The U.S. Embassy in Freetown, Sierra Leone has revealed that applications are now being accepted for the Fulbright and Humphrey Fellowship/scholarship opportunities.

The Embassy made this revelation on a post shared on their social media page.

According to the U.S. Embassy, interested candidates should submit their contact information, updated CV and a full-page study objective no later than November 30, 2022 to either the US Embassy Security Post, Southbridge, Hill Station, Freetown; Kenema and Bo City Libraries, and University of Makeni (UNIMAK) Library.

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program is a U.S. Department of State funded scholarship that gives young professionals an opportunity to study for master’s degree in the United States. Program participants also get an understanding of U.S. society and values. Successful candidates are expected to return to Sierra Leone after their studies and contribute to the country’s development in their respective field. The Fulbright Award is merit-based and highly competitive.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Must be a Sierra Leonean citizen currently living in Sierra Leone
• Hold a minimum first degree (bachelor’s equivalent with excellent score)
• Must have at least five consecutive years professional experience
• Must demonstrate outstanding academic and English language competencies
• Must exceed Fulbright Program minimum score on TOEFL, Duolingo, & GRE tests (tests can be taken after selection)
• Prior stay in the United States must be fewer than ten months
• Must not have participated in the DV-lottery at the time of applying

FIELDS OF STUDY:

All fields are permitted, except for medicine; however, studies in related fields such as public health (theoretical research focus only).
Candidates working in trade and economy, good governance, security, environmental, public administration fields are encouraged to apply.

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program provides one academic year of non-degree academic study and related professional experiences in the United States. Humphrey Fellows are selected based on their potential for leadership and their commitment to public service in either the public or the private sector. The Humphrey Program fosters a mutual exchange of knowledge and understanding about issues of common concern in the United States and the Fellows’ home countries. The Program offers its Fellows valuable opportunities for leadership development and professional engagement with Americans and their counterparts from many nations around the world. Humphrey Fellowships are awarded competitively to candidates who are mid-career professionals in many fields.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Must be a Sierra Leonean citizen currently living in Sierra Leone
• Must hold a minimum of a first degree (bachelor’s equivalent with excellent scores)
• Must have at least seven consecutive years of professional experience
• Must be in a strategic administrative or managerial position
• Must pass the TOEFL test (test can be taken after selection)
• Prior stay in the United States must be fewer than ten months
• Must not be a Diversity Visa lottery participant at the time of applying.

FIELDS OF STUDY:

This program open to candidates in the following fields: Agriculture and rural development, economic development, finance and banking, natural resources, environmental policy, urban and regional planning, communications/journalism, law and human rights, public policy and public administration, trafficking in persons policy and prevention, technology policy, human resources management, educational administration, public health policy, and substance abuse education.