U.S. Department of Agriculture
Fellowships and professional exchanges in support of international agricultural development
Principal Office: USA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has oversight of policy, planning, and programs to strengthen and sustain agriculture in the USA.
Within the USDA, the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) promotes agricultural trade; develops global information on agricultural production and markets; and supports training and professional exchanges to build capacity in agriculture, emphasizing the developing world.
Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resource
The FAS manages several trade and scientific exchange programs in support of international agricultural development.
1 — Borlaug Fellowship Program. The Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program honors Norman E. Borlaug, pioneer agricultural scientist of the Green Revolution, and winner of a Nobel Prize. The Borlaug fellowships enable early and mid-career agricultural professionals in the developing world to engage in research and training at U.S. universities, international research centers (e.g., in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research — CGIAR), and other institutions.
2 — Cochran Fellowship Program. The Cochran Fellowship Program funds short-term training in the USA for senior and mid-level specialists and administrators in developing and emerging countries whose focus is agricultural trade, agribusiness development, and agricultural management, policy, and marketing.
3 — Faculty Exchange Program. This program invites professors of agriculture in the developing countries to the USA for an academic semester to build their capacity in teaching agricultural economics, agribusiness, agrarian law, and related disciplines.
4 — Scientific Cooperation Research Program. The Scientific Cooperation Research Program funds projects of joint research, extension, and education that pair agricultural scientists and professionals in the USA with partners in the developing world. Projects are for up to two years.
5 — Food for Progress. The Food for Progress Program donates U.S. commodities to developing countries to support agricultural, economic or infrastructure development. FAS solicits project proposals each year and provides a list of priority countries.
6 — Scientific Exchanges Program. The Scientific Exchanges Program aims to educate a new generation of agricultural scientists, increase scientific knowledge and collaborative research, and extend knowledge to users and intermediaries in the international agricultural marketplace.
7 — International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program. The International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program provides fellowships to eligible U.S. citizens to assist developing countries in establishing school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs.
About the International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program
Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries
Note: The scope of FAS is global, but the geographic eligibility for fellowships and exchanges is defined in each call for applications.
The biography of Dr. Norman E. Borlaug is helpful for understanding the programs named in his honor.
The Borlaug LEAP Program offered fellowships to graduate students from developing countries. The program closed in Fall 2018.
With initial leadership by Norman Borlaug, the World Food Prize was established in 1986 to recognize the achievements of individuals worldwide who improve the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. The current amount of the annual Prize is US$250 thousand. Additionally, the Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application is US$10 thousand, annually awarded to young professionals for excellent field projects that advance agricultural development. Each year, the World Food Foundation invites nominations for these two awards.