Deadline: November 30, 2016

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the 2017 Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program. The program offers training and collaborative research opportunities to scientists, researchers, and policymakers from 32 eligible countries. Fellows will work one-on-one with a mentor at a U.S. university, research center, or government agency, usually for 8-12 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.

The Borlaug Fellowship Program honors Norman E. Borlaug, the American agronomist, humanitarian and Nobel laureate who is known as the “father of the Green Revolution.” Since the program’s inception in 2004, approximately 700 fellows from 64 countries have participated in research and training focused on a wide array of agriculture-related topics, including agronomy, veterinary science, nutrition, food safety, sanitary and phytosanitary issues, natural resource management, agricultural biotechnology, global climate change, agricultural economics and agricultural policy.

Eligibility

Eligible candidates must:

• Be citizens of an eligible country; see the fellowship research priorities by 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.

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.

Application Process

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.

For more information, visit Borlaug Fellowship.