Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship for Undergraduate Students and Professionals in the United States (Fully Funded) 2021

The Hubert H. Humphrey FellowshipProgram invites undergraduate and professionals to apply to the Humphrey Fellowship Program in the United States. The program offers a year of academic enrichment, professional development, and networking with experts around the world.

Basic Eligibility Criteria:

• An undergraduate (first university or Bachelor's) 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.

Program Fields:

Sustainable Development:

• Agricultural and Rural Development.
• Economic Development.
• Finance and Banking.
• Natural Resources, Environmental, and Climate Policy.
• Urban and Regional Planning.

Democratic Institution Building:

• Communications/Journalism.
• International Religious Freedom.
• Law and Human Rights.
• Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration.
• Trafficking in Persons Policy and Prevention.
• Technology Policy and Management.
• Human Resource Management.

Education:

• Educational Administration, Planning, and Policy.
• Higher Education Administration.
• The teaching of English as a Foreign Language.

Public Health:

• Contagious and Infectious Diseases.
• Public Health Policy and Management.
• HIV/AIDS Policy and Prevention.
• Substance Abuse Education, Treatment, and Prevention.

Fellowship Components:

Shortly after arriving in the U.S., Humphrey Fellows will prepare individual program plans for their professional development, detailing their goals and objectives for the year, including courses, seminars, special projects, professional and community activities. The main program components are:

• Humphrey Seminar:

In the seminar, Fellows are introduced to the skills and perspectives they will need as global leaders, share approaches to common issues and problems in their regions, and learn about many aspects of U.S. culture and society.

• Academic Enrichment:

Fellows are placed in groups of seven to fifteen at selected U.S. universities, which serve as their academic and professional base. Fellows audit or register for a partial course load to enable them to travel and network with their American peers and experts in their field of work, attend conferences, and engage in a professional affiliation (work experience) without the pressure of meeting specific degree or diploma requirements.

• Professional Development:

The purpose of the Humphrey Fellowship is to enrich Fellows’ professional skills and knowledge. The Program provides Fellows opportunities to meet and exchange information and share experiences with their American counterparts and Humphrey colleagues from around the world. Through conferences, networking meetings, seminars, and workshops, Fellows expand their perspectives on their work and on global issues.

• The Washington Global Leadership Forum:

All Fellows attend this four-day seminar in Washington, D.C. to learn more about U.S. institutions, federal agencies, and international organizations. Humphrey Fellows meet with representatives of key organizations, participate in sessions on leadership and professional development, and make professional contacts. The Global Leadership Forum provides an opportunity for Fellows to meet their Humphrey colleagues from all 18 host campuses and to initiate the friendships and professional relationships that will continue throughout the Fellowship year and beyond.

• English Language Courses:

Fellows who are otherwise strong Humphrey candidates but need improved English to benefit fully from the Humphrey experience participate in intensive English language training before the start of their Humphrey Fellowship Program (usually during the summer months). If needed, Fellows can also take additional English language courses at their host universities.

Funding:

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.

Program Timeline:

Embassies and Commissions must submit their nominations to the Institute of International Education office in Washington, DC by October 1. Fellowships are announced in March the following year and Humphrey Fellows start their program in the U.S. between April and September of the same year, depending on the amount of English language training required. The Program ends the following June. Fellows with inadequate TOEFL scores may be required to attend intensive English language training before the start of their Fellowship.

Selection Process:

• Stage 1: National Screening

The Humphrey Program is facilitated overseas by Binational Fulbright Commissions/Foundations or the Public Affairs Sections of U.S. Embassies. Commissions and Embassies review applications submitted for the Humphrey Fellowship Program, invite selected applicants for interviews and determine which applications are to be forwarded for further consideration to the Institute of International Education in Washington, D.C. Please contact the Embassy 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, DC by October 1. The deadline for applicants to submit their applications to the Embassy or Commission varies by country.

IIE reviews all submitted applications for basic eligibility and then convenes regional Candidate Review Committees (CRC) to evaluate the applications.

• Stage 3: Candidate Review Committees

Candidate Review Committees convene in Washington, DC in December. Independent expert panelists with regional experience who work in academia, international organizations, or non-governmental organizations are recruited to review applications from a particular region of the world.

• 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 the 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

The Institute of International Education places the approved candidates at U.S. universities that have been selected to host Humphrey Fellows. Placements are determined by candidates' fields of study and the program plan statements expressed in their applications.

About the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program:

President Jimmy Carter announced the establishment of the Humphrey Program on a state visit to Venezuela in March 1978. It would be a program, Carter said, embodying the values shared by the United States and Venezuela -- democracy, social justice, and a desire to assist the developing nations of the world. It was named in honor of the late Senator and Vice President, Hubert H. Humphrey (1911-1978). A long-time advocate of international cooperation and understanding, Humphrey served as Vice President of the United States from 1965 to 1969 and for many years as a U.S. Senator from Minnesota. The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program provides 10 months of professional enrichment and non-degree graduate-level study in the United States for accomplished mid-level professionals from designated countries.