Funding Opportunity Description

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Human Resources, Office of Outreach, Fellowships, and Internships (HR/OFI) announces an open competition for a qualified organization to manage the candidate screening, panel review, and selection process for the 2027 Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program under a Cooperative Agreement. This specialized selection project serves as a crucial gateway to identify top-tier, merit-based graduate talent across the nation for entry into the Foreign Service.

Project Goal and Objectives

The project aims to establish a rigorous, objective, and standardized multi-phase selection infrastructure that identifies candidates with the technical expertise and leadership required to advance U.S. foreign policy and international development priorities.

Key objectives include:

Panel Formation & Honoraria Management: Onboard qualified selection panelists (tenured Foreign Service Officers, backstop coordinators, and Senior Foreign Service Nationals) by January 2027 and administer panelist honoraria ($500/day for eligible non-USG panelists).

Panel Training & Scoring Execution: Coordinate mandatory panelist training with HR/OFI and the Board of Examiners (BEX) in December 2026/January 2027, and facilitate secure electronic scoring to determine semi-finalists.

Finalist Assessment & Selection: Execute the final selection stage in February 2027 by conducting structured interviews, administering essay assessments, and calculating composite scores to select up to 10 Payne Fellows and alternates.

Onboarding Transition: Secure acceptance agreements, notify non-selected applicants within two working days, and transfer cohort records to HR/OFI to initiate medical and Top Secret security clearances by late February 2027.