2027 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program Selection Grant
A cooperative agreement funds an organization to run the operational, logistical, and administrative selection process for the 2027 Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program, including application screening, panel management, and candidate data transfer.
⚑ Selection/administrative cooperative agreement, not a research project. · Supports screening, interviews, secure scoring, honoraria, and travel/logistics for the fellowship selection process. · Eligibility section was not included in the provided text; no applicant-class restriction can be confirmed from the notice excerpt.
This is a pure service-delivery/cooperative-agreement contract to administer a fellowship selection process, not a research project. It does not match IPPRA’s survey, risk, policy-evaluation, or hazard-communication lines in any meaningful PI-level way.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-10-28
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| IPPRA | 40 partial | education policy/evaluation (core line, primary); signature methods: community engaged, policy analysis; social/behavioral work is minor; funds service delivery, not research (capped); capped at 40 (non-research funding) |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 25 weak | technical depth: minor; funds service delivery (capped) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 5 none | no commercialization signal |
Description
Background & Goal:
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Human Resources, Outreach, Fellowships, and Internships Division (HR/OFI) announces an open competition for an eligible organization to manage operational, logistical, and administrative functions for the candidate selection process of the 2027 Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program. Authorized under 22 U.S.C. 2719 and 22 U.S.C. 3901 et seq., this 3-to-6 month Cooperative Agreement (December 2026 – March 2027) aims to execute a rigorous, standardized, and merit-based evaluation cycle to identify 10 premier Pickering Fellows and qualified alternates dedicated to Foreign Service careers.
Problem Statement:
Identifying top diplomatic talent requires multi-stage candidate evaluation on a condensed timeline. Without dedicated administrative support, the Department risks operational delays, inconsistent scoring, and logistical bottlenecks. The Recipient must execute screening, maintain secure scoring platforms, manage Washington, D.C. panel interviews, and handle honoraria and travel logistics under strict federal standards to ensure high-caliber candidates are evaluated without delay.
Key Objectives & Outcomes:
Application Screening & Semi-Finalist Selection: Screen 100% of applications by January 2027 against eligibility criteria (U.S. citizenship, 3.2+ GPA, financial need, master’s program plans). Provide secure portal access to 18 selection panelists to score applicants and select 90 semi-finalists by February 2027.
Panel Management & Evaluation: Coordinate D.C. final evaluations (3.5-day interview panel, 2-day essay panel), manage mandatory BEX-led panelist training, and disburse per diem-compliant panelist honoraria ($500/day).
Final Selection & Data Transfer: Compile rank-ordered scores, issue selectee/alternate notifications within 2 working days of HR/OFI approval, and transfer complete selection data packages within 2 weeks of completion.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Katherine Wright Grantor <wrightka@state.gov>
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