Call for Application: October 24, 2024 (11:59pm EST)
The USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program is inviting applications from outstanding individuals interested in pursuing careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This opportunity is for candidates looking to work on the front lines of some of the most pressing global challenges of our times — injustice, climate change, health, conflict, and poverty – foreign policy interests and reflect the American people’s compassion and support of human dignity.
The Payne Fellowship Program awards up to 30 fellowships valued at up to $52,000 annually for a two-year program. The award includes up to $24,000 per year toward tuition and mandatory fees for completion of a two-year master’s degree at a U.S. institution; a $18,000 stipend for each academic year for room, board, books and other education-related expenses; and up to $10,000 per year in stipend, housing, transportation, and related expenses for summer placements. At the conclusion of two years of study, the Payne Fellow is expected to obtain a degree in international development or another area of relevance to the work of the USAID Foreign Service at a U.S. graduate or professional school approved by the Payne Program. Fellows who successfully complete the Payne Program and USAID Foreign Service entry requirements will receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers with the U.S. Agency for International Development.
A panel of individuals with experience in the USAID Foreign Service and academia makes selections for the Payne Fellowship.Consideration will be given to qualified applicants who, in addition to outstanding leadership skills and academic achievement, demonstrate financial need. The Payne selection panel will choose finalists in the beginning of December 2024. Candidates selected for final consideration will be invited to participate in the virtual final-round interviews in mid-January. The program will strive to complete the selection process and make offers to thirty fellows soon after the interview.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
- Applicants must be seeking admission to enter graduate school in the fall of 2025 for a two-year program at a U.S. university. They can be in the senior year of their undergraduate studies, graduating by May 2025, 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.
Application Details
- Candidates’ academic work
- Statements of interest
- Letters of recommendation
- Honors and awards
- Community, extracurricular, and leadership activities.
