Applications are invited for Norman E. Borlaug LEAP (Leadership Enhancement in Agriculture Program) fellowships available for Sub-Saharan African students in the USA. Fellowships are available for conducting research in the field of agriculture and related disciplines.

To support this vision, USDA and USAID established the Norman E. Borlaug International Science and Technology Fellowship Program. The program was created to educate and train students, researchers, policymakers, scientists, and faculty members from developing countries, in the latest science and agricultural technologies.

The Borlaug LEAP offers fellowships to enhance the quality of thesis research of graduate students from developing countries who show strong promise as leaders in the field of agriculture and related disciplines. The program supports engaging a mentor at a US university and a CGIAR centre.

• Course Level: Fellowships are available for conducting research.
• Study Subject: The Norman E. Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in Agriculture Program (Borlaug LEAP) awards fellowships to outstanding graduate students who show strong promise as leaders in the field of agriculture and related disciplines.  Fellowship is offered for conducting research on topics related to the US Government’s global hunger initiative — Feed the Future.  All topics related to agriculture (as defined by Title XII) and the Feed the Future initiative are admissible.
• Scholarship Award: The award level is US$20,000 for a maximum of one year. The funds are administered as a grant to the US university mentor.
• Scholarship can be taken at the USA

Eligibility

• Applicants must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible to apply for this Fellowship:-
• An eligible candidate for a Borlaug LEAP fellowship must be:
  a citizen of a USAID-assisted country. Currently, we are only accepting applications from citizens of USAID-assisted countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Applicants cannot hold citizenship or permanent residency in the US and/or any non-USAID assisted country. This includes applicants with dual citizenship.
• currently enrolled as an MS or PhD student at the US or sub-Saharan Africa developing country university.
• Candidates must maintain student status for the duration of the fellowship.-fluent in reading, writing and speaking English. All semi-finalists must provide a TOEFL or IELTS score taken within the past year.  Only applicants enrolled at U.S. universities are exempt from this requirement.  Minimum acceptable scores are TOEFL, 550 (paper test); 80 (internet-based test). IELTS (academic modules), minimum of 7 on a 9-point scale.
• In addition, eligible candidates will have
• completed at least one year of graduate-level course work in the graduate program the applicant is currently enrolled in with a US equivalent grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher.
• Successful candidates must agree to return to their country of citizenship for a minimum of two years following graduation.

Nationality: Citizens of Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Rep., Chad, Dem. Rep. Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome/Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe can apply for these Borlaug fellowships.

How to Apply

• How to Apply: The mode of application is online.
• Entrance Requirements: Applicants must be currently enrolled as an MS or PhD student at the US or sub-Saharan Africa developing country university. Candidates must maintain student status for the duration of the fellowship.
• English language/ English Requirements: Applicants must be fluent in reading, writing and speaking English. All semi-finalists must provide a TOEFL or IELTS score taken within the past year. Only applicants enrolled at U.S. universities are exempt from this requirement. Minimum acceptable scores are TOEFL, 550 (paper test); 80 (internet-based test). IELTS (academic modules), minimum of 7 on a 9-point scale.

Application Deadline: Closed

Scholarship Link