GRADUATE PROGRAM FOR THE REGIONS

Sponsor: Fulbright Program; Colombian Fulbright Commission, Colombian Ministry of Education, Instituto Colombiano para el Desarrollo de la Ciencia y Tecnología “Francisco José de Caldas” (COLCIENCIAS), Colombian Department of National Planning
Countries: Colombia
Program focus: Institutional development
Timeframe: 2007 - present
Description: The Graduate Program for the Regions is the result of a valuable partnership involving the Colombian Fulbright Commission, the Colombian Ministry of Education, COLCIENCIAS, the Colombian Department of National Planning, and LASPAU. Designed to extend the reach of the Fulbright Program in Colombia, the Graduate Program for the Regions offers grants to researchers, academics, and professionals from outside the capital city of Bogotá, offering the benefits of study abroad to talented individuals who otherwise might have difficulty accessing such opportunities. Awards are for master’s or doctoral study in the United States, with an emphasis on fields related to scientific or technological innovation. The Program was launched in February 2007.

More Information

The Graduate Program for the Regions seeks to strengthen regional institutions through the training of individuals in fields related to scientific or technological innovation. Applicants must be sponsored by a university, research center, or business incubator that has few staff members with doctoral degrees and that commits to employing grantees upon their return. Eligible fields of study will be determined by each sponsoring institution based on its priorities for institutional and regional development.

The program awards grants to qualified candidates who demonstrate a commitment to the scientific, technological, and socioeconomic advancement of their individual regions. Grants are for up to two years for master’s candidates and up to three years for doctoral candidates. Among other provisions, the program offers funding for grantees to travel from their homes to TOEFL and GRE testing sites in other parts of the country. Selected candidates must return to their region upon completing the program.

For information about LASPAU's administration of the Graduate Program for the Regions, please contact:

Jennifer Haefeli, Program Officer
LASPAU
25 Mount Auburn St.
Cambridge, MA 02138-6095
Tel: 617-495-0369
Fax: 617-495-8990
E-mail: jennifer_haefeli@harvard.edu

The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State.