Funder: Bureau of Human Resources
Due Dates: November 15, 2026 (Questions) | November 20, 2026 (NOFO application deadline) | November 23, 2026 (Grants.gov closing date)
Funding Amounts: Up to $85,855 for 3–6 months; one anticipated cooperative agreement; cost sharing required
Summary: Supports an organization to administer candidate screening, panel review, and selection for the 2027 Payne Fellowship cohort.
Key Information: This competition funds an administering organization, not individual graduate fellowship applicants.
Description
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Human Resources, Office of Outreach, Fellowships, and Internships (HR/OFI), seeks a qualified organization to manage the selection process for the 2027 Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program. The project supports a rigorous, standardized, merit-based process to identify graduate-level talent nationwide for Foreign Service careers, particularly in international development and related technical fields.
The recipient will coordinate selection panels, mandatory training with HR/OFI and the Board of Examiners, secure electronic scoring, structured interviews, essay assessments, and final selection of up to 10 fellows and alternates. It will also secure acceptance agreements and transfer cohort records for medical and Top Secret security clearance processing. HR/OFI will collaborate closely with the recipient and retain final approval over key selection materials, panelists, scoring rubrics, and fellow selections.
