AstraZeneca Young Health Programme Impact Fellowship | 2025

Young Health Programme Impact Fellowship 2025


Are you a passionate young leader actively involved in advocating for greater health equity within your community?

Are you leading projects within a registered non-profit organisation?

Are you ready to be part of a global network with other young people who are creating positive change for the future?

AstraZeneca is looking for passionate, driven young leaders to join their 2025 Young Health Programme (YHP) Impact Fellowship. This Fellowship focuses on supporting young advocates to create actionable change relating to health equity in their communities by providing funding, learning and development opportunities, and participation in the One Young World Summit. Selected Fellows will be awarded a fully-funded One Young World Scholarship to attend the 2025 Summit in Munich, Germany, a US $10,000 grant (or US $50,000 if chosen as a Lead2030 Challenge* winner) to implement a project through their eligible non-profit organisation. In addition, they will gain exclusive leadership opportunities designed to support their personal and professional growth.

Who are we looking for?

AstraZeneca is looking for young leaders from all corners of the world who are committed to advocacy for health equity in at least one of the following focus areas:

  • Non-communicable diseases (NCD) prevention: Working to prevent NCDs among young people by promoting policies that enable healthy lifestyles, with a specific focus on ensuring that efforts are inclusive and accessible to all. Relevant NCD risk factor areas include nutrition, tobacco & alcohol control, physical activity and air quality improvement.
  • Rare disease: Advocating for equitable access to care and enabling policy changes for people living with rare diseases.

About the Fellowship

The selected Fellows will gain access to networks and development opportunities, enabling them to drive a global health movement led by and for young people:

  • Access to Networks: Participation in the 2025 One Young World Summit and Ambassador Network and access to a YHP Alumni group of other young changemakers who are all passionate about youth health. Selected individuals will also join AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme Advisory Board which brings together passionate young leaders to accelerate political action on acting early on NCDs and champion policy solutions.
  • Access to Development: Structured learning and development offerings to enable you to scale your impact, including both self-directed and live learning. This includes access to the One Young World Academy, an award-winning mini-MBA programme, and professional training.
  • Access to Funding: Each selected Fellow will receive a grant of either US $10,000 or US $50,000 (if selected as the Lead2030 winner* for SDG3, for which you will be automatically considered) from AstraZeneca, through their non-profit organisation. Fellows are expected to use the grant to implement a project focused on improving youth health within their community.

*Please note: AstraZeneca's YHP also supports a One Young World Lead2030 Challenge. Eligible individuals applying for the YHP Impact Fellowship will be automatically considered for the Lead2030 Challenge.

Background

AstraZeneca recognises that prioritising prevention is essential if we are to meet the increasing demand for healthcare services and improve equitable outcomes. We need a fundamental shift from ‘sick care’ to health care, gearing our health systems to act earlier to prevent, and enable access to health education, literacy, and health empowerment.

AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme (YHP) aims to empower young people to make more informed choices about their health and catalyse a global, youth-led advocacy movement. Their YHP is now active in over 40 countries worldwide, combining community programmes, research, advocacy and supporting the development of young leaders, with a focus on underserved communities. The YHP aims to prevent the most common NCDs such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory disease.

Since 2016, AstraZeneca, through its YHP, has partnered with One Young World to identify and empower young leaders who are advocating for a positive impact on youth health in their communities. Learn more about the Young Health Programme here.

YHP activities support the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.4 - to reduce premature deaths linked to NCDs by one third by 2030.

  • Full delegate access to the One Young World Summit 2025 in Munich, Germany 3 - 6 November 2025.
  • Return air travel form your home country to Munich (flights in economy only). Flights will be arranged by the OYW delegate services team.
  • Private hotel accommodation in Munich checking in on 2 November and checking out on 7 November. Hotel accommodation will be arranged by the OYW delegate services team.
  • Catering which includes:
    • Dinner on 2 November
    • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 3-6 November
    • Breakfast on 7 November
  • Reimbursement of expenses incurred while travelling to and from Munich up to a maximum of £250.
  • Reimbursement of the Germany visitor visa application fee of approximately £75.
  • Return transfer from Munich International Airport to hotel via public transport.
  • Access to AstraZeneca’s YHP Impact Fellowship. The Fellowship will provide a combination of live and self-taught learning and development opportunities throughout the year to help Fellows scale their impact. This includes, but is not limited to:
    • Access to Networks: Participation in the One Young World Summit 2025 and Ambassador Network and access to a YHP Alumni group of other young changemakers who are all passionate about youth health. Selected individuals will also join AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme Advisory Board which brings together passionate young leaders to accelerate political action on acting early on NCDs and champion policy solutions.
    • Access to Development: Structured learning and development offerings to enable you to scale your impact, including both self-directed and live learning. This includes access to the One Young World Academy, an award-winning MBA-Essentials programme, and professional training.
    • Access to Funding: Each selected Fellow will receive a grant of either US $10,000 or US $50,000 (if selected as the Lead2030 Challenge* winner for SDG3) from AstraZeneca, through their non-profit organisation. Fellows are expected to use the grant to implement a project focused on improving youth health within their community.

*Please note: AstraZeneca's YHP also supports a One Young World Lead2030 Challenge. Eligible individuals applying for the YHP Impact Fellowship will be automatically considered for the Lead2030 Challenge.

  • Aged 18 - 30.**
  • Proficiency in English (speaking, reading, writing).
  • Nationals of all countries are eligible to apply for this scholarship.
  • Ability to fully participate in-person at the One Young World Summit (2-7 November 2025) in Munich, Germany.
  • Willingness to share insights, help co-create commitments to action, foster partnerships, and serve as ambassadors of AstraZeneca’s health equity and YHP work where appropriate.
  • Access to the internet and a device (computer, phone) that will allow them to participate in live, online Fellowship sessions – this will not be provided to Fellows.
  • Applicants must be founders or leaders of registered non-profit organisations that meet the following criteria:
    • Have been registered and operational for at least 3 full years.
    • To be considered to receive a $10,000 grant: have had a total reported income in the last financial year of more than USD$10,000 and less than USD$1,000,000.
    • To be considered to receive a $50,000 grant: Have had a total reported income in the last financial year of more than USD$100,000 and less than USD$2,000,000.
  • Are ‘funding-ready’ and able to provide appropriate documentation (in English) to AstraZeneca’s grant-making partner at the Charities Aid Foundation to verify their organisation’s charitable status, governance and financial situation. This process usually takes 3-6 months to complete and will begin once Fellows are selected. If the required documentation is not available, it may impact the ability of the organisation to receive the grant and Fellowship may be withdrawn. We aim for all grants to be dispersed by October 2025, and projects to start between October 2025 and April 2026. All projects must end by December 2026.
  • Operate in underserved communities.
  • Applicants must be able to propose a 6-12 month project that:
    • Focuses on preventing NCDs among young people by promoting policies that enable healthy lifestyles and equitable access to healthcare information and services, with a specific focus on ensuring that efforts are inclusive and accessible to all.
    • Projects can include influencing policy change within a country or community to benefit young people living with rare diseases or tackling the five major NCD risk factors / behavioural risk areas common among young people (tobacco use, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and air pollution) which contribute to NCDs (cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, type II diabetes).
    • Focuses on clear policy goals with a detailed advocacy strategy that is primarily led by, and for the benefit of, young people.
    • Is inclusive and non-discriminatory in its approach working with marginalised or vulnerable young people.
    • Working with underserved communities.
    • Is measurable and is able to demonstrate impact. Organisations must provide an end-of-year and end-of-grant report including, but not limited to, total number of young people reached directly, policies influenced/result, lessons learned and impact.
    • Begins after October 2025 and will be completed by December 2026.
  • Projects that do any of the following are not eligible for funding:
    • Discriminate or primarily promote political or religious viewpoints to their beneficiaries.
    • Use the funds to make grants or financial donations to other organisations or individuals.
    • Be primarily a medical course/s.
    • Provide bursaries, tuition, scholarships or fees for an existing course.
    • Provide treatment, promote medicines, provide medical advice or pay for medicines.
    • Benefit AstraZeneca’s commercial business.
    • Last more than 12 months.
    • Have already taken place or are planned to start before November 2025.
    • Be funded more than 50% by another source, aside from the AstraZeneca Grant.
  • Selected individuals are expected to fully participate in the YHP Impact Fellowship and One Young World Summit. Any misrepresentation, or inability to fully participate and complete verification in a timely manner may jeopardise their Scholarship benefits and grant eligibility.
  • If, after selection, the screening and verification process determines that the organisations do not meet the eligibility requirements as outlined above, they will be unable to receive the Grant and the individual’s participation in the YHP Impact Fellowship and OYW Summit may be withdrawn.

​​​​​**Most delegates are between the ages of 18 and 30. The selection committee will consider applications from those who are older than 30, pending demonstration of appropriate personal impact, initiative, and willingness to engage.

 

 

Application Deadline 17 April 2025