Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program (India)

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 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.

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.

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 Criteria

• In addition to the General Prerequisites the applicant:
  • 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.
  • Must have at least five years of substantial professional experience (prior to August 2025) in the respective field, and be eligible for leave;
  • Should have demonstrated leadership qualities;
  • Should have a record of public service in the community; and
  • must give an undertaking to return to India on completion of the fellowship.
• 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).

Ineligibility Criteria

• Candidates meeting any of the following descriptions will be rendered technically ineligible to participate in the Humphrey Program:
  • Individuals with less than five years of full-time professional experience prior to August 2025.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Individuals who have had more than six months of U.S. experience during the five years prior to August 2025.
  • Individuals with dual U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status.
  • Have participated in recent State Department exchange programs.

For more information, visit USIEF.