The Donald Payne International Development Fellowship is now accepting applications for the 2020 Fellow Cohort! The Payne Fellowship is a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Program, administered by Howard University, which seeks to attract and prepare outstanding individuals for careers as USAID Foreign Service Officers. Candidates can be graduating seniors or college graduates with strong academic records and a desire to promote positive change in the world. The Payne program encourages the application of members of historically underrepresented groups in the Foreign Service and those with financial need. Selected fellows will receive support for graduate school and gain employment with USAID in an exciting and rewarding career in the Foreign Service. Learn more at: https://www.paynefellows.org/.
Program Benefits
• An orientation to the Program and the Foreign Service at Howard University in Washington, D.C. in late spring 2020
• Two summer internships, one on Capitol Hill in summer 2020 and one overseas at a USAID Mission in summer 2021.
• Up to $22,000 annually toward tuition, fees and living expenses for a two-year master’s degree in fields related to the Foreign Service such as development, economics, public administration, business administration, global health, agriculture, or environmental science at a U.S.-based institution.
• Mentoring from a Foreign Service Officer throughout the duration of the fellowship.
• Employment in the USAID Foreign Service for those who successfully complete the program and meet Foreign Service entry requirements, in accordance with applicable law and USAID policy, with each Payne Fellow committing to a minimum of five years of service.
Eligibility requirements
• U.S. citizenship
• Seeking admission to graduate school in fall 2019 for a two-year program in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service at a U.S.-based institution
• Cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale at the time of application