Donald Payne International Development Fellowship

The Donald Payne International Development Fellowship is now accepting applications for the 2019 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 minority groups historically underrepresented 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.

Program Benefits

An orientation to the Program and the Foreign Service at Howard University in Washington, D.C. in late spring 2019
Two summer internships, one on Capitol Hill in summer 2019 and one overseas at a USAID Mission in summer 2020.
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 2018 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

About the USAID Foreign Service

USAID Foreign Service Officers work on the front lines of some of the most pressing global challenges of our times, including poverty, hunger, injustice, disease, environmental degradation, climate change, conflict and violent extremism. They are part of a corps of officers who have worked for more than fifty years to make lasting improvements to the lives of millions of people around the globe. USAID Foreign Service Officers are stationed in Washington and in more than 75 countries in five regions worldwide – Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Eurasia, Asia, and the Middle East. They work alongside colleagues from other U.S. government agencies to achieve our country’s foreign policy objectives in democracy and governance, economic growth and trade, peace and security, education and health, conflict mitigation and humanitarian response.

Application Deadline: December 21, 2018