The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, which is a Fulbright program, brings accomplished young and mid-career professionals from developing countries to the United States for ten months of non-degree graduate study and related practical professional experiences. The Humphrey program was initiated in 1978 to honour the memory and accomplishments of the late Senator and Vice-President of the United States, Hubert H. Humphrey.
The program is designed to meet the requirements of policymakers, planners, administrators, and managers in the government, public and private sectors, and non-governmental organizations, who have a public service commitment, demonstrated leadership potential, and commitment to their own country's development. The fellowships are awarded in the fields of Agricultural and Rural Development; Communications/Journalism; Economic Development; Educational Administration, Planning and Policy; Finance and Banking; 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; Technology Policy and Management; Urban and Regional Planning. Applications from all the listed fields are welcome. Qualified women and candidates from minority and disadvantaged groups are encouraged to apply.
Appropriate candidates are young and mid-career professionals in leadership positions who have a commitment to public service and the potential for professional advancement. Candidates should demonstrate the required experience, skills, and commitment while also indicating how they can benefit from this program in ways that they have not experienced previously and are not likely to experience without the Humphrey program.
Candidates should be proficient in both written and spoken English and will be required to take Internet-based Test (iBT) of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
The Humphrey program also offers a Long-Term English (LTE) language training opportunity to facilitate the participation of candidates from non-elite populations, rural areas, minority groups and others who may be excellent candidates but lack the necessary language skills. LTE participants will be brought to the U.S. for an intensive 4-month pre-academic program to improve their language skills.
About the program
The Humphrey fellows undertake master's level work directly related to their professional needs and fields of interest but does not result in the awarding of a degree. They are assigned in clusters of 8-15 to the institution offering the most appropriate program in their area of interest. These clusters are balanced geographically, permitting interaction among fellows from various countries. The host universities are chosen for their excellence in the Humphrey fields and for the resources and support they offer Humphrey Fellows.
For 2023-2024, host universities are: American University, Washington College of Law; Arizona State University; Boston University; Cornell University; Emory University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Michigan State University; Pennsylvania State University; Syracuse University; University of California, Davis; University of Minnesota, Humphrey School of Public Affairs; Vanderbilt University; Virginia Commonwealth University. Placement at a specific university requested by a candidate cannot be arranged.
Programs arranged for the Humphrey fellows will begin in August 2025. These include academic course work at the master's level, and place considerable emphasis on activities such as seminars, special projects, field trips, attendance at professional meetings and conferences, networking with professional counterparts, and professional affiliations with appropriate organizations. These activities provide fellows with practical experience in their fields outside the university setting. Each fellow will design his/her individual program with the Humphrey coordinator’s assistance.
During their Humphrey year, fellows are expected to be resourceful, display initiative, and network with U.S. organizations and professionals.
All selected fellows participate in a one-week workshop in Washington, D.C. in the Fall of 2025
HUMPHREY/ NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE (NIDA) FELLOWSHIPS
These fellowships are designed to provide training in prevention research, epidemiology, treatment and substance abuse policy research. Candidates in this field may be focused on problems of alcohol, drug and tobacco abuse as well as broader areas of public health that relate to substance abuse, such as HIV/AIDS, mental health, medicine, psychology, social work and counseling. Previous Humphrey recipients in the substance abuse field have come from universities, community-based treatment and prevention program, hospitals, criminal justice settings and local or national policy agencies.
Grant Benefits
A Humphrey fellowship provides tuition and fees, a monthly maintenance allowance, Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges per U.S. Government guidelines, a modest allowance for books and supplies, round-trip international air travel to the host institution, domestic travel to the Washington, D.C. workshop, and allowances for professional activities such as field trips, professional visits, and conferences. These fellowships do not provide an allowance for dependents, and the stipend provided under the grant is not sufficient to support family members. The program will involve a number of activities where it will be difficult to include dependents.
Eligibility Requirements
In addition to the General Prerequisites the applicant:
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Must have completed an equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree. Applicants must either possess a four-year bachelor's degree or a completed master's degree; or a full-time postgraduate diploma, if the bachelor's degree is of less than four years' duration.
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Must have at least five years of substantial professional experience (prior to August 2025) in the respective field, and be eligible for leave;
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Should have demonstrated leadership qualities;
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Should have a record of public service in the community; and
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must give an undertaking to return to India on completion of the fellowship.
Candidates meeting any of the following descriptions will be rendered technically ineligible to participate in the Humphrey Program:
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Individuals with less than five years of full-time professional experience prior to August 2025.
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University teachers with no management or policy responsibilities, except for teachers of English as a foreign language and specialists in substance abuse prevention and treatment.
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Individuals who have attended a graduate school in the United States for one academic year or more during the seven years prior to August 2025.
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Individuals who have had more than six months of U.S. experience during the five years prior to August 2025.
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Individuals with dual U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status.
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Have participated in recent State Department exchange programs.
How to Apply
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Applications must be submitted online at: https://apply.iie.org/huberthhumphrey
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Please carefully review the Hubert H Humphrey_Applicant Instructions before starting your online application.
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If employed, please upload the Employer’s Endorsement Form on the online application.
Note:
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In case of central or state government employees, the signed copy of employer’s endorsement form should be forwarded through the cadre controlling authority. In case of employed candidates, the employer's comments in the employer’s endorsement form must indicate that leave will be granted for the fellowship. Please upload a scanned copy of the employer’s endorsement on your online application.
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Incomplete applications or applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
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Applicants are advised to invite two referees through their online application portal and request them to submit their recommendations online as per the guidelines given in the applicant instructions. Referee(s) should complete confidential report of reference by the application deadline.
Application Deadline: June 14, 2024, 23:59:59 hrs (IST)
For any queries contact:
ffsp@usief.org.in
Timeline and Placement Process
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June 14, 2024 |
Application due date for 2025-2026 awards |
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Mid-July 2024 |
Screening applications to short-list candidates |
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End July 2024 |
USIEF informs the applicants about the review outcome |
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Early August 2024 |
National interviews of short-listed candidates |
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Mid-August 2024 |
USIEF notifies the nominees. Nominees take TOEFL |
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Early September 2024 |
USIEF forwards applications of nominees to the Humphrey Program Office, in Washington, D.C. |
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February/March 2025 |
USIEF expects to receive the Humphrey selection cable from Washington, D.C. and notify the finalists |
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April 2025 |
4-month intensive English program begins for fellows requiring Long-Term English Training |
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June/July 2025 |
Pre-academic training in the U.S. begins for fellows requiring 8-weeks English Training (if required) |
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August/September 2025 |
Humphrey program begins |
Visit https://www.humphreyfellowship.org/ for more details on Humphrey Fellowship Program.
