HUBERT H. HUMPHREY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM: The 2027-2028 application season is open.

Applications for the 2027 Humphrey Fellowship Program are now OPEN

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program brings accomplished mid-level professionals to the United States for ten months of combined academic (non-Degree) and professional work. Fellows are selected based on potential for leadership and commitment to public service.

Successful applicants who submitted their applications during the 2026 application season will be placed at participating universities in the United States from August 2027 to June 2028.

The Fellowship Program fosters a mutual exchange of knowledge and understanding about issues of common concern in the United States and Lesotho by providing future leaders and policy makers with experience in U.S. society, culture, and professional fields. The program provides a basis for lasting, productive ties between Americans and their professional counterparts in Lesotho. It also offers valuable opportunities for leadership development and professional engagement with Americans and their counterparts from many nations. Approximately 200 Fellowships are awarded annually and 18 major universities in the United States host Humphrey Fellows.

Fields of Research Study

• Communications and Journalism

Humphrey Fellows strengthen information integrity and U.S. influence in the global media space by their work in media and communications, including investigative and responsible journalism, national broadcasting, digital media, and public relations. They uphold individual freedoms in the digital age, manage strategic communications, promote free expression, and advance transparent media to strengthen information integrity and support open public debate.

• Law and Governance

Humphrey Fellows advance rules-based systems that support U.S. security interests by working as attorneys, judges, law enforcement officials, policymakers, and civil society leaders, advancing the rule of law, strengthening security frameworks, and supporting fair and accountable justice systems. They work to combat transnational crime and trafficking, fight corruption, ensure accountability for violations on personal freedoms, and promote transparent and effective governance.

• Natural Resources Policy

Humphrey Fellows drive policies that support energy independence, resource security, and economic resilience. Their work spans critical minerals, energy systems, water, and agriculture, ensuring reliable supply chains, strengthening food security, and reducing vulnerabilities that can be exploited by strategic competitors. This work directly supports U.S. economic strength and global stability.

• Public and Economic Policy

Humphrey Fellows address critical public and economic policy challenges in multiple disciplines across local, regional, and national levels that drive economic growth, workforce development, and market expansion aligned with U.S. interests. They work in fields such as trade and investment, workforce development, education policy and administration, fiscal and monetary policy, public-private partnerships, and public sector management. Fellows design and implement evidence-informed policies that promote economic growth and security, strengthen institutions, and support effective domestic and foreign policy decision-making.

• Public Health Policy and Management

Humphrey Fellows develop self-reliant and resilient local health systems in global health by addressing public health challenges, including preventing infectious disease outbreaks, through policy development, service delivery, surveillance, and institutional preparedness. Fellows serve as health policymakers, physicians, clinical managers, health educators, and practitioners, shaping policies that manage public health risks in ways that protect American lives and economic stability.

• Technology Policy and Management

Humphrey Fellows develop and implement strategies and policies to manage the societal, economic, and security impacts of emerging and established technologies to ensure the United States and its partners lead in this area while protecting against misuse by adversaries. They work on issues such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data governance, digital infrastructure, telecommunications, biotechnology and health technologies, and technology’s role in urban planning, transportation, and workforce transformation.

Eligibility Requirements

• Have a first university degree (equivalent of a 4-year bachelor’s or undergraduate degree).

• Have at least five years of full-time professional experience beyond attainment of a first university/undergraduate degree prior to August 2026.

• Have management or policy responsibilities, including university teachers and/or teachers of English as a foreign language.

• Fluency in English.

• Limited or no prior experience in the United States.

* Previous experience in the United States is not necessarily a disqualifying factor provided the number of years spent in the United States has not been substantial (more than three years), and the candidate has been back in Lesotho and employed at a level of professional responsibility for at least four years.

**Per Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board regulations, local employees of U.S. Missions abroad who work for the Department of State and members of their immediate families are ineligible during their period of employment and for one year following termination of employment.

Grant Provisions

The Hubert Humphrey Fellowship provides:

• Round-trip economy international travel for the grantee.

• Tuition and university fees.

• Limited accident and sickness insurance for the grantee only.

The Humphrey Program does not provide financial support for accompanying dependents.

Application TimelinesThe 2027-2028 application season is open from Monday, May 26, 2026 to Friday, June 26, 2026.

Application/Selection Process

Apply here. Please contact the Public Affairs Section at U.S. Embassy Maseru via phone at (+266) 2231-2666 or via email at InfoMaseru@state.gov for more information about the Humphrey Fellowship Program.