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The International Fellowships Program is a fellowship initiative from the Ford Foundation that supports individuals from marginalized communities to pursue advanced study and use their education to address critical issues in their home countries or regions. The program is focused on expanding opportunity, advancing social justice, and developing leaders who work toward more equitable societies.
Fellows are identified through partner organizations in select regions including India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Central America, and the Middle East and North Africa. Interested individuals should review the Ford Foundation's website for current eligibility criteria and program availability, as admissions occur through designated partner institutions.
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International Fellowships Program - Ford Foundation Show Main Navigation Menu Civic Engagement and Government Creativity and Free Expression Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice Natural Resources and Climate Justice International Fellowships Program Our work around the world India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka Mexico and Central America Middle East and North Africa Featured Learning Reflections Evaluation of Ford’s BUILD Initiative Disability Rights Moves Forward Featured News and Stories Reflecting on My First 100 Days About the Ford Foundation A History of Social Justice Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Governance and Financial Statements Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice | Investing in individuals International Fellowships Program Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images Share this page on Facebook Share this page on LinkedIn Conversations With Ford Global Fellows International Fellowships Program The Ford Foundation’s pioneering, decade-long International Fellowships Program (IFP) supported advanced studies for social change leaders from the world’s most vulnerable populations.
The program was established in 2001 with an initial grant of $280 million—the largest single grant in the foundation’s history. By 2013, more than 4,300 fellows from 22 countries—spanning Asia, Africa, Latin America, Russia, and the Middle East—completed graduate or postgraduate degree programs.
Supporting a generation of social change leaders By promoting greater equity in higher education within developing countries, IFP set a precedent in higher education scholarship programs. As envisioned, the vast majority of alumni returned to their home countries and dedicated themselves to improving conditions in their communities.
They have gone on to make their mark in countries around the world—holding public office, heading international and government agencies, building civil society organizations, and mobilizing grassroots campaigns to defend the rights of all people. Because of these extraordinary alumni, IFP’s impact has continued, enduring far beyond the program’s conclusion in 2013.
The IFP Alumni Tracking Study , supported by the foundation, is designed to assess the impacts of the program. Launched in 2013, this 10-year research project will explore the accomplishments of IFP alumni and analyze the impact they’ve had on their communities. It offers a rare opportunity to explore how higher education, and IFP specifically, affects the lives of IFP fellows as well as the countries in which they live and work.
Additionally, the Columbia University Libraries holds extensive documentation on the planning and administration of the program, as well as the selection, placement, and monitoring of the Fellows. A selection of digital records—including publications, the IFP media library, and archived websites—are available online via the Ford IFP Archive website .
The archive provides researchers and practitioners with an in-depth look into the links between access to higher education, international development, and social change.
Scholarships are important tools for combating inequality Donor Resource Guide: Funding Futures – Scholarships as Agents of Social Change A brief history of Ford Foundation’s support for scholarships and fellowships Rethinking scholarships as a force for social justice Video duration: 2 minutes and 29 seconds Celebrating the International Fellowships Program Ford Foundation announces 10-year $100M commitment to build on legacy of Ford Fellows program Get the latest Ford Foundation news, stories and announcements in your inbox Select a country United States Afghanistan Aland Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua And Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Ashmore and Cartier Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Baker Island Bangladesh Barbados Bassas da India Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Coral Sea Islands Costa Rica Cote D’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Europa Island Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern and Antarctic Lands French Southern Territories Gabon Gaza Strip Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Glorioso Islands Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City) Honduras Hong Kong (SAR) Howland Island Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Jan Mayen Japan Jarvis Island Jersey Johnston Atoll Jordan Juan de Nova Island Kazakhstan Kenya Kingman Reef Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Man, Isle of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palestine Palestinian Territory, Occupied Palmyra Atoll Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin (French part) Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten (Dutch part) Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Korea South Sudan Spain Spratly Islands Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Bahamas The Gambia Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tromelin Island Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wake Island Wallis and Futuna West Bank Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: See the Ford Foundation website for complete eligibility requirements. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
International Fellowships Program is funded by Ford Foundation. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
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