Humphrey Program

The application deadline for academic year 2023/2024 has expired.

The United States Embassy in Latvia is pleased to announce the annual competition for the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program. This one-year program brings accomplished, mid-career professionals to the United States for a year of combined academic (non-degree) and professional work. Fellows are selected based on leadership potential and commitment to public service. The program provides a basis for lasting, productive ties between Americans and their professional counterparts overseas by providing future leaders and policymakers with experience in U.S. society, culture and professional fields.

Fellowships are granted competitively to both public and private sector candidates with a proven track record of leadership, commitment to public service, and the capacity to take full advantage of a self defined program of independent non degree study at a leading U.S. university.

Eligible fields for Latvian applicants:

Agriculture and Rural Development
Communications/Journalism
Economic Development/Finance and Banking
Educational Administration, Planning and Policy
Higher Education Administration
HIV/AIDS Policy and Prevention
Human Resource Management
Law and Human Rights
Natural Resources, Environmental Policy, and Climate Change
Public Health Policy and Management
Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration
Substance Abuse Education, Treatment, and Prevention
Technology Policy and Management
Trafficking in Persons, Policy and Prevention
Urban and Regional Planning
Teaching of English as a Foreign Language
International Religious Freedom
Contagious and Infectious Diseases

To be eligible for a Humphrey Fellowship, applicants must have the following:

Latvian citizenship;
A university degree;
Five years of substantial, post-university professional experience (prior to August 2023);
Demonstrated leadership qualities and a record of public service;
English language proficiency. Please note that candidates will have to take the TOEFL exam;
Limited prior experience in the United States.

Ineligible Candidates:

Recent graduates;
University teachers or academic researchers with no management responsibilities (except for specialists in drug abuse prevention and treatment and teaching of English as a foreign language);
Individuals who have attended a graduate school in the U.S. for one academic year or more during the last seven years;
Individuals who have had more than six months of experience in the United States during the five-years prior to August 2023;
Individuals with dual Latvian-U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status in the United States;
Employees of U.S. Missions abroad who work for the State Department and their family members.
Have not participated in recent State Department exchange programs.

Terms and Conditions

The Humphrey Fellowship provides round-trip international travel, tuition and university fees, accident/sickness insurance, a monthly maintenance allowance, and a stipend for books and professional activities. The Humphrey Program does not provide financial support for accompanying dependents.

Program Components

1. Academic placement in a non-degree program. Humphrey fellows pursue tailored study programs at participating host institutions in the United States. For the 2023 – 2024 program, approximately 13 campuses have been selected through a competitive process. 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.
2. Professional development is one of the strongest features of the program. Each fellow’s professional plan may include professional visits, conferences and a professional affiliation. The professional affiliation provides first-hand exposure to an American work environment on a full-time basis for a minimum period of 6 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.

Application Procedure

Following a technical review, successful candidates will be invited for an interview at the Embassy in September. The Fulbright Scholarship Board in Washington, DC will announce the selection results for the 2023 – 2024 program in February 2023.

For further information regarding this program or if you have questions about your eligibility or the application process, please contact Ingrida Bodniece at the U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Section at 6710 7209 or mail to: Bodniecei@state.gov