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The United States Embassy in Estonia is pleased to announce the competition for the non-degree professional development Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program for mid-career professionals
Program Overview – Humphrey Fellowship Program
Online applications must be submitted no later than August 4, 2025.
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, a Fulbright exchange established in 1978, enhances leadership and ties with the United States among influential mid-career officials and emerging leaders through academic study and professional experience in the U.S., advancing U.S. foreign policy interests to make the U.S. safer and more prosperous in a more stable and secure world. The Humphrey Fellowship uses a cohort model focused on specific fields of study, with groups of Fellows placed in multinational cohorts at host universities around the United States.
Humphrey Fellows may not request placement at any university because they are placed by IIE (Institute of International Education) in non-degree academic study programs at approximately 11 host campuses across the United States. Each campus has at least one designated faculty coordinator for academic and administrative support. In addition, faculty advisors assist Fellows in pursuing balanced academic and professional programs. Humphrey Fellows cannot transfer from non-degree status to degree status under any circumstances during their program.
Over the past five years, the most competitive fields of study have been Public Policy Analyses and Public Administration, Law and Human Rights, and Economic Development. Therefore, undersubscribed fields are more encouraged.
Fields of Study
Human and Institutional Capacity:
· Economic Policy and Finance
· Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration
· Technology Policy and Management
Rights and Freedoms:
· Communications and Journalism
· Law and Human Rights
Sustainable Lands:
· Agriculture and Rural Development
· Natural Resources, Environmental Policy, and Climate Change
· Urban and Regional Planning
Thriving Communities:
· Public Health Policy and Management
· Substance Abuse Education and Policy *
· Educational Administration, Planning, and Policy
Eligibility Requirements:
About 100 posts and Fulbright Commissions worldwide are eligible to nominate candidates.
To be eligible for a Humphrey Fellowship through the U.S. Embassy in Estonia, applicants must have:
- Estonian citizenship and passport
- Commitment to public service and the potential for professional advancement
- A university degree (at least B.A., or a higher degree)
- Five years of full-time professional experience beyond attainment of a first university/undergraduate degree prior to August 2025
- Demonstrated leadership qualities and a record of public service
- Proficient in both written and oral English. Candidates selected by the Embassy based on the interview will get a free TOEFL iBT voucher and the test must be taken no later than in September 2025 (TOEFL iBT score between 61-120; IELTS score in the range 6.0-9.0).
- Limited, preferably no prior experience in the U.S.
Ineligible Candidates:
- Recent university graduates (even if they have significant positions)
- University teachers or academic researchers with no management responsibilities (except in the fields of Substance Abuse Education and Policy)
- Individuals with dual U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status
- Applicants who are not qualified to hold a valid passport as a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the country that they are applying from
- Local employees of U.S. Missions abroad who work for the U.S. Department of State, or the U.S. Agency for International Development, including temporary employees and contractors, and members of their families as well as individuals who work for or are otherwise associated with an organization that is responsible for nominating or selecting individuals for participation in any ECA exchange program
Terms and Conditions:
The Humphrey Fellowship provides international travel, tuition and university fees, accident/sickness insurance, monthly maintenance allowance and funding for books and professional activities. Although dependents are allowed to join the Fellow on J-2 visas after the Fellow has settled in in the U.S., the Humphrey Program does not provide financial support for accompanying dependents, but health insurance for dependents is required and it may cost USD 200 per month per dependent. Dependents may arrive after the nominating Embassy has provided concurrence to IIE.
Application Procedure:
Interested applicants must submit electronic applications through the on-line system by or on August 4, 2025. Interviews with technically eligible applicants will be held virtually in late August or early September 2025. Finalists of the interview batch will be provided with vouchers for TOEFL iBT.
After the national selection, the U.S. Embassy will submit nominations to IIE by September 15, 2025, where independent review committees make recommendations to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Results will be announced in March 2026.
On-line Application:
– Complete answers to all questions; essay responses must be in English and thoroughly address the prompts.
– Two letters of reference in English; one must be from the applicant’s current employer.
– Official transcripts in English; Ensure all transcripts uploaded by the applicant are official, valid documents. Transcripts must list courses taken and grades received for undergraduate (first university or Bachelor’s) degree. Diplomas are required for all other higher education degrees (Masters and Doctoral), no transcripts are needed. Diplomas need only be uploaded for the undergraduate degree if the transcript does not show proof that the degree was obtained
- Medical exams are not required as part of the initial application process. Medical evaluation forms must be submitted only by principal candidates following approval by the Humphrey Program Office in 2026.
*Information about NIDA-Funded Humphrey Fellowships:
Candidates in the field of Substance Abuse Education, Treatment, and Prevention either must have a research background in the field or demonstrated ability to learn the results and policy implications of current research. The candidates will be recruited and ranked together with candidates in other fields and must complete a supplementary field-specific application page.
The drug abuse component of the field of Public Health Policy and Management emphasizes drug abuse education, treatment, and prevention. Fellowships funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) target more specialized candidates. Appropriate candidates for NIDA-funded Humphrey Fellowships include mid-level researchers, research managers and policy makers in universities, drug abuse prevention or treatment programs, health or social services industries or medical facilities. Candidates preferably should have a doctoral degree or equivalent in medicine, health, behavioral or social science. Professionals employed by social welfare, education or community-based organizations would be appropriate if they meet the general eligibility criteria. Law enforcement candidates are not eligible unless they have a public health focus on drug abuse epidemiology, education, treatment, and prevention, and meet the requirements to follow a program based in a school of public health.
