H.J. Heinz Company Foundation Fellowship, USA

The Heinz Fellowship was established in 1982 by an endowment from the H. J. Heinz Company Foundation to the University of Pittsburgh’s University Center for International Studies. The Fellowship is managed by the Global Studies Program at the University Center for International Studies, and is offered annually providing one year of practical, professional, and non-degree educational experiences through the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, USA. The University of Pittsburgh is one of the leading research universities in the United States and includes 16 professional schools, 28 departments in the arts, social and natural sciences, 3,400 faculty members, 27,000 students, and library holdings of over 4.7 million volumes. Pitt is located in an urban center of cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity.

Heinz Fellowships are granted to individuals from developing countries who demonstrate potential as future leaders in the public, government, non-profit, or private sectors. The goal is to improve, early in a career, the Fellows’ capacity to contribute to the development of their country and to enhance their understanding of the United States. This is accomplished through a year of sitting in on selected courses and participating in practical professional activities while based in Pittsburgh. Upon acceptance of their final report, Fellows will receive a program certificate from the University Center for International Studies. This is non-degree program. Courses are observed on an informal basis, and do not earn credit towards any academic degree.

Fellows will receive a living stipend of $18,000 (paid in monthly installments), mandatory health insurance, round-trip transportation to and from Pittsburgh, and a $2,000 program and professional activities fund. Please note that, if the Fellow comes from a country which does not have a tax treaty with the U.S., the Fellow must pay U.S. taxes amounting to 14% of the stipend. No transportation costs, living allowances, or insurance funds are provided for dependents. The Fellowship does not include allowances or services for dependents, whether or not they accompany the Fellow. As a condition of the grant, applicants will be required to submit a statement of their ability to finance the transportation and maintenance expenses for any accompanying dependents. Please note that U.S. government visa restrictions make employment opportunities for dependents rare.

Eligibility

The Heinz Fellowship competition is open to men and women from developing countries who are early in their careers and whose record of accomplishment indicates strong potential for leadership and achievement in business, government, public service, or other relevant professions upon return to their home country.

-Applicants must have completed a university degree by the application deadline.
-Applicants must be suitably proficient in speaking, reading, and writing English, but cannot be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States of America.
-Preference will be given to applicants who have already demonstrated leadership potential early in their career.
-The fellowship is intended for individuals in the practitioner/policy domains. It is not awarded for basic academic research, academic sabbaticals, nor for medical research or updating. It is not a degree granting program.
-Applicants should give evidence of current leadership in one of the following areas:

Sustainable Development: For example, issues of population growth, economic development, education, environmental change.

Governance: Including the development of the legal system, the extension and institutionalization of fundamental rights, the development of civil society, or the development of the voluntary sector.

Public Health: Local and national approaches towards infectious diseases, development of health services, family planning.

Conflict Resolution: Arms control and conflict resolution efforts at the local and regional level.

Fellow ObligationsWithin the first month of arrival, the Fellow will develop and submit a plan of work which identifies the ways and means of sharpening existing professional expertise during the Fellowship residency. A progress report should be submitted at the end of the first semester, and a final report turned in at the end of the Fellowship. Typically, Fellows attend courses within the University and participate in internships in Pittsburgh or elsewhere in the United States. Heinz Fellows will be able to draw on all these resources and will be aided by an academic mentor.

During the residency, the Fellow is expected to give at least one presentation on a subject related to his or her professional experience to members of the University. In addition, the Fellow is strongly encouraged to participate in community outreach activities in the region by lecturing about his or her home country to an audience of high school students or interested adults.

Acceptance of the grant by the candidate constitutes an agreement between the grantee and the University. It is expected that, barring unforeseen emergencies, grantees will remain for the full tenure of the award. A grantee who leaves the U.S. or terminates the grant at a date earlier than that specified in the grant authorization, without consent of the University, will be required to reimburse the University for any expenditures made by the University on the grantee’s behalf.

Upon completion of the Heinz Fellowship program, fellows are required to submit a final report describing and evaluating the full range of their activities and experiences during the Fellowship, as well as their plans for applying the Fellowship upon return to their home country. These reports are subsequently distributed to program officials at the University of Pittsburgh and to representatives at the H.J. Heinz Company Foundation. These reports will also be used as references for incoming Fellowship recipients.

Timetable

Application deadline : March 2, 2009
Winner notified : April 15, 2009
Winners announced on Web site : April 30, 2009
Fellowship year begins : August 1, 2009
Fellowship year ends : July 31, 2010

Application FormsBefore completing any forms, please read all instructions in the Fellowship’s 2009-10 Announcement (RTF/PDF) carefully. We must receive all of the required components of your application package by March 2, 2009. Late or incomplete application packages will not be considered.

2009-10 Application Form (RTF/PDF) http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/heinz/index.html , including Personal Statement and Statement of Proposed Fellowship Activities, signed and submitted electronically or mailed by applicant.

2009-10 English Language Report (RTF/PDF), signed and submitted electronically or mailed by professional English language teacher or U.S. Embassy official (see application instructions).

Three Letters of Reference, signed and submitted electronically or mailed by each professional reference (see application instructions).

Current and Past Heinz Fellows Click here to find out about current and past Fellows, access Alumni reports and news updates to learn more about what Fellow activities and accomplishments. If you are a Heinz Fellowship alum, please submit an alumni update form. We’d love to hear about your recent professional activities.

Contact Us
Global Studies Program
University Center for International Studies
4100 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
230 Bouquet Street
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
USA
Phone: 412-648-5085
Fax: 412-624-4672
E-mail: global@pitt.edu
Web: www.ucis.pitt.edu/global
SOURCE http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/heinz/index.html