The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program provides a year of professional enrichment in the United States for experienced professionals from designated countries throughout the world. Fellows are selected based on their potential for leadership and their commitment to public service in either the public or private sector.
Each year approximately 200 Fellows funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State engage in non-degree study and related professional experiences at selected American universities. Started in 1978, the program now has a network of over 4,000 alumni in 157 countries around the world working to improve their communities and the lives of those in need.
Fellows are placed at one of eighteen American universities chosen for excellence in relevant Humphrey fields and for the resources and support they offer Humphrey Fellows. The host campus selection process is open to all universities. This year’s university competition is in the field of Substance Abuse Education, Treatment, and Prevention.
Is the Humphrey Fellowship Program right for you?
The Humphrey Fellowship Program is for experienced professionals interested in strengthening their leadership skills through a mutual exchange of knowledge and understanding about issues of common concern in the U.S. and Fellows’ home countries. As a non-degree program, the Fellowship offers valuable opportunities for professional development through selected university courses, attending conferences, networking, and practical work experiences. During the year, Fellows pursue both their individual program goals and work closely with their Humphrey colleagues in workshops and seminars. Unlike a typical graduate school experience, the program encourages Fellows to travel away from their host campus to learn more about American culture and to network with their American peers. If you are interested in broadening your perspectives and becoming a global leader, the Humphrey Fellowship is for you.
Basic Eligibility Criteria:
- an undergraduate (first university) degree
- a minimum of five years of full-time professional experience
- limited or no prior experience in the United States
- demonstrated leadership qualities
- a record of public service in the community
- English language ability
Please contact the U.S. Embassy, Public Affairs Section or Fulbright Commission in your country of residence to learn about possible specific program requirements.
Professional Fields
Humphrey Fellowships are awarded competitively to candidates who are mid-career professionals in many fields. Please contact the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy or Bi-national Fulbright Commission in your country to see which of the following fields candidates are being recruited in.
- Agricultural and Rural Development
- Communications/Journalism
- Economic Development
- Educational Administration, Planning and Policy
- Finance and Banking
- Higher Education Administration
- HIV/AIDS Policy and Prevention
- Human Resource Management
- Law and Human Rights
- Natural Resources, Environmental Policy, and Climate Change
- Public Health Policy and Management
- Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration
- Substance Abuse Education, Treatment and Prevention
- Teaching of English as a Foreign Language
- Technology Policy and Management
- Trafficking in Persons Policy and Prevention
- Urban and Regional Planning
Fellowship Provisions
The Fellowship provides for:
- Payment of tuition and fees at the assigned host university;
- Pre-academic English language training, if required;
- A maintenance (living) allowance, including a one-time settling-in allowance;
- Accident and sickness coverage;
- A book allowance;
- A one-time computer subsidy;
- Air travel (international travel to and from the U.S. for the program and domestic travel to required program events);
- A Professional Development allowance for professional activities, such as field trips, professional visits and conferences.
Eligible Countries/Regions
In 28 countries, the Humphrey Fellowship Program is administered by a bi-national educational exchange commission. In all other participating countries, the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy is charged with the operation of the Program.
To find out if citizens of your country/region are eligible to participate in the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, click on your region. If your country/region appears on the list, you are eligible to apply.
Please contact the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy or Bi-national Fulbright Commission in your country for more information about application procedures. Check for a list of eligible countries and in-country contact information.
Embassies and Commissions must submit their nominations to the Institute of International Education office in Washington, DC by October 1. The deadlines for applicants vary by country. Please check with the Embassy or Fulbright Commission in your country to learn about the deadline for submitting applications.
Selection Process
Stage 1: National Screening.
The Humphrey Program is facilitated overseas by binational Fulbright Commissions/Foundations (Commissions) or U.S. Embassies (Posts). Commissions and Posts review applications submitted for the Humphrey Fellowship Program and invite selected applicants for interviews. Posts and Commissions determine which applications are to be forwarded for further consideration to the Institute of International Education in Washington, D.C. Please contact the Post or Commission in your country to learn of its selection criteria.
Stage 2: Screening by the Institute of International Education
Embassies and Commissions must submit their nominations to the Institute of International Education (IIE) office in Washington, D.C. by October 1. The deadline for applicants to submit their applications to the Embassy or Commission varies by country. Please check with the Embassy or Fulbright Commission in your country to learn of its application deadline.
IIE reviews all submitted applications for basic eligibility and then convenes regional Candidate Selection Committees (CRC) to evaluate the applications.
Stage 3: Candidate Selection Committees
Candidate Selection Committees convene in Washington, D.C. in December. CRC members are chosen for their expertise in the region of the world in which they will review applications. Independent expert panelists with regional experience who work in academia, international organizations, or non-governmental organizations are recruited to review applications.
Stage 4: Approval by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB) was created by Congress to supervise the Fulbright Program and other Fulbright Exchange Activities, including the Humphrey Fellowship Program. The FSB sets policies and procedures for administration of the Humphrey Fellowship Program, has final authority for selection of all Fellows, and supervises the conduct of the program both in the United States and abroad.
Stage 5: Placement of selected Humphrey Fellows
After receiving approval from the FSB, the Department of State will announce the final selection results to participating U.S. embassies and Fulbright Commissions, who will inform candidates of their status. The Institute of International Education places the selected candidates in U.S. universities that have been selected to host the Humphrey program. Placements are determined by candidates’ fields of study and their individual program plans.
Scholarship source:
http://humphreyfellowship.org/page/home/
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