Professional Fellowships for FS Spouses and Partners

Check out the 2009 fellowship: Professional Development Fellowship Program 2009

I was not sure this was going to happen this year due to budget cuts but I am very pleased to see that this program has survived the money crunch. I have no doubt that this has not been an easy fight. Many thanks to the Family Liaison Office (FLO) and M for ensuring that this program continues to provide help and support to our Foreign Service spouses and members of household partners. I have cut and pasted the following mostly from the state.gov website. You can see the original posting here. Please pass on to FS members with EFMs and MOHs. Deadline no later than June 6, 2008.

The Department just announced the availability of the Professional Development fellowship program for Foreign Service Eligible Family Members and Members of Household. Funded in part by the Una Chapman Cox Foundation, this program is designed to assist Foreign Service Eligible Family Members and Members of Household who are not in a position to pursue their career paths overseas to maintain, enhance, and/or develop their professional skills.

Fellowships of up to $2,000 will be granted on a reimbursable basis for enrichment activities. Selected applicants must fund 25% of the cost of the proposed activities while the Fellowship stipend will cover the additional 75% of the costs. Activities can include, but are not limited to, continuing education, distance learning, professional development, participation in professional conferences, dues for membership in professional organizations, and small business start-up costs.

Eligibility Applicants must be either an adult Eligible Family Member (EFM) or a Member of Household (MOH) of a Foreign Service direct-hire employee who is available for an overseas posting. While family members in the US are eligible, preference will be given to those currently posted or assigned overseas (see Selection Criteria listed below). Applicants should submit a completed application form. Applications must contain a one-to-two sentence synopsis followed by a detailed description of the proposed professional development program of activities. The program should be directly related to the EFM/MOH's professional interests and the proposal must explain how the activities will enhance the EFM/MOH's skills. As noted above, proposals may include a wide-range of activities. Proposals should provide a detailed breakdown of the expenses involved andgive an indication of how the stipend would be used. Applications should be limited to two (2) pages (see application form).

All applications received will be acknowledged by email within two business days of receipt. Unacknowledged applications will not be considered.

Reimbursed Costs Applicants should be aware that, if selected, the Fellowship will reimburse 75% of the proposed cost and the applicant will be responsible for 25% of the proposed cost. Travel, transportation, lodging costs, and per diem are not reimbursable under this program.

Selection Committee Proposals will be reviewed by a selection committee chaired by the Family Liaison Office (FLO) and including representatives from the geographic bureaus.

Selection Criteria In selecting grantees, the Selection Committee will consider the following factors

a. Unavailability of employment options in the candidate's profession at her/his current post of assignment. b. Correlation between the proposed activity and professional development of the candidate. c. Where applicable, a connection between the proposed activity and other effort(s) on the part of the candidate to maintain/refresh her/his professional skills (i.e. if the proposal is part of a larger professional development plan).

Proposals from Foreign Service EFMs and MOHs residing at Historically Difficult to Staff (HDS) posts will receive preference as will proposals from posts where no Bilateral Work Agreement or de facto work arrangement is in place.

Project Completion Successful applicants will be expected to complete their proposed professional development program within 12 months of selection notification. If the proposal is for an activity in a later timeframe, the reasons should be explained. Fellowship recipients will be required to submit a Project Report describing program activities and accomplishments as well as a Financial Report providing a detailed budget of the project. Those selected can submit receipts for qualifying expenses incurred at any time during the activity but not later than thirty days after project completion.

Application Deadline Proposals are due in M/DGHR/FLO no later than June 6, 2008. Proposals can be submitted as follows:

- Faxed to M/DGHR/FLO Attn: FLO Fellowships at (202) 647-1670 - Emailed to FLOPDFellowships [at] state[dot]gov - Mailed or hand carried to M/DGHR/FLO, Department of State, 2201 C ST, NW, Room 1239 HST, Washington, DC 20520

Notification: Selectees will be notified on or about June 30, 2008 . The program will run for one year starting from the approximate signing date of the fellowship grant agreement.

Point of Contact For additional information, contact FLOAskEmployment[at]state[dot]gov

Historically Difficult to Staff Posts:

EAP Posts; Bandar Seri Begawan , Dili, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Kolonia, Majuro, Naha, Port Moresby, Seoul, Shenyang,Ulaanbaatar

EUR Posts: Baku , Banja Luka , Chisinau, Minsk, Podgorica, Pristina, Tbilisi, Tirana, Vladivostok , Yekaterinburg, Yerevan

AF Posts: Abidjan Monrovia , Ndjamena , Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou, Praia, Yaounde , Abuja, Asmara, Bamako, Bangui, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Djibouti, Freetown, Khartoum, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lagos, Libreville, Lilongwe, Lome, Luanda,

WHA Posts: Cuidad Juarez, Georgetown, Nogales, Paramaribo, Port Au Prince

NEA Posts: Amman , Baghdad, Jeddah, Jerusalem, Riyadh, Sanaa

SCA Posts; Almaty, Astana, Ashgabat, Bishkek, Calcutta, Dhaka, Dushanbe, Islamabad, Kabul, Karachi, Lahore, Tashkent

Applicants must be either an adult Eligible Family Member (EFM) or a Member of Household (MOH) of a Foreign Service direct-hire employee who is available for an overseas posting. While family members in the US are eligible, preference will be given to those currently posted or assigned overseas (see Selection Criteria above).