Deadlines
- Northeastern: 02/14/2023
- Fellowship: 02/14/2023
Contact
If you meet the eligibility criteria and are interested in applying for this fellowship, please fill out a preliminary questionnaire. You may contact the office with any questions.
Award Details
Intensive and demanding, the Humanity in Action Fellowship brings together international groups of college students and recent graduates to explore national histories of discrimination and resistance—including the political foundations of racial hierarchies, Antisemitism, Islamophobia and colonial domination—as they affect different minority groups today. The Fellowship seeks to educate, connect and inspire the world's future leaders in the fields of human rights and social justice.
Educate: Each Fellowship program is highly interdisciplinary and features lectures and discussions with renowned academics, journalists, politicians and activists, as well as site visits to government agencies, non-profit and community organizations, museums and memorials. The programs seek to highlight different models of action to remedy injustice. They also aim to instill a responsibility among Fellows to recognize and address the need to protect minorities and promote human rights—in their own communities and around the world.
Connect: The objective of the Humanity in Action Fellowship is to facilitate a collective exploration of the social and political roots of discrimination, as well as to create a forum where potential solutions can be considered and discussed. Within this forum, Fellows from diverse backgrounds connect with one another and with established leaders who serve as program speakers. Additionally, Senior Fellows, the alumni of the Humanity in Action Fellowship, participate in Humanity in Action's international network. Fellows have access to HIA Connect, an online platform where Humanity in Action's network of more than 1,600 Fellows and Senior Fellows connect, share information and remain active in the issues addressed during the Fellowship.
Inspire: After completing the Humanity in Action Fellowship, Fellows have one year to initiate Action Projects on important issues within their own communities. These Action Projects allow Fellows to apply the knowledge and skills they gained from their Fellowship experiences. To support the professional growth of its Fellows beyond their Fellowship experience, Humanity in Action also offers ongoing opportunities, including professional fellowships in the US Congress, European Parliament and prominent NGOs, as well as annual international conferences and study trips.
A Note on Humanity in Action's Focus
Humanity in Action's programs concern human rights generally, but they focus specifically on the relationship between majority and minority groups in the countries in which the programs take place: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the United States.
Before applying, be sure to read our Fellowship Focus page.
Abroad Award
US Citizenship Not Required
Applicants to the Humanity in Action Fellowship must be currently enrolled undergraduate students (sophomores, juniors and seniors) or recent graduates. For the 2023 Fellowship, we define recent graduates as individuals who attended accredited, four-year undergraduate colleges or universities in the United States, having graduated in spring 2020 or later. Applicants of minority backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
If you are an American citizen studying at a foreign university, you are eligible to apply to the Humanity in Action Fellowship through the United States. If you are an American student studying at a university in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands or Poland, you may be eligible to apply through the Humanity in Action offices in those countries. Please contact those offices directly to confirm your eligibility.
If you are a non-US citizen studying at a university in the United States, you are eligible to apply to the Humanity in Action Fellowship through the US office.
Applicants may apply to both the Humanity in Action Fellowship programs in Europe and the United States through a single application. However, they cannot choose their city of participation.
Admissions to the Humanity in Action Fellowship programs are highly competitive. In 2017, the acceptance rate for the Humanity in Action Fellowship program was 7% percent.
The selection process involves two phases. In the first phase, a panel of Humanity in Action Board members and Senior Fellows reads all applications and selects a pool of finalists for further review by a Selection Committee. During the second phase, the Selection Committee reads and evaluates all finalist applications, and one of its members interviews each finalist. The final selections are based on this second reading and the interview.
Humanity in Action does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity, religion, political party, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or financial ability.
Characteristics of Successful Candidates and Fellows
Humanity in Action seeks candidates who are passionate about active and responsible citizenship, diversity and human rights.
Advisory
The Humanity in Action Fellowship programs provide opportunities for collaborative learning. They are not designed nor are they suitable for those who restrict themselves to a narrow and dogmatic vision and have no intention to enrich or broaden their knowledge and skills with various perspectives. The programs are a testing ground for thinking anew with others about complex issues of diversity in historical and contemporary terms. The programs focus, through educational seminars and site visits, on vulnerable populations and the unfulfilled goals of just democratic societies. The programs do not engage in on-the-ground training for political activism although some programs emphasize campaigns to fight prejudice through social media.
Applicants should know that the programs are intensely challenging on intellectual, social and emotional levels. Full-time commitment is required from every participant during the four weeks of the program. The Humanity in Action groups in each country represent, on a small scale, the larger societies to which individuals belong. We expect respectful debate and dissent as minority opinions are aired. To probe these matters and engage in learning and growth, the programs expect and require maturity, openness, hard work and a generosity of spirit from each of the Fellows.
Successful Humanity in Action candidates and Fellows possess the following characteristics
Intellectual Curiosity: Humanity in Action seeks candidates who are eager to discuss a range of historical and contemporary topics that drive, challenge and impact diverse societies. This means that Fellows should be eager to stretch their understanding of these issues beyond their own national contexts and specific fields of study.
Collaborative Spirit: Humanity in Action seeks candidates who thrive in collaborative settings and enjoy discussing challenging issues in culturally and internationally diverse groups. Humanity in Action’s pedagogy is based upon collective and intellectually demanding discussion with speakers, peers and host families. Fellows must possess the social maturity and skills to discuss sensitive topics.
Open-Mindedness: Humanity in Action seeks candidates who are open to challenging their personal convictions. The Humanity in Action Fellowship is not a program that serves to confirm the assumptions of beliefs already held by its Fellows. Instead, the program intends to broaden and stretch the Fellows’ understanding of complex human rights issues.
Entrepreneurial Drive: Humanity in Action seeks candidates who are entrepreneurial and innovative in developing Action Projects and careers as active and responsible citizens.
Humanity in Action covers the costs of participation and accommodation during the fellowship programs. However, all Fellows will be responsible for financing the cost of round-trip airfare to their program city. Humanity in Action will cover this cost for Fellows with documented need.
Although Humanity in Action provides a modest stipend for meals, Fellows should also plan to bring spending money of approximately $750 for food and social activities during the fellowship program.
All complete applications must include the following:
- A completed application form
- A curriculum vitae or resume
- A college transcript
- A response essay
- A personal statement
- Short answer questions
- A brief essay on program themes
- Two letters of recommendation
- A $40 application fee
Details on the Application
Application form: The application form asks for general contact information, biographical information and information on your education.
Curriculum vitae or resume: Check your CV or resume to make sure that it is current and complete. If you have not already done so, this is a good time to consult the career development office on your campus. You will be asked to upload your CV/resume to our system. Make sure that the file size does not exceed 500 KB. If you have trouble uploading your CV, please try using Google Chrome as your web browser.
College transcript: Please upload a scanned copy of your unofficial college transcript in PDF format. If you are unsure how to do this, find a friend or campus employee who can help you. If you have trouble uploading your CV, please try using Google Chrome as your web browser. Alternatively, there are resources online with instructions on how to do this (click here). You should upload an unofficial copy; an official copy will be requested for verification should you be accepted into the program. Any evidence of tampering with the digital transcripts will result in immediate disqualification. If you are a transfer student and have attended more than one undergraduate institution, please upload transcripts for both schools. You do not need to upload transcripts for study abroad programs. Please note that if you are selected as a finalist, you will be required to provide an official transcript via regular mail.
Response essay: There is no one right answer or perspective. You are invited to agree or disagree with the points of view reflected in the articles. We are interested in thoughtful analysis based upon your own ideas and how you express them. Limit your response to 500 words.
Personal statement: The purpose of this personal statement is for you to convey a sense of who you are beyond your accomplishments. Please visit the application to see this year’s topic and instructions. Limit your response to 500 words.
Short response questions: These questions are intended for you to share your impressions of the assigned reading materials and videos. We are interested in hearing what ideas resonated with you and why. Please limit your response for each short answer to 60 words.
Program themes response essay: Applicants must read a summary of the Humanity in Action Fellowship programs and offer a brief response on the themes reflected in these works. Limit your response to 100 words.
Letters of Recommendation: Two letters of recommendation are required to complete the application. The references should be people who know you well enough, in a professional or academic setting, to speak honestly and effectively about your interests and abilities as they relate to the program goals. Letters of recommendation should assess both your academic and extracurricular performance, as well as your engagement and working style in group settings. At least one letter must be from a college/university teacher or advisor.
Application Fee: There is a $20 application fee to apply for the Humanity in Action Fellowship. Your application will not be considered complete until the fee is submitted through PayPal. Humanity in Action will extend a fee waiver for the $20 application fee for applicants with demonstrated financial need and all those from Michigan. To request a fee waiver, please contact us at admissions@humanityinaction.org.
Guidelines for Requesting Letters of Recommendation
STEP 1: Contact your references to verify that they are available and able to write you a letter of recommendation by the application deadline.
STEP 2: Log in to your application page and complete a formal request through our system for each of your references. You will be asked to enter contact information for your reference and click a button to submit the request. When the request has been submitted through our system, Humanity in Action will send an email to your reference with instructions on submitting their letter.
STEP 3: Follow up personally with each reference to confirm that they have received the email we sent to them, containing guidelines and instructions for submitting their letter.
Still have questions? Please read their Frequently Asked Questions. If your issue is not addressed there, send an email to admissions@humanityinaction.org.
Application Fee
There is a $40 application fee. Your application will not be considered complete until the fee is submitted through PayPal. Please make sure you receive a receipt from PayPal to verify payment of the application fee. We recommend that you keep a copy of your receipt for your records.
Applicants with financial need or all those applying from Michigan are eligible to receive a fee waiver. Should you have concerns regarding the application fee, please email admissions@humanityinaction.org.
Interested? Have Questions?
If you meet the eligibility criteria and are interested in a fellowship or opportunity, please fill out a preliminary questionnaire. Contact the office with any questions: