Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship — Fellowship

The Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by Cultural Vistas. It enables eligible current Fulbright Foreign Students to complete a full-time summer internship in their field at a U.S. public, private, or nonprofit organization.

Fellows receive internship-search guidance and professional development support, but each fellow is responsible for securing an approved placement. The program also includes community service and in-person events in Washington, D.C.

Benefits & funding

Program participation costs are covered by the grant.
A three-month stipend assists with housing, meals, local transportation, and other living costs during the internship.
The grant covers travel from the fellow’s campus to orientation, onward travel to the internship city, travel to the closing seminar, and return travel to campus for fellows continuing their Fulbright studies.
Lodging, meals, and program activities are covered during the orientation and closing seminar.
Cultural Vistas provides internship-search guidance, professional development support, and intercultural training.

Eligibility

Applicants must be current degree-seeking Fulbright Foreign Student Program grantees enrolled in a master’s or PhD program at a U.S. university.
Applicants must still be in the United States during their Fulbright Program.
Applicants must be citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan.
Eligibility is co-determined by Cultural Vistas and the applicant’s Fulbright visa sponsor.
Selected fellows must secure an approved full-time internship of 32–40 hours per week, lasting 10–12 weeks and involving at least 60% in-person work.

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Eligible nationalities
Armenia · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Georgia · Kazakhstan · Kyrgyzstan · Moldova · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Ukraine · Uzbekistan
Residence required
USA
Education required
Master Enrolled · PhD Enrolled

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Application process

1
Confirm current Fulbright status, graduate enrollment, U.S. presence, and eligible citizenship.
2
Watch for application instructions emailed by the Muskie team when applications open in mid-October; eligible students who do not receive them may contact the program.
3
Submit the invitation-only application and an English-language recommendation through the permitted route.
4
Applications are reviewed by a panel, followed by interviews for selected candidates in mid-December.
5
Final decisions are normally issued in early January.
6
Selected fellows lead their own internship search with program support and must secure a placement by the program’s spring deadline.

Program timeline

Applications open; the invitation-only form provides the exact closing date.
Mid-October annually
Interviews for applicants invited to the second round.
Mid-December
Final decisions are normally announced.
Early January
Selected fellows secure an approved internship placement.
February to mid-April
In-person orientation in Washington, D.C.
May
Summer
Full-time internship for 10–12 weeks.
In-person closing seminar in Washington, D.C.
August