Sciana: The Health Leaders Network An initiative bringing together outstanding health leaders in Europe to problem-solve future challenges for health and wellbeing.
- We are looking for mid-to-senior level leaders from the UK, Germany and Switzerland to join the ninth cohort of Sciana: The Health Leaders Network.
- The Sciana Network offers Fellows a two-year systems leadership programme for health and wellbeing and supports cross-country and interdisciplinary connections, innovation and collaboration.
- Each cohort will comprise of up to 18 outstanding health leaders, six each from Germany, Switzerland and the UK.
- The programme is now open for applications and will close on 30 June 2026.
About the programme
Sciana: The Health Leaders Network is an initiative bringing together outstanding leaders in Europe, dedicated to the joint exploration and collective problem-solving of future challenges for health and wellbeing.
The Sciana Network offers its Fellows a systems leadership programme for health, care and wellbeing.
The network supports cross-country and interdisciplinary connections, innovation and collaboration. It inspires Fellows to grow through experimenting with new approaches, exploring ways of pushing boundaries and building strong alliances.
The Sciana Network is supported by a partnership between the Health Foundation (UK), Careum Stiftung (Switzerland) and the Robert Bosch Stiftung (Germany) in collaboration with Salzburg Global Seminar.
The network consists of a two-year residential and online programme focused on systems leadership for health, cross-health systems exchange and future health challenges. It offers time for reflection and collective support to think ahead on the big issues facing our health systems and their leaders today, as well as in the future. Further network activities are offered to all Fellows to allow for continued active engagement beyond the initial programme.
Watch our video: What is the Sciana Network?
What do we understand by systems leadership at the Sciana Network?
The Sciana Network believes that transforming health systems requires more than organisational leadership. Systems leaders are people in key positions, who can operate across institutional, professional and national boundaries.
Transforming a complex system – such as [...] health systems – is a monumental task requiring coordinated action by people with very different viewpoints. These people are increasingly described as systems leaders.
Inspired by David Nabarro’s definition, the Sciana Network seeks leaders who influence beyond their formal authority – individuals who act as connectors, bridge-builders and catalysts for structural change.
Invitation to apply
We are now inviting applications from mid-to-senior level leaders from the UK to join the ninth cohort of the Sciana Network beginning in May 2027.
The theme for Cohort 9 is Systems leadership for health in a digital age.
Cohort 9 will explore how leaders, health experts and policymakers can take a whole-systems approach to health, care and wellbeing in an increasingly digital world. The programme will focus on leadership for digital transformation in health systems, while also examining the broader digital environments that shape people’s behaviours, wellbeing and health equity across the life course.
A central focus of the programme will be health system readiness and resilience in the digital age, including digital literacy, health literacy and influence literacy — as well as strategies to address the effects of social media platforms and AI on mental health, trust and social cohesion.
Who should apply?
The Sciana Network encourages people of all genders, races and ethnicities, and people with disabilities to apply. It values diversity, equity and inclusion and strives to create an inclusive community of health leaders from different backgrounds and ages who bring unique perspectives.
The Sciana Network is for mid-to-senior level leaders in key positions whose work focuses on at least one of the health systems in the UK, Switzerland and Germany. Applicants do not need to hold UK, Swiss or German nationality. However, their professional impact must be clearly connected to one of these national health systems.
We are looking for leaders who:
- hold a key position in their health system with a track record of cross-sectoral collaboration and have taken on responsibilities beyond their day-to-day role.
- have experience in influencing policy, strategy or ways of working in health or healthcare at a systems level specific to health in a digital environment.
- understand the strategic complexity of health and health care systems and are passionate about solving the real-world challenges being faced.
- have excellent English language skills (knowledge of other languages is an advantage).
The Sciana Network welcomes systems leaders who are passionate about transforming the future of care, health and wellbeing across borders, sectors and professions. We encourage applications from: health and care delivery, public policy and government, research and academia, digital health and technology, industry and innovation, media and health communication, patient advocacy and civil society and community leadership.
During the two-year programme, Fellows will work in small teams to incubate and explore new ways of introducing system interventions. They will exchange strategies and innovations, and experiment with new cross-boundary collaborations through an applied leadership project called the ’Sciana Challenge’.
They will be supported by programme co-leads, Sir David Behan and Mary Helen Pombo, who will work in collaboration with the network’s three partner organisations: The Health Foundation, Careum, and the Bosch Health Campus.
Sciana Advisors and visiting speakers will also share their experiences, provide guidance, and prompt participants to think differently about approaching challenges in their day-to-day work.
Watch our video: Cohort 6 and their Sciana experience
Time commitment
Due to start in May 2027, the two-year systems leadership programme will include four residential meetings at Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria, home of Salzburg Global – the Network’s programme development management partner.
Tentative dates for cohort 9 meetings in Salzburg are:
- Residential Meeting 1: 4–8 May 2027
- Residential Meeting 2: 16–20 November 2027
- Residential Meeting 3: 2–6 May 2028
- Residential Meeting 4: 12–16 November 2028
Note: These dates include travel time to and from Salzburg. Fellows arrive in the evening on the first day and travel back home in the morning on the last day. The official programme takes place over three days.
How to apply
If you are interested in applying, please find further information about the Sciana Network, Cohort 9 theme, the selection criteria, frequently asked questions and how to apply by visiting the Sciana website.
The deadline for applications is 30 June 2026.
If a high volume of strong applications is received in advance, the call for applications may be closed before the official deadline. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.
All applicants will receive a response by early October 2026, and selected applicants will be invited to an online interview with representatives from the foundations and Salzburg Global.
If you have any questions about the Sciana Network, please see the FAQs or contact Júlia Escrivà Moreno, Programme Associate, Sciana Network at jescriva@salzburgglobal.org
If you have any questions about the UK application process, after reading the selection criteria and the FAQs, contact Tim Gardner, Assistant Director of Policy, at tim.gardner@health.org.uk