Stage 1: National Screening.

The Humphrey Program is facilitated overseas by binational Fulbright Commissions/Foundations (Commissions) or U.S. Embassies (Posts). Commissions and Posts review applications submitted for the Humphrey Fellowship Program and invite selected applicants for interviews.   Posts and Commissions determine which applications are to be forwarded for further consideration to the Institute of International Education in Washington, D.C.  Please contact the Post or Commission in your country to learn of its selection criteria.

Stage 2: Screening by the Institute of International Education

Embassies and Commissions must submit their nominations to the Institute of International Education (IIE) office in Washington, D.C. by October 1. The deadline for applicants to submit their applications to the Embassy or Commission varies by country.  Please check with the Embassy or Fulbright Commission in your country to learn of its application deadline. Click here for a list of eligible countries and in-country contact information.

IIE reviews all submitted applications for basic eligibility and then convenes regional Candidate Selection Committees (CRC) to evaluate the applications.

Stage 3: Candidate Selection Committees

Candidate Selection Committees convene in Washington, D.C. in late November and December. CRC members are chosen for their expertise in the region of the world in which they will review applications.  Independent expert panelists with regional experience who work in academia, international organizations, or non-governmental organizations are recruited to review applications.

Stage 4: Approval by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board

The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB) was created by Congress to supervise the Fulbright Program and other Fulbright Exchange Activities, including the Humphrey Fellowship Program. The FSB sets policies and procedures for administration of the Humphrey Fellowship Program, has final authority for selection of all Fellows, and supervises the conduct of the program both in the United States and abroad.

Stage 5: Placement of selected Humphrey Fellows

After receiving approval from the FSB, the Department of State will announce the final selection results to participating U.S. embassies and Fulbright Commissions, who will inform candidates of their status.  The Institute of International Education places the selected candidates in U.S. universities that have been selected to host the Humphrey program.  Placements are determined by candidates'  fields of study and their individual program plans.