The Ford Foundation is a resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide. Its goals are to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation and advance human achievement. This has been its purpose for more than half a century. Founded in 1936, the Foundation operated as a local philanthropy in the state of Michigan until 1950, when it expanded to become a national and international foundation. Since its inception it has been an independent, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization.
A fundamental challenge facing every society is to create political, economic and social systems that promote peace, human welfare and the sustainability of the environment on which life depends. The Foundation believes that the best way to meet this challenge is to encourage initiatives by those living and working closest to where problems are located; to promote collaboration among the nonprofit, government and business sectors, and to ensure participation by men and women from diverse communities and at all levels of society. In the Foundation's experience, such activities help build common understanding, enhance excellence, enable people to improve their lives and reinforce their commitment to society. The Ford Foundation is one source of support for these activities.
The International Fellowships Program is the largest single program ever supported by the Ford Foundation. By investing $335 million in ten years, the Foundation expects to build on a half century of support for higher education. In the past Foundation programs have maintained the highest educational standards. Ford fellowship recipients have gone on to become leaders in institutions around the world and have helped build global knowledge in fields ranging across the natural and social sciences as well as the humanities and the arts. The International Fellowships Program draws on this tradition and underscores the Foundation's belief that education enables people to improve their own lives as well as to assist others in the common pursuit of more equitable and just societies.
The General Guidelines :-
The Program is especially designed to support candidates from groups that have historically lacked access to higher education. Eligible candidates who belong to marginalized and excluded groups and communities such as scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes, religious minorities, women, physically challenged and those with other kinds of socio-economic deprivation are encouraged to apply.
- Fellows will be chosen on the basis of their academic achievement as well as for their leadership potential and commitment to community service.
- Fellows may enrol in a master’s level program and may pursue any academic discipline or field of study consistent with the interests and goals of the Ford Foundation (see IFP Eligible Fields of Study).
- IFP will provide support for a maximum of two years of formal Master’s degree.
- 40 fellowships are available for 2010.
- Once selected, Fellows may enrol in universities in any part of the world, including universities in India. IFP will provide university placement assistance.
- IFP will support Fellows to undertake appropriate short-term language study and training in research and computer skills prior to enrolment.
- Fellows who wish to study overseas will have to take TOEFL or IELTS language proficiency tests.
