For Immediate Release

Project HOPE Now Accepting Applications for 2014 Dr. Charles A. Sanders/Project HOPE International Residency Scholarship

Millwood, VA – January 24, 2014 – Project HOPE, a global health education and humanitarian assistance organization, is now accepting applications for the 2014 Dr. Charles A. Sanders/Project HOPE International Residency Scholarship funded by the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation. The scholarship program, established in 2012, provides a unique opportunity for current medical residents from North Carolina to participate in a one- to two-month supervised global health elective at one of Project HOPE’s program sites in the developing world.

The program sites selected for 2014 Sanders Scholarships are the NRI General Hospital in Vijayawada, India and the Monte Plata women's and children's health clinic in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The 2014 scholarship recipients will be assigned to a program site for one to two month electives to take place in early 2015.

"Project HOPE is so pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to North Carolina's most talented young physicians to learn about the health needs and challenges faced by children and adults in the developing world," said John P. Howe, III, MD, President and CEO of Project HOPE. "The knowledge and experience our Sanders Scholars gain through this program are a tremendous asset for all of their future endeavors – both at home and abroad."

The highly-competitive scholarship is open to applicants who have completed at least one year of postgraduate training in any specialty at one of North Carolina’s four medical schools - Wake Forest School of Medicine; Duke University School of Medicine; the Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Applicants are expected to demonstrate an interest and commitment to the practice of medicine in a low-resource international setting. One or more Sanders Scholars are selected annually by Project HOPE.

"My experience as a Sanders Scholar in the Dominican Republic last year gave me a deeper understanding of the health challenges for women and children in an underserved community. I learned the importance of zinc and Vitamin A supplementation for all children in the developing world - WHO recommendations that were previously unfamiliar to me," said Meredith Miller, MD, 2012 Sanders Scholarship recipient from Raleigh, NC.

The scholarship honors the legacy of Charles A. Sanders, MD, the retired Chairman and CEO of GlaxoSmithKline and Chairman Emeritus at Project HOPE. Dr. Sanders has been committed to improving the quality of health care in disadvantaged communities worldwide throughout his career. His many accomplishments during his 18-year tenure as Project HOPE’s Chairman of the Board included Project HOPE's support in the establishments of the Shanghai Children's Medical Center, now one of China's premier hospitals, and the state-of-the-art Basra Children's Hospital in war-torn Basra, Iraq.

The application deadline is February 28. Finalist candidates will be selected and initial interviews will be conducted by phone in March. An awardee or awardees will be announced on April 1. The Sanders scholarship will fund all expenses related to the elective such as costs of preparation and orientation, insurance, airfare and an in-country daily stipend. For more information on the residency scholarship and to download an application, please visit
http://www.projecthope.org/scholarship.

About Project HOPE

Founded in 1958, Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) is dedicated to providing lasting solutions to health problems with the mission of helping people to help themselves. Identifiable to many by the SS HOPE, the world's first peacetime hospital ship, Project HOPE now provides medical training and health education, as well as conducts humanitarian assistance programs in more than 35 countries. Follow us on Twitter: @projecthopeorg.

About The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation

Based in Research Triangle Park, the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation supports programs that promote the sciences, health, and education. Since its creation in 1986, the Foundation has granted more than $60 million to support North Carolina projects and programs that meet the educational needs of today's society and of future generations. Follow us on Twitter @NCGSKFound.

Media Contact

Geraldine Carroll (540) 257-3746 or gcarroll@projecthope.org