U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Pilot Fellowship Program
Agency: DOC NOAA - ERA Production
Posted: 2024-05-07 | Closing date: 2024-07-07
Estimated total program funding: 1000000
Award ceiling: 35000
Award floor: 10000
Expected number of awards: 20
Cost sharing or matching requirement: No

The U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Pilot (USFCS) Fellowship Program provides an opportunity for Master’s degree students in the fields of International Affairs, International Relations, International Studies, Economics, Business, Trade, Public Administration, or Public Policy, to increase their level of knowledge and awareness of the Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) and its vital role in promoting American exports and facilitating trade and commerce around the world. The program also provides a pathway to potential employment with the Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, Global Markets, and particularly encourages students from underserved communities to apply. The U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service is dedicated to ensuring that diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of every action and every decision. Having varied perspectives helps generate better ideas to solve the complex problems of a changing world. It also enables us to be effective stewards and reflect the communities in which we live, work, and play. As such, creating a culture that is welcoming and inclusive of all helps to ensure the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service is able to effectively execute on its mission of creating prosperity by strengthening the international competitiveness of U.S. industry, promoting trade and investment, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements. Individuals who are U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals and are in the first year of an eligible Master’s degree program, or will complete their first year in the spring or summer of 2024, at a U.S. accredited institution, may apply. Given the structure of the Program, individuals enrolled in Master’s degree programs of less than a two-year duration are not eligible to apply. Fellowship selections are based on academic excellence, letters of recommendations, a personal statement, relevant experience, skills demonstrated during interviews, and financial need. Applicants must have either 1) a cumulative 3.30 grade point average (GPA) in their graduate program or 2) have earned a cumulative 3.30 grade point average from undergraduate studies to be eligible to apply. Applicants must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30 per either semester or quarter for the duration of their Master’s degree program. If Fellows engage in fraudulent conduct or fail to comply with any term or condition of the fellowship, funding may be withdrawn, or Fellows may be required to repay monies already received. Additionally, if the selecting official determines that satisfactory progress towards market research and the Fellowship paper is not completed within the timeframe of the award, Fellows may be required to repay any expenses borne by the government for their participation in the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Pilot Fellowship Program. The U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Pilot Fellowship Program may provide, subject to appropriations, up to $35,000 of support per person for up to an eight-week fellowship program in an overseas U.S. diplomatic mission. Recipients of a U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Pilot Fellowship will be required to participate in a mandatory one-week Office of Global Talent Management Orientation and Training in the spring of 2025. As a recipient of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Pilot Fellowship, you become a recognized member of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service community. Global Markets will provide financial resources to help you increase the level of knowledge and awareness of the Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) and how it facilitates the growth of global trade, commerce, and American exports, as well as provide mentorship to assist you with your learning experience. There will be two separate program deliverables required of each Fellow. The first deliverable is the Individual Post Analysis Report (IPAR) which will document the up to eight-week summer enrichment program at an assigned overseas post, summarizing industry sector-focused market research that helps clients understand the opportunities available in selling their specific products and services in a select market as well as any specific tariff or non-tariff regulatory barriers that may impede market access. The IPAR must be submitted by July 31, 2025. During the succeeding Professional Development and Networking phase of the fellowship, which runs from August 2025 through September 2025, the fellows will be assigned their second deliverable, a Capstone Project. Fellows will be provided with the Capstone Project requirements including specific prompts that highlight how they will transfer the knowledge and skills learned through the fellowship into her or his professional career. Mentors will be assigned to enhance the fellows’ growth and help them understand their own personal career development opportunities. At the culmination of the fellowship, the Fellow will be required in September 2025 to present their project virtually before a diverse panel of ITA/Global Markets’ senior managers. Fellows must be ready to travel overseas and pass a Security Assurance Check. Placements to an overseas location for the duration of the fellowship are required for every fellow. Federal financial support (grant) for the summer enrichment program may be used toward allowable costs such as: travel to and from the Department of Commerce facility, housing, per diem, books/materials costs. Funds cannot be used toward research costs. Fellows are required to provide their own health insurance coverage during the program collaboration. Health insurance coverage and any supplemental insurance can be paid for with grant funds. More details on allowable costs can be found in 2 CFR part 200, Subpart E – Cost Principles. Applications for the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Pilot Fellowship Program will be assessed on the criteria listed below. As a reminder, if you are in the last year of your Master’s program, you are not eligible for this program. For a complete list of review criteria, please see Section V, subsection A. 1. Your statement of intent aligns closely with the International Trade Administration Foreign Commercial Service mission, with a particular interest in a career with the Foreign Commercial Service. This is 30 points of your application score. 2. You have exceptional letters of recommendation. This is 20 points of your application score. 3. Additional relevant experience and communication skills. This is 15 points of your application score. 

Eligibility: Only individuals who are U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals and are either accepted at or enrolled as a first-year student in a U.S. accredited graduate institution to pursue a Master’s degree in the fields of International Affairs, International Relations, International Studies, Economics, Business, Trade, Public Administration, or Public Policy are eligible for an award under this Fellowship program.In addition, to be eligible to apply, applicants must have a cumulative 3.30 GPA either from their graduate program or from undergraduate studies (see Funding Opportunity Description).Individuals who accept federal funding for other fellowships or award programs, such as grants or scholarships sponsored by the U.S. Government, are not eligible to receive the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Pilot Fellowship if there is more than a one-week overlap in the start date between programs. For example, an applicant who has received an award from the Federal Government for research work conducted from May 2025 through September 2025 is not eligible, as that award time period overlaps, by more than one week, with the beginning of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Pilot Fellowship Program anticipated start date of May 2025.Universities or other organizations may not apply on behalf of an individual. Prospective fellows need to be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of application to be awarded this fellowship. Eligibility must be maintained for each succeeding year of support, and annual reporting requirements, to be specified, will apply.
The U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Pilot Fellowship Program was established under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law No. 117-328) and particularly encourages students from underserved communities, including members of minority groups, to apply. The Fellowship is designed to heighten the student’s awareness of the Foreign Commercial Service through a summer enrichment program and a virtual Professional Development and Networking component.