The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program

Vlada Sjedinjenih Američkh država nudi nekoliko vrhunskih programa. Jedan od njih je i The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program!
Pogledajte informacije i saznajte o čemu je riječ!

The Embassy of the United States of America in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is pleased to announce the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program competition for the 2022-2023 academic year.

This one-year Fellowship program is offered to young and mid-career professionals who have a proven track record of leadership, a public service commitment, and the capacity to take full advantage of a self-defined program of independent non-degree study at a leading U.S. university. The program awards a certificate from the U.S. Government; it is not designed to deliver an advanced degree. The Humphrey Program’s eligible fields of study are Human and Institutional Capacity, Rights and Freedoms, Sustainable Lands, and Thriving Communities. A Fulbright program, the Humphrey Program is primarily funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is administered by the Institute of International Education.

Apply online for the 2021-2022 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program through August 1, 2021 at 23:59 local time.

The Humphrey Program has valuable academic and professional components. Participants (Fellows) are placed at designated U.S. host universities in groups with thematic and subject affinities and pursue a self-directed, non-degree academic study program at the graduate level by auditing or registering for a partial course load. Each campus has a designated faculty coordinator for academic and administrative support. Fellows also develop, with assistance from the faculty coordinator and faculty advisers, a detailed plan of practical professional activities that support their Humphrey program objectives, such as professional visits, conferences, training programs, and a professional affiliation (work attachment). The professional affiliation provides first-hand exposure to an American work environment on a full-time basis for a minimum period of six weeks. Program awards (grants) do not authorize activities for which a license to practice medicine or nursing is required.

Awards are open, merit-based, awarded competitively, and are subject to availability of funds. Award benefits generally include:

• Round-trip air travel from BiH to the United States and travel allowances
• Round-trip U.S. travel to required Humphrey workshops and seminar events
• Coverage of tuition and fees at the assigned U.S. host university
• Pre-academic English language training, if required
• Financial support (stipends) for living expenses and allowances, including a one-time settling-in allowance; a book and supply allowance; a one-time computer subsidy allowance; and a professional development allowance for professional activities such as field trips, professional visits, and conferences
• Limited accident and sickness coverage that meets the requirements of J Exchange Visitor Program regulations. This coverage is not all-purpose health insurance and it is subject to specific limitations including, but not limited to pre-existing conditions, dental, and vision care. It is not intended to replace the Fellow’s regular medical insurance plan which should be maintained or secured during the grant period at the participant’s expense
• Pre-departure orientation at the U.S. Embassy in BiH
• Pre-academic orientation program in the United States.

Candidates must have a strong background of public service in the public or private sector, a proven record of accomplishment in leadership, potential for professional advancement, and be committed to BiH’s national development. Candidates are expected to be self-directed and self-motivated; committed to taking an active role in their own professional development; flexible, team-oriented, and willing to be a part of a cohort of Humphrey Fellows from all over the world; committed to attending all program components including team activities and professional development activities; open to cross-cultural experiences and new ideas; and committed to implementing change in their home communities.

Candidates are encouraged to submit a well-written, concise, and compelling application that illustrates qualifications, leadership and public service record, potential for greater contributions in the area of public service, and preparedness for undertaking a self-directed, non-degree program at the graduate level in the United States. They should be interested in the policy aspects of their field specialization and demonstrate both the need to participate and the potential to benefit from this program. Fellows are expected to serve as representative and responsible citizens of BiH who can successfully adjust to life in the United States and help promote mutual understanding between the United States and BiH.

Fellows are responsible for obtaining any necessary leave of absence or making other arrangements to enable them to accept the program award. Awards cannot be postponed to a subsequent academic year. Fellows must comply with program provisions to avoid grant revocation, termination, or suspension. The Humphrey Program is a non-degree program. Successful Fellows receive a program certificate of completion issued by the U.S. Department of State.

If accompanied by dependents, Fellows are responsible for all associated costs in bringing dependents to the United States. This includes airfare and other travel expenses, living expenses, school costs, medical insurance that meets J visa Exchange Visitor Program regulations, and any uncovered medical bills. Fellows must receive approval for accompanying dependents following a technical review of evidence that they have adequate personal funds to cover associated costs.  Most Humphrey host campuses require Fellows to wait 30 days before dependents can join them. Only under special circumstances (for example, a single parent) will host campuses consider allowing Fellows to bring dependents with them on arrival. A dependent is defined as a spouse, qualified same-sex domestic partner, or an unmarried child under 21 years of age.

Eligibility:

The Humphrey Program considers candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, status as a parent, protected genetic information, or sexual orientation. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply, including women, minorities, members of underserved groups, those with disabilities, and those with limited international exposure, or otherwise disadvantaged. A candidate with recent third-country experience, especially in developed countries, may have a less compelling need for the Humphrey Program than a candidate who has never had a significant professional opportunity abroad.

Excluding minor traffic violations, a candidate who—at the time of the application or at any subsequent time prior to or after becoming a grantee as defined by program provisions—has been convicted of a crime, felony, or misdemeanor, or has been arrested for, indicted for, or charged with a crime, felony, or misdemeanor and the matter has not been resolved, must inform the Embassy and/or program coordinators in writing of such fact.

The Humphrey Program is open to anyone who is/has:

• Citizen, national, or permanent resident of BiH qualified to hold a valid BiH passport
• Completed an accredited first university/undergraduate degree program requiring at least four years of full-time study
• A minimum of five years of full-time professional experience in the relevant field after completing a university degree program prior to August 2021
• Demonstrated leadership qualities and a record of public service
• Limited prior experience in the United States
• English language ability commensurate with the proposed activities to be conducted in the United States
• Cleared by a physician to participate in the program (finalists only)
• Eligible to receive and maintain the exchange visitor J-1 non-immigrant visa required for the program.  Fellows and accompanying dependents do not have to pay fees for the J-1 visa or J-2 visa(s), if applicable, but must be interviewed by the Embassy’s Consular Section
• Committed to returning to BiH for a minimum of two years. As J-1 visa holders, Fellows are subject to the two-year home-country foreign residency requirement. Accompanying dependents on J-2 visas are also subject to this requirement, regardless of their duration of stay.

Not Eligible:

• Candidates with dual U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status
• Recent university graduates, even if they have significant positions
• University teachers, scientists, and academic researchers with no management or policy responsibilities (except in the fields of Substance Abuse Education, Prevention, and Treatment and Teaching of English as a Foreign Language)
• Candidates who have attended graduate school in the United States for one academic year or more during the seven years prior to August 2021
• Candidates with U.S. in-country experience of any kind lasting more than six months during the five years prior to August 2021
• Employees of U.S. missions abroad who work for the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Agency for International Development and their immediate family members (spouses and dependent children) are ineligible for grants during and for a period ending one year following the termination of such employment, association, or service. This provision includes all employees, paid or unpaid, including part-time or temporary employees, consultants, externs, fellows, and contract employees. This provision does not apply to interns and does not disqualify self-supporting children who live apart from their parents. The one-year period of ineligibility is calculated from the date of termination of employment, service, or association until the program application deadline.

Source and more information can be found here.