September 22, 2016

Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship

Supports MA in a field related to international development and includes professional experience with USAID.

From the program’s website:

“The USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program seeks to attract outstanding young people who are interested in pursuing careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). If you want to work on the front lines of some of the most pressing global challenges of our times — poverty, hunger, injustice, disease, environmental degradation, climate change, conflict and violent extremism – the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development provides an opportunity to advance U.S. foreign policy interests and reflect the American people’s compassion and support of human dignity. The Payne Fellowship, which provides up to $93,000 in benefits over two years for graduate school, internships, and professional development activities, provides a unique pathway to the USAID Foreign Service.


“The Payne Fellowship encourages the application of members of minority groups who have historically been underrepresented in international development careers and those with financial need. The fellowship is named in honor of longtime development champion, the late Congressman Donald Payne. The initiative is funded by USAID and administered by Howard University. Fellowship recipients can use the award to attend U.S. graduate programs throughout the country; they will join the USAID Foreign Service upon completion of the program, as long as they successfully complete the Payne Program and USAID entry requirements.”


Eligibility requirements:

  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
  • Applicants must be seeking admission to enter graduate school in the fall of 2016 for a two-year program at a U.S. university.  They can be in the senior year of their undergraduate studies, graduating by June 2016, or they can be college graduates. 
  • Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale at the time of application.

 

Deadline: January 20, 2017