What is a Fellowship?
While the term “fellowship” is used by a variety of different programs, generally fellowships are:
- Short-term opportunities lasting from a few weeks to several years
- Focused on the professional development of the fellow
- Sponsored by a specific association or organization seeking to expand leadership in their field
Fellowship programs can be designed to support a range of activities including:
- Graduate study in a specific field
- Research to advance work on a particular issue
- Developing a new community-based organization or initiative
- Training and reflection to support the fellow’s growth
- Opportunities to further explore a particular field of work
Fellowships have traditionally been awarded to graduate and post-graduate students, but there are an increasing number of fellowships available to recent graduates in public policy, the arts, education, and other nonprofit fields.
Benefits of a Fellowship
- Experiential Learning: Fellowships are structured to provide significant work experiences, and fellows are often expected to take on a great deal of responsibility quickly. Generally, fellows are provided with unique experiences that are not typically available to someone starting out in an entry-level position. This experiential learning component varies depending upon the fellowship program.
- Training and Professional Development: Fellowship programs are known for their commitment to the professional development of individual fellows and often include intensive training. Key elements of this training might include:
- Academic seminars to develop frameworks and apply theory
- In-depth research and analysis of a particular issue area
- A broad curriculum of skills development: leadership, community organizing, public speaking, grant writing, media relation
- Compensation: Compensation is often considered the biggest drawback of a fellowship. Although most fellowship programs do provide a living allowance or stipend, it is typically not comparable to the salary of a full-time job. This financial compensation varies greatly. Other incentives are often provided to fellows such as healthcare coverage, student loan repayment assistance, and housing stipends.
Global Health Fellowships
The following external organizations have historically offered the following fellowships:
- Academic Global Child Health Fellowship, The Hospital for Sick Children
- Albert Schweitzer Fellowship
- Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (Fellowships and Internships)
- Catholic Relief Services International Development Fellows Program
- MIT IMPACT Program Fellowship
- Fogarty International Center Global Health Program for Fellows and Scholars
- Fulbright-Fogarty Fellows in Public Health
- Global Health Corp
- Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellows Program, Congressional Hunger Center
- PHI/CDC Global Health Fellowship Program
- Princeton in Africa Fellowship
- USAID-funded Fellowship and Internship program run by the Public Health Institute; Sustaining Technical and Analytical Resources (STAR)