Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program, 2015

The U.S. Department of Agriculture invites applications for Borlaug Fellowship Program available for fellows from developing and middle-income countries. The program offers training and collaborative research opportunities to scientists, researchers and policymakers to work one-on-one with a mentor at a U.S. university, research center or government agency, usually for 6-12 weeks. The U.S. mentor will later visit the fellow’s home institution to continue collaboration. Applicants must have Master’s or higher degree and be employed by a university, government agency or research entity in their home country. The application deadline is October 31, 2014.

Study Subject(s): Fellowships are awarded for following programs: Agricultural Policy Executive Leadership Program: The Borlaug Agricultural Policy Executive Leadership Program is targeted to senior agricultural policymakers from the independent states of the former Soviet Union and Sub-Saharan Africa. The program enhances participants’ leadership skills and helps them build relationships with U.S. policymakers. Feed the Future: Feed the Future is the United States government’s global hunger and food security initiative. In partnership with Feed the Future, the Borlaug Program supports fellows’ efforts to address the root causes of hunger and poverty and forge long-term solutions to chronic food insecurity and malnutrition. Eligible countries include Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda. Global Cocoa Initiative: The Borlaug Program’s Global Cocoa Initiative, sponsored by the World Cocoa Foundation, provides fellows from West Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America with skills and knowledge to help their countries become more competitive in producing and exporting cocoa and cocoa products. Past research topics have included pest and disease prevention, regional cocoa production and market access.Global Research Alliance: The Global Research Alliance engages developing countries in research to more clearly understand and mitigate the impacts of agriculture on climate change. Eligible countries are Colombia, Ghana, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines and Vietnam.

Course Level: Borlaug fellows are generally scientists, researchers or policymakers who are in the early or middle stages of their careers. Each fellow works one-on-one with a mentor at a U.S. university, research center or government agency, usually for 6-12 weeks.

Scholarship Provider: The U.S. Department of Agriculture

Scholarship can be taken at: USA and applicant’s home country (Applicants demonstrate their intention to continue working in their home country after completing the fellowship).

Eligibility: To be considered for the Borlaug Fellowship Program, candidates must:

-Be citizens of an eligible country

-Be fluent in English

-Have completed a Master’s or higher degree

-Be in the early or middle stage of their career, with at least two years of practical experience

-Be employed by a university, government agency or research entity in their home country

-Demonstrate their intention to continue working in their home country after completing the fellowship

 Scholarship Open for International Students: Citizens of developing countries (Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African, Republic Chad, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,  Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint- Vincent and the Grenadines, South Sudan, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and middle-income countries (Upper middle income: Albania, Lebanon, Algeria, Libya, American Samoa, Macedonia, FYR, Angola, Malaysia, Argentina, Maldives, Azerbaijan, Marshall Islands, Belarus, Mauritius, Belize, Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Botswana, Namibia, Brazil, Palau, Bulgaria, Panama, China, Peru, Colombia, Romania, Costa Rica, Serbia, Cuba, Seychelles, Dominica, South Africa, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, Ecuador, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Fiji, Suriname, Gabon, Thailand, Grenada, Tonga, Hungary, Tunisia, Iran, Islamic Rep., Turkey, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Jamaica, Tuvalu, Jordan, Venezuela, RB, Kazakhstan. Lower middle income: Armenia, Mongolia, Bhutan, Morocco, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Cabo Verde, Nigeria, Cameroon, Pakistan, Congo, Rep., Papua New Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Paraguay, Djibouti, Philippines, Egypt, Arab Rep., Samoa, El Salvador, Sao Tome and Principe, Georgia, Senegal, Ghana, Solomon Islands, Guatemala, South Sudan, Guyana, Sri Lanka, Honduras, Sudan, India, Swaziland, Indonesia, Syrian Arab Republic, Kiribati, Timor-Leste, Kosovo, Ukraine, Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Lao PDR, Vanuatu, Lesotho, Vietnam, Mauritania, West Bank and Gaza, Micronesia, Fed. Sts., Yemen, Rep., Moldova and Zambia) can apply for this Borlaug Fellowship Program.

Scholarship Description: 

The Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program promote food security and economic growth by providing training and collaborative research opportunities to fellows from developing and middle-income countries. Borlaug fellows are generally scientists, researchers or policymakers who are in the early or middle stages of their careers. Each fellow works one-on-one with a mentor at a U.S. university, research center or government agency, usually for 6-12 weeks. The U.S. mentor will later visit the fellow’s home institution to continue collaboration. Fellows may also attend the annual World Food Prize Symposium, held each October in Des Moines, Iowa.

Selection Criteria: Applicants are selected based on their academic and professional research interests and achievements, level of scientific competence, aptitude for scientific research, leadership potential, likelihood of bringing back new ideas to their home institution, and flexibility and aptitude for success in a cross-cultural environment. Consideration is also given to the relevance of the applicant’s research area to the research topics highlighted in the application announcement and to global food security and trade.

How to Apply: Candidates must apply via the online application system. The following information will be required:

-Completed application form

-2-3 page program proposal and action plan

-Signed approval from applicant’s home institution

-Two letters of recommendation

-Official copy of transcript for college/university degree(s) received

-Copy of passport identification page

Scholarship Application Deadline: The application deadline is October 31, 2014.