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 2024-2025 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 provide an advanced degree. The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship 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 2024-2025 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program
through July 15, 2023 at 23:59 local time.
Program Components:
Non-Degree Academic Study: The Humphrey program is a non-degree program. Humphrey Fellows pursue tailored study programs at participating host institutions, where freedom from the requirements of a degree program gives each Fellow the flexibility to pursue a self-directed, individualized program at a host campus. Approximately 13 U.S. campuses have been selected through a competitive process based on their ability to offer institutional and professional resources to host cohorts of Fellows in designated fields of study. Humphrey Fellows may not request placement at any particular university. Each campus has at least one designated faculty coordinator for academic and administrative support. In addition, faculty advisors assist Fellows in pursuing balanced academic and professional programs.
Leadership and Professional Development: Professional enrichment activities include professional visits, enhancement skills workshops, conferences, training programs, and a professional affiliation (placement). The professional affiliation provides firsthand exposure to a U.S. work environment on a full-time basis for a minimum period of six weeks. Early in the academic year, each Fellow develops, with assistance from the local campus coordinator and faculty advisors, a detailed plan of practical professional activities geared to the Fellow’s program objectives.
Eligible Fellowship Fields of Study:
Human and Institutional Capacity:
- Economic Development
- Finance & Banking
- Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration
- Technology Policy and Management
Rights and Freedoms:
- Communications and 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 (see 4b)
- Educational Administration, Planning, and Policy
Award Benefits:
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 seminars
- 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
Candidate Profile and Requirements: 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 of 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.
Dependents: 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 (prior to August 2023) in the relevant field after completing a university degree program
- 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.
Application Process: Interested applicants must apply to the U.S. Embassy in BiH using the official and free 2024-2025 Fellowship online application form. The application deadline for Bosnia and Herzegovina is July 15, 2023 at 23:59pm local time.
The online application form provides guidelines for questions and items. In addition, candidates must follow BiH-specific guidelines outlined on this webpage; these guidelines supersede online instructions for referenced items only. If program guidelines on this webpage do not address online items asking candidates to consult the U.S. Embassy in BiH, those items are not required at the initial application stage. The Humphrey Program may request additional documentation, as deemed necessary.
Interviews for national selection will take place in late July/early August 2023. Candidates who are selected for interviews must be available to interview in August. After the national selection, the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in the United States selects candidates nominated for awards. The Embassy in BiH will notify nominated candidates of their status by the spring of 2024.
The online application must include the following:
- Program Plan. Candidates must describe how their work addresses the needs of BiH in their field of study; proposed academic and professional activities for the program; and how their newly acquired knowledge and skills will help them address BiH’s development needs
- Two Personal Statements. For Program Statement A, candidates must describe their record of strong commitment to public service (for example, community, civic involvement or professional responsibilities); their professional goals for the next five years; and how the program will help them reach their goals. For Program Statement B, candidates must describe a problem or challenging situation that they resolved using their initiative as well as the outcome. The example should be illustrative of their problem-solving skills, leadership abilities, and/or commitment to public service
- Two Letters of Reference (Recommendation) in English. A professional mentor, professor, or other associate outside the candidate’s current work setting must write one letter of reference. The second letter must be from the candidate’s immediate supervisor in candidate’s current position. Candidates are encouraged to have recommenders submit recommendation letters online. Use the Embark “Register Recommender” section to start the registration process, add and remove recommenders, and monitor progress. If recommenders cannot complete the process online, they must email the completed form to U.S. Embassy in BiH at bhexc@state.gov with the subject line: “Candidate Last, First Name 2024-25 Humphrey Program Letter of Recommendation”
- Copies of Academic Transcripts and Degrees from Each University or Post-secondary Institution. At the initial application stage, documents are accepted as issued by academic institutions, without English translations. Include certified English translations, if readily available. Finalists must provide official transcripts and certified copies of degrees or diplomas accompanied by original, certified English translation.
- If Applicable: Substance Abuse Supplementary Application Page. Only candidates applying in the Substance Abuse field of study should submit this supplementary field-specific application page. Candidates in other fields of study should disregard this section
- Finalists Only: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Candidates are not required to register for TOEFL at the initial application stage. Finalists only are required to have a valid TOEFL score; there are no exceptions to this requirement. Finalists for Humphrey awards will be required to complete TOEFL testing no later than September 2023. The Embassy will provide test registration instructions and test fee vouchers to finalists only.
- Upon Request: Readable Copy of BiH Passport Biographical Page, as part of the national selection process.
For more program information, please visit the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program’s website.
For program-related questions or if you experience any technical problems, please email us at bhexc@state.gov before the deadline. For technical issues, please include an explanation and a screenshot of the error you are experiencing. When emailing, use the subject line: “2024-2025 Humphrey Fellowship Program”.