Afghan Junior Faculty Development Program

CURRENT STATUS: OPEN

Next Deadline for Application Submission: November 25, 2019 at 11:59 PM Kabul time.

Late applications will not be accepted.

Submit Your Application Package To: KabulJFDP@state.gov

Download the Application and Instructions: Application (docx 150 KB) / Instructions (docx 90 KB)

Program Announcement: Afghan Junior Faculty Development Program

The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce the 2020 Afghan Junior Faculty Development Program (AJFDP) for citizens of Afghanistan to participate in a ten-week professional development program in India hosted by an American university. The 2020 AJFDP will be for faculty members in the field of Economics. All program costs will be included in the scholarship, including lodging, meals, supplemental health insurance and accident benefits, books and materials allowance, and travel costs to the program location.

The Afghan Junior Faculty Development Program is a U.S. government-sponsored program that was initiated in January 2011. The program is designed to enhance and broaden the professional skillsets of Afghan junior faculty in various fields of study; to provide insight into the American system of higher education; and to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of Afghanistan.

This year the program’s core purpose and structure remain the same; however, the location has changed to India so that it is easily accessible to Afghans.

Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must be citizens of Afghanistan currently employed full-time as a junior level faculty member at a public or private higher education institution in Afghanistan;
Applicants must have a minimum of one year and maximum of five years of teaching experience;
Applicants must have a minimum four-year bachelor’s degree along with transcripts reflecting eight full semesters of coursework;
Applicants must submit three recommendation letters along with their applications;
Applicants must submit the letter of contentment of the faculty dean;
Applicants must accept the “NO dependent policy” – the Afghan Junior Faculty Development Program will only provide support to the recipient. Dependents, including spouses, are not supported by the program;
Applicants currently living outside Afghanistan, dual citizens, and U.S. citizens are NOT eligible for the program;
Persons who have a pending application for immigration to any country (this includes Special Immigrant Visas to the U.S.) and employees of the U.S. government, such as U.S. Embassy/USAID, and their family members (parents, siblings, spouses, and children) are NOT eligible for the program;
Applicants must have a demonstrated interest in and intent to continue teaching at the university level in Afghanistan;
Applicants must demonstrate leadership qualities and achievements through professional work and volunteer experience;
Applicants should have strong English language skills. Applicants with a valid TOEFL iBT score will be given preference during candidate selection. Candidates with TOEFL scores must include a screenshot or PDF of their highest score in the application package. Selected applicants may later be required to retake a TOEFL iBT. Competitive applicants will have a TOEFL iBT score of at least 61.

Note: All grantees are required to return to Afghanistan at the conclusion of their program to implement projects and ideas developed while in India. Program participants will be eligible to apply for subsequent rounds of Fulbright 2020-2021 and other Embassy exchange programs when they are in India, but AJFDP participation does not provide any advantage in their selection.

Program Overview

The Afghan Junior Faculty Development Program is supported by an American university and provides an intensive professional training program at an Indian university for junior faculty currently working at public and private universities in Afghanistan. The program aims to enhance and broaden the professional skill sets of junior faculty in various fields of study of Economics. Participants will also have the opportunity to develop language and professional skills to strengthen eligibility for graduate studies at international institutions. The program will take place from January to March 2020, with exact dates to be determined.

The ten-week program includes the following:

Participation in an initial orientation and an eight-week academic program at a U.S. university host campus in India, including a one-week intensive English seminar;
Attendance at a professional conference; and
Participation in a multi-day professional seminar in India.

Activities and seminars during the program will focus on theoretical and practical topics such as teaching methodology, pedagogy, resources, and technology. Topics will include the following:

Overview of U.S. Higher Education Structure and Administration
Intensive English for Practical Usage and Introduction to U.S. Culture
Teaching Methodology and Pedagogy, including Curriculum and Syllabus Development
Leadership in Education
Integrating Practical Application of Course Material
Assessment Strategies
Research Methodology and Building Research Capacity
Technology – IT as a Pedagogical Tool
Academic Support Structures

Participant Selection

We anticipate selecting qualified candidates for the program starting in January 2020. We plan to include both male and female participants in this program. Please encourage your female colleagues to apply. Participants will be recruited through a merit-based, open competition and chosen by an American-led team. Selections are based upon participants’ leadership potential, interest in and intent to continue teaching at the university level in Afghanistan as demonstrated in their Professional Objective Statement and Personal Statement, TOEFL iBT score, quality of work experience, maturity, and ability to adjust successfully to academic life in India. Please note that applicants are judged according to their complete application (essays, TOEFL iBT scores, work and volunteer experience, teaching experience, interview, etc.). The most qualified and competitive candidates will be selected for nomination by the U.S. Embassy.

No Dependents

The Afghan Junior Faculty Development Program fellowship is provided for the recipient only. Dependents, including spouses (Maharam), cannot be supported by the program.

How to Apply

STEP 1: Check requirements and review application instructions here

STEP 2: To download and complete the application click here

STEP 3: After downloading the application materials, please read the instruction page carefully and be sure that you meet each of the qualification requirements before you apply. Complete the application form, sign the first page (instruction page), collect all requested supplemental documents, and then scan them all together with the completed application as a single PDF file. Send complete application (all application materials as one single PDF file) as an email attachment to KabulJFDP@state.gov by 11:59 pm (23:59) Kabul time November 25, 2019. Late applications will not be accepted. A complete application package must include a scanned PDF file of the following: completed application form, including the signed application checklist; copies of attested diploma(s) and transcript(s); screenshot of TOEFL/iBT score (if applicable); scanned copies of three recommendation letters; Letter of contentment of the deans of faculty, and current CV or resume.

STEP 4: The U.S. Embassy will review the applications received before the deadline and contact the most qualified and competitive applicants for an interview.

STEP 5: The U.S. Embassy will make the final decisions on the selected candidates and notify all applicants of the decisions by the beginning of December 2019.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

Curriculum Vitae:

Submit a detailed record of your academic credentials and scholarly achievements. (Do not exceed three pages).

Be sure to include the following:

Education (each university attended, degree earned, dates attended, and date degree received)
Each professional position held, institution, location, and dates
Courses taught and other services provided to students and the home institution
Publications (provide full citations and list them starting with the most recent)
Other professional activities, such as workshops, seminars, and consultations
Membership and activities in professional associations
Professional honors, awards, and fellowships
Community service

The application asks for similar information, but provides limited space for answers. In the curriculum vitae, you should expand upon these topics to present more completely your accomplishments.

Professional Objective Statement:

This description, along with the Personal Statement, is the most important component of the application. The Professional Objective Statement should include your professional objectives over the next five years and how you hope this program will help you achieve those objectives. This section is essential to your application. You should take great care to write a clear and detailed description of the program you intend to pursue. Please be certain to answer the following questions in this section:

How do you plan to implement what you learn through participation in the program upon your return to your home country?
Which elements of faculty development and/or academic capacity building do you hope to concentrate on during your grant (e.g. curriculum development, assessment, educational leadership, educational administration, academic governance, use of technology in the classroom, new methods/research tools in your field, etc.)?

Personal Statement:

The Personal Statement, along with the Professional Objective Statement, is the most important component of the application. The Personal Statement is a narrative statement in which you can include information about your education, practical experience, special interests, career plans, and your purpose in applying for study. Please be certain to answer the following questions in this section:

What is your vision of university level education?
How have you begun to work toward this vision?
How do you plan to work toward this vision in the future?
What do you hope to learn about American society and culture?
What aspects of your own culture, history, etc. do you wish to share with American faculty and others in the community where you will be living?
How will participation in the program benefit not only you, but also others (students, department, and administrators) at your university?

Three Letters of Reference:

Three letters of recommendation from academic institutions and work supervisors are required. Letters of recommendation must NOT be written by applicant’s relatives or friends. All recommendation letters must be scanned and included in the application package.

Questions?

If you can’t find the answer here, please review the application and checklist. If you still have questions, you may email KabulJFDP@state.gov for assistance.