The Humphrey program provides mid-career professionals an opportunity to pursue graduate-level academic course work with professional development activities in the United States during the approximately year-long program. While the Program does not offer a degree, it does provide broad professional enrichment through a combination of activities tailored to each Fellow’s interest. Humphrey Fellowships are limited to one academic year, preceded, if appropriate, by a period of English-language training.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate the potential for leadership and a commitment to service, either in the public or private sector. Because Humphrey Fellows design their own programs and establish their own professional affiliations, they must be self-motivated and able to easily adapt to a new environment. It is important that candidates have considerable initiative if they are to benefit from the program. Prospective fellows should have a minimum of five years of professional experience prior to the program starting in August 2024 and should be interested in policies pertaining to their fields of specialization.
The Humphrey Program is a Fulbright Exchange Activity and its funding is provided by the United States Congress through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. Russian candidates compete with candidates from about one hundred other countries for selection. The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarships Board, appointed by the President to oversee and supervise the educational exchanges of the Fulbright Program, has overall responsibility for the final selection of Humphrey Fellows.
Program fields for 2024-2025:
Human and Institutional Capacity
- Economic Development
- Finance and Banking
- Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration
- Technology Policy and Management
Rights and Freedoms
- Communications/Journalism
- Law and Human Rights
Sustainable Lands
- Agricultural and Rural Development
- Natural Resources, Environmental Policy and Climate Change
- Urban and Regional Planning
Thriving Communities
- Public Health Policy and Management
- Substance Abuse Education, Treatment and Prevention
- Educational Administration, Planning and Policy
Please see the detailed description of each field here: https://www.humphreyfellowship.org/impact-areas/
Eligibility requirements:
- Russian citizenship; residency in Russian Federation;
- University degree (Bachelor’s degree) as a minimum;
- At least five years of full-time professional experience after completing a university degree (prior to August 2024);
- Strong leadership potential as evidenced by performance history;
- Commitment to public service in a wide variety of fields;
- Proficiency in English
Who is ineligible to apply?
- Recent university graduates (even if they have significant positions);
- University teachers or academic researchers with no management responsibilities (except teachers of English as a foreign language, and specialists in substance abuse prevention and treatment);
- Individuals who have attended a graduate school in the United States for one academic year or more during the seven years prior to August 2024;
- Individuals with U.S. in-country experience of any kind lasting more than six months during the five years prior to August 2024;
- Individuals who participated in a State Department exchange programs within the last three years;
- Local employees of U.S. Missions abroad who work for the U.S. Department of State and members of their families (incl. one year following the termination of employment);
- Individuals with dual U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status
Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship is a non-degree program. You should not seek to pursue an advanced academic degree in the United States, nor will you be able to attend a specific U.S. university. Participating universities are selected competitively to host Fellows in groups by profession.
Applicants can begin an application by going to: https://apply.iie.org/huberthhumphrey
The deadline for submitting applications is Sunday, August 13, 2023, 11:59 p.m. Moscow time.
Please note that the Program’s website mentions October 2 as the deadline for U.S. embassies/Fulbright commissions to submit nominations. It means that after the internal deadline (August 13, 2023 for Russia) U.S. Embassy will review all applications and interview candidates who have potential. The selected candidates will be nominated by October 2, and will be ready for further review by the Humphrey Program.
Candidates nominated by the Embassy need to take the language test after October 1 (the exam will be free). Please do not take the language test in advance.
Please write to humphreyrussia@gmail.com if you have any questions related to the Humphrey Program. Please do NOT send program applications to this e-mail address. Please submit applications only through the Program portal (https://apply.iie.org/huberthhumphrey)
Deadline for submitting online applications for the academic year 2024-2025 is Sunday, August 13, 2023, 23:59 Moscow time.
Additional program information is available at: humphreyrussia@gmail.com
More details are available at the Humphrey Program website, www.humphreyfellowship.org
