), individual mentorship sessions, and a track-specific project deliverable.
Convenings rotate across LEA-WH partner institutions in Africa. The launch convening is hosted at KEMRI in Nairobi, with subsequent convenings in regional partner cities and at least one international convening at the U.S. National Academy of Medicine.
All travel, visa support, and accommodation are coordinated and funded by the program secretariat.
Applications for Cohort 2 are expected to open in late 2026, with the cohort launching in April 2027. Subscribe to our mailing list below to be the first to know when applications open.
The fellowship is designed exclusively for African researchers and innovators — nationals or permanent residents of an African country, working at an African institution. This focus is central to LEA-WH's mission of building African leadership in women's health.
Established researchers based outside Africa interested in supporting the program are welcome to apply for our Faculty & Mentor network instead.
Email the LEA-WH secretariat at lea-wh@kemri.go.ke for application questions, eligibility queries, or technical issues with the application portal. The team typically responds within two working days.
LEA-WH is co-designed and delivered by institutions with decades of leadership in African and global women's health.
Kenya Medical Research Institute
P.O Box 54840, 00200
Mbagathi Road,
Off Raila Odinga Way
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: (254) 0202722541/4,
0713112853/4
graduateschool@kemri.go.ke
