The Ford Foundation is launching a new fellowship program in early 2020 that aims to identify and connect emerging leaders from across the globe who are advancing innovative ideas and solutions to combat inequality—and give them the support to work better, faster and deeper.

The Ford Foundation Global Fellowship program seeks a diverse array of committed individuals who have demonstrated meaningful impact, but whose full potential has yet to be unleashed because of a lack of resources or access to a global network. The fellows will focus on analyzing and addressing the root causes of inequality.

The cornerstone of the program will consist of multi-day convenings, held in different regions across the world, where fellows will learn from site visits, guest speakers and other experiences unique to the local setting. Outside of the convenings, the foundation will provide funding and resources for fellows to develop and pursue an Individual Learning Plan to advance their own leadership development. Additionally, each fellow will receive a $25,000 stipend in recognition of their ongoing work and commitment to the fellowship and its expectations.

The program will focus simultaneously on supporting individuals and building a strong cohort. Over time, the foundation will connect cohorts of fellows to each other—and to others within the Ford Foundation network—to create a multiplier effect for their work, leading to wider impact within and across regions.

The inaugural cohort of 24 fellows will be selected in early 2020, and will be drawn from four regions: Brazil, United States, East Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa. In following years, future cohorts will be selected from seven other regions where the Ford Foundation has a presence: Mexico and Central America; the Andean region; West Africa; Southern Africa; India, Sri Lanka and Nepal; Indonesia; and China.

For more information about the Ford Foundation Global Fellowship, please see the FAQs.

Please note: At this point, we are not issuing an open call for applications or accepting self-nominations for the fellowship. Candidates are identified through a nomination-based selection process, and invitations to apply are extended only to those candidates who come to us through this formal channel.