Apply now: 2023-2024 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program

The U.S. Embassy in Croatia is pleased to announce the competition for the 2023-2024 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program. This annual program is a part of Fulbright exchange for accomplished mid-career professionals with demonstrated leadership potential offers one year in the United States for non-degree graduate-level study, leadership development, and substantive professional collaboration with U.S. counterparts. By providing future leaders and policymakers with experience in American society, culture, and professional fields, the program provides a basis for lasting, productive ties between Americans and their professional counterparts overseas.

The primary sponsor of the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program is the U.S. Department of State. The program is administered under a cooperative agreement with the Institute of International Education (IIE). These two agencies work in partnership with a network of universities competitively selected to host Humphrey Fellows.

In Croatia, the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program is a joint program of the U.S. Department of State and the Government of Croatia and is administered by the U.S. Embassy in cooperation with the Ministry of Science and Education, and the Agency for Mobility and EU Programs.

The online application for the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship is found here: https://apply.iie.org/huberthhumphrey.

The submission deadline for the online application is May 30, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. CET .

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

Academic: The Humphrey program is a non-degree program. Humphrey Fellows cannot transfer from non-degree status to degree status under any circumstances. Humphrey Fellows pursue tailored study programs at participating host institutions, where the freedom from the requirements of a degree program gives each Fellow the flexibility to pursue a self-directed, individualized program. There is no provision for Fellows to request placement at any particular university. Approximately 13 campuses have been selected through a competitive process to host Fellows in groups with thematic and subject affinities. Each university is chosen based on institutional resources and the level of support and guidance it offers to the participants. Each campus has a designated faculty coordinator for academic and administrative support. In addition, faculty advisors also assist Fellows in pursuing balanced academic and professional programs. For a list of the 13 selected universities, please visit: https://www.humphreyfellowship.org/host-universities.

Leadership and Professional Development: Professional enrichment activities include professional visits, skills workshops, conferences, training programs, and a professional affiliation (also known as “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 Humphrey program objectives.

ELIGIBLE FELLOWSHIP FIELDS OF STUDY:

Human and Institutional Capacity:

Economic Development
Finance and Banking
Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration
Technology Policy and Management
Human Resource Management

Rights and Freedoms:

Communications and Journalism
International Religious Freedom
Law and Human Rights
Trafficking in Persons Policy and Prevention

Sustainable Lands:

Agricultural and Rural Development
Natural Resources, Environmental Policy, and Climate Change
Urban and Regional Planning

Thriving Communities:

Contagious and Infectious Diseases
Public Health Policy and Management
HIV/AIDS Policy and Prevention
Substance Abuse Education, Treatment and Prevention (see 4b)
Educational Administration, Planning, and Policy
Higher Education Administration
Teaching English as a Foreign Language

CANDIDATE PROFILE: Appropriate candidates are mid-career professionals in leadership positions who have demonstrated a commitment to public service and the potential for professional advancement. Prospective candidates for the Humphrey Program should have at least five years of full-time experience (prior to August 2023) in their professional field and should be interested in the policy aspects of their field. Candidates with only part-time work experience may not be considered eligible.

Candidates must have completed a university degree program requiring at least four years of full-time study to qualify for participation in U.S. graduate study programs. Candidates should be proficient in both written and spoken English. Candidates should demonstrate the required experience, skills, and commitment and concretely illustrate how they will benefit from the Humphrey Program. Applicants should also indicate how their participation would benefit their institution and community.

NOT ELIGIBLE:

Ineligible candidates include recent university graduates; university teachers or academic researchers with no management responsibilities (except in the fields of Substance Abuse Education, Prevention, and Treatment and Teaching of English as a Foreign Language); individuals who have attended a graduate school in the United States for one academic year or more during the seven years prior to August 2023; individuals with U.S. in-country experience of any kind lasting more than six months during the five years prior to August 2023; individuals with dual U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent residence status; and individuals who have previously participated in U.S. Government sponsored programs: Humphrey, Fulbright and Junior Faculty Development Program (JFDP).

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

Croatian citizenship
Evidence of employment in the Republic of Croatia (full time or by contract)
Five years of full-time professional experience in the relevant field
University degree (4-year undergraduate degree is required) or a Bologna Master level degree (5-years of study)
Proficiency in written and spoken English

APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND COMPETITION SCHEDULE

The on-line application is open from April 1 through May 30, 2022. Please find the application here: https://apply.iie.org/huberthhumphrey.

All applications, including references, undergo technical and academic reviews. Candidates who satisfy all requirements will be interviewed by Croatian-American interviewing teams. Interviews will be scheduled for beginning – mid June 2022. Personal interviews are preferred but virtual interviews will be organized if epidemiological conditions do not allow for in-person interviews. Based on interview results, the list of finalists will be submitted for final approval to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in the United States. Selected grantees will be notified of final approval in March 2022. The program is expected to begin in mid-August 2022.

Finalists for Humphrey awards will be required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) latest till September 2022. The U.S. Embassy in Croatia will arrange registration and cover the fees for the TOEFL test for all semi-finalists. Candidates are welcome to take the TOEFL test before September 2022 at their own cost or submit their TOEFL test scores if they are less than six months old prior to September 2022.

Application Forms:
Applicants can access the application for 2023-2024 at: https://apply.iie.org/huberthhumphrey.

Applications must be completed in English. The following documents have to be uploaded to the online application by applicants – paper documents will not be accepted:

Complete answers to all questions in the online application; essay responses in English must thoroughly address the questions/topics.
Two (2) letters of reference in English; one must be from the applicant’s current employer. Letters of reference have to be uploaded directly by recommenders.
Official transcripts of grades and diplomas in English: Ensure all transcripts uploaded are official, valid documents. Transcripts and diplomas for each higher education degree have to contain a list of courses taken and grades received bearing notarized translations and all official legalization stamps. Bologna diploma supplements in English are acceptable. Other transcripts of grades and diplomas, if issued in Croatian, must be translated and notarized.

Additional documents that must be uploaded with the application no later than midnight on May 30, 2022:

Passport scan or a scan of “domovnica”
Original letter from employer confirming employment (may be through a contract) in Croatia (in English)

Substance Abuse Applicants:
Candidates applying in the Substance Abuse field of study should complete field-specific questions not required of other fields.

Dependents:
Humphrey Fellows may bring dependents on J-2 visas to accompany them while in the United States if they meet all criteria described in this paragraph. Awards do not include an additional allowance for dependents; all expenses for J-2 dependents must be covered by the Fellow. The Humphrey Fellowship stipend is not sufficient to support anyone in addition to the Fellow. Dependents may not accompany Fellows to English-language training under any circumstances. Fellows who wish to have family members join them during all or part of their fellowship year must receive prior approval following a technical review of evidence that they have adequate personal funds to cover living expenses and dependents’ health insurance and childcare. Health insurance for dependents is required and may cost USD 200 per month per dependent. Failure to provide adequate dependent health insurance coverage is grounds for terminating the grant award due to non-compliance with J visa requirements.

Medical Forms:
Medical exams are not required as part of the initial application process. It is not necessary to complete medical evaluation forms until a candidate is advanced to principal status.

Additional information about the Humphrey Fellowship, host universities, and program alumni is available at www.humphreyfellowship.org.

For additional enquiries please contact fulbrightcroatia@state.gov. If you would like to schedule a phone consultation, please email fulbrightcroatia@state.gov for an appointment.

The Humphrey Fellowship Program is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. Interested applicants can interact with current Fellows and alumni and learn more about the program through social media posts.