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The International Fellowships Program (IFP) is an independent program supported by the Ford Foundation. The International Fellowships Fund is located in New York City. The International Fellowships Program provides fellowships for postgraduate study to individuals from groups or communities that have little access to higher education. Through IFP, the Ford Foundation supports Fellows from twenty-two countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, as well as in Russia. The primary goal of this fellowship is to support individuals who are underprivileged but through their work have demonstrated that they have the potential to become social justice leaders for their community and nation.
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Although both governmental and private sources support different types of fellowship programs, the rapidly increasing need for higher education far exceeds available funding. Opportunities are especially limited for individuals who come from groups or communities that historically have had little access to higher education. In the Indian context, these include scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes, religious minorities, women, physically challenged and those with other forms of socio-economic deprivation. It also includes those who live outside major cities, in remote areas or in areas of conflict or post-conflict situations.
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The IFP India program began in 2001. Till date there have been 6 selections and 200 fellows have been selected and placed in universities around the world. Several alumni have returned to India and are doing committed work in their respective fields.
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Applicants must be Indian nationals or permanent residents, currently residing and working in the states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh or Uttaranchal though they need not necessarily be originally from any of these states. They must have a Bachelor’s and/or a Master’s degree from a recognized Indian university with at least 55% marks. Candidates applying for PhD programs should have completed a Master’s degree with at least 60% marks. To be eligible applicants must have at least two years’ full-time work experience relevant to their proposed area of study. Applicants must also have experience in leadership and community service or development related activities.
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Even though it began as an all India program, since 2003 IFP India has been concentrating on states which have been identified as backward in terms of the opportunities that they offer in terms of higher education. It is believed that several applicants residing and working in these states have the ability and the inclination to benefit from a quality higher education program and also have relevant social commitment and leadership skills from practical experience. However, these individuals lack opportunities to pursue academic programs that may expose them to current/global knowledge and techniques. |
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Pre-Applications and Final Applications are submitted to IFP New Delhi. IFP New Delhi convenes regional and national selection panels to ensure that selected candidates meet the highest academic and professional standards, and that IFP selection criteria are applied in a consistent manner. These panels of scholars, practitioners and other experts assess written applications and make the final selections.
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The Pre-Application forms usually come out by November 1 st and the deadline for submitting complete Pre-application forms is 31 st of January. The final application forms submission deadline is 31 st of March. Regional interviews take place in the months of May and June while the National selections are held in July. Results declaring the selected candidates are available by September.
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No. Application is free. |
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No. The form has to be filled on an original hard copy. The pre-application can be obtained on request from ask@ifpsa.org or via a letter or fax request.
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Though IFP does not strictly define the fields of study as science or social sciences, applicants are expected to be working in the broad area of 'development' and applying for a field that fits into any of the 12 areas of work that are funded by the Ford Foundation including - Arts and Culture; Development Finance and Economic Security; Governance; Religion, Society and Culture; Civil Society; Education Reform and Scholarship; Human Rights; Sexuality and Reproductive Health; Community Development; Environment and Development; Media and Workforce Development.
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The IFP fellowships provide funding for a maximum of 3years. It is ideal for doing a one or two year Masters program and can fund up to 3 years of a PhD program.
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IFP focuses on providing higher educational opportunities to individuals who are exceptionally marginalized and underprivileged and who lack the exposure and the means to access quality higher education. It does not assess applicants on the basis of academic merit alone but also takes into account their contributions in the work sphere and their overall levels of social commitment. In addition, it provides additional support to candidates by way of pre-academic training (language, computer skills etc.) and university placement as per the academic and career goals of each candidate.
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| Ans13. |
No. There is no age bar. Anyone can apply though a large number of our applicants come with some years of work experience and are often between their mid twenties to their mid-forties. |
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| Ans14. |
Fellows are chosen on the basis of their leadership potential and commitment to community or national development, as well as for their academic promise and achievement. Successful candidates must hold a BA or an MA degree and have demonstrated excellence in their undergraduate studies; have experience in community service or development-related activities; intend to pursue formal training that will enhance their leadership skills in fields related to the Foundation's program interests; present a plan specifying how they will apply their studies to social problems in their own countries; and commit themselves to working on these issues following the fellowship period. |
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| Ans15. |
Many of the most promising applicants identified by IFP selection panels are individuals who have demonstrated a high level of civic engagement in their communities or countries. Among the Fellows selected are individuals who have founded civil society organizations dedicated to social action; been active in student affairs; and become positive role models in their societies. |
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| Ans16. |
Fellows may choose to study in a relevant high-quality graduate degree program at a university located anywhere in the world including in India. IFP will offer university placement assistance to Fellows based on their field and their academic and career goals. |
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| Ans17. |
In addition to financial assistance for travel, living expenses, tuition and related costs for the actual degree program, IFP will offer Fellows short-term pre-fellowship training, including language study and courses in research and computer skills. The program will also facilitate informal networks through which Fellows may share information and experiences. |
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| Ans18. |
Yes you can. The fellowship program usually helps candidates select a program and a university as per the needs and requirements of their work and their future career goals. It also provides candidates with pre-academic training to take requisite language and other standardized tests (IELTS, TOEFL, GRE) and also provides help in the university application process. |
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| Ans19. |
No. |
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| Ans20. |
Yes you can apply a second time for the fellowship. Individuals applying for the fellowship for the 3 rd time and beyond will not be considered . |
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| Ans21. |
No. IFP does not fund undergraduate degrees or short term courses for skill enhancement. It only funds applicants interested in pursuing full time postgraduate degree programs. |
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| Ans22. |
IFP selects Fellows on the strength of their commitment to serve their communities and countries of origin, among other key selection criteria, and expects that they will honor this obligation. In addition, IFP support allows Fellows to pursue professional activities in their home countries during the fellowship period. IFP assists Fellows after they have returned home to stay connected to various IFP networks and to remain current in their respective fields.
The IFP IAN (Indian Alumni Network) has been set up to ensure that alumni links are maintained and strengthened. |
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| Ans23. |
For more information on IFP, log on the Ford Foundation's website http://www.fordfound.org and on the IFP exclusive website http://www.fordifp.net . The exclusive India IFP website is http://www.ifpsa.org |
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