Norman E. Borlaug Fellowship Guide: Eligibility, Funding, Proposal and How to Apply

Most scholarships Pakistani students read about are degree programs: two years in a classroom, a thesis, a graduation. The Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship is a different animal. It is a short, fully funded research attachment in the United States for agricultural scientists and policymakers who already have a job and a research problem they want to work on. If you are a fresh BSc graduate looking for a master's seat, this is not for you. If you work at a research centre, an agriculture department or a public-sector agricultural university and want serious hands-on time with a U.S. scientist, read on. You can also see the full scholarship details on our scholarship page.

A research attachment named after the Green Revolution agronomist

The program is run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS). It carries the name of Norman Borlaug, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate credited with the Green Revolution. Since 2004 it has trained thousands of scientists, researchers and policymakers from developing and middle-income countries, and Pakistan is among them.

The model is simple. Each fellow is matched one-on-one with a U.S. mentor scientist at a land-grant university, a USDA research facility or another partner institution. The two work together on a concrete research or policy project tied to the fellow's specialty. Topics range from plant breeding and biotechnology to animal health, food safety systems, agricultural economics and natural resource management. Because the work is built around a real project, what you bring home is meant to be usable in your own job, not a stack of generic lecture notes.

The placement is short: typically 6 to 12 weeks. Fellows often also attend the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative conference or other professional meetings while in the U.S.

What the fellowship pays during your weeks in the U.S.

There is no tuition here because there is no degree. The funding goes toward getting you to the U.S., keeping you there and putting you in front of the right people. According to the program information, it covers:

• Full funding for the 6-12 week U.S.-based placement
• Round-trip international airfare
• J-1 visa sponsorship and related fees
• A living stipend for the duration of the placement
• Health insurance while you are in the United States
• One-on-one mentorship with a U.S. scientist or expert in your specialty
• Access to professional conferences and networking events relevant to your field

The stipend amount is not published in the material we have, so do not assume a figure. If you have family obligations or loan payments at home during those weeks, plan for them separately, since the stipend is meant for your living costs in the U.S.

Is this fellowship meant for you?

The program states plainly that Pakistan is an eligible country, and Pakistan has been a regular participant. Past fellows have come from places like the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), provincial agriculture departments and public-sector agricultural universities. Even so, the eligible country list is set each year, so check the current eligible countries and points of contact list before you start.

The requirements are:

• Citizenship of an eligible developing or middle-income country
• A master's degree or higher in an agriculture-related field, or equivalent professional experience
• At least 2 years of practical, relevant work experience
• Current employment with a university, government agency or research institution working in agriculture
• English good enough for technical collaboration
• A clear intention to return to and keep working in your home country after the fellowship
• A well-defined research topic that can be matched with a U.S. mentor

The employment rule is the one that filters out the most people. You need a current institutional home. Someone between jobs, or a recent graduate with internship experience only, will struggle to meet it. The return-home intention also matters: this is a capacity-building program, and a J-1 placement is built around you going back.

Eligible fields listed for the program are agriculture, agricultural economics, plant science, animal health, food safety and agricultural policy. The program targets applied research tied to food security, which is why topics like wheat rust resistance, water-efficient irrigation, livestock disease and food safety regulation fit Pakistan's situation well.

The paperwork, and the one document that slows people down

You will need seven items:

1. The completed online Borlaug Fellowship application
2. A CV or resume showing your relevant agricultural work experience
3. A research proposal or statement of training objectives
4. A letter of support from your current employer
5. Academic transcripts and degree certificates
6. A passport copy
7. Two professional reference letters

The employer support letter is where Pakistani applicants in the public sector tend to lose time. Institutional approval can move slowly, and you cannot submit without it. Start that conversation with your department head the moment you decide to apply. For general paperwork preparation, our documents checklist for international scholarships is a useful companion.

Writing a proposal a mentor can say yes to

Selection puts heavy weight on a clear research proposal with a defined U.S. mentor institution. That is the heart of the application. A vague line like "I want to learn about modern crop science" gives USDA-FAS nothing to match. A focused question, for example on a specific rust resistance problem in wheat varieties you work with, lets them find the right host scientist quickly.

A few things make a proposal stronger:

• Tie it to a concrete national problem such as wheat rust, water scarcity or livestock disease, and say how your institution will use the results.
• If you have collaborated with international research bodies such as CGIAR centres, FAO or ICARDA, mention it.
• Where possible, name a preferred U.S. mentor institution or scientist whose work lines up with yours.
• Keep the scope realistic for a placement of a few weeks. A project that needs two years of field trials will not fit.

The fellowship is often followed by a follow-up project back home, so it helps to show you have thought about what happens after you return.

How the application moves from portal to placement

Applications are typically coordinated through the USDA-FAS agricultural attache office or submitted directly online. The online route runs through the Borlaug application portal. The steps look like this:

1. Pick your research interest area and, where you can, a preferred U.S. mentor institution or scientist.
2. Register and complete the application at borlaug.myreviewroom.com.
3. Upload your CV, proposal, employer support letter and references.
4. USDA-FAS reviews applications and works to match candidates with a suitable U.S. mentor.
5. Selected fellows receive placement confirmation, visa sponsorship documents and travel arrangements.
6. You complete the 6-12 week mentored placement, often followed by a follow-up project at home.

Since the visa is sponsored under J-1, you will still go through the usual U.S. visa interview process. Our guide on common visa rejection reasons for Pakistani students covers the mistakes that trip people up, and the return-home intention is directly relevant here.

A typical cycle, from call to placement

Dates change every cycle, so treat this as a rough pattern rather than a schedule:

• November-December: the call for applications opens, announced through USDA-FAS and embassy channels.
• January-March: the application deadline falls somewhere in this window. The exact date varies by cycle.
• Spring: mentor matching and selection, as USDA-FAS pairs fellows with U.S. host scientists.
• Summer-Fall: the 6-12 week research placement in the U.S.

Confirm the exact deadline for your cohort on the official portal. Apply early in the window rather than on the last day, because mentor-matching capacity is limited.

Where Pakistani applicants go wrong

The biggest mistake is treating this like a degree scholarship. People apply with a generic statement of purpose about career goals, when what the reviewers need is a project. The second is waiting on paperwork: an employer letter that takes weeks to clear can sink an otherwise good application.

A practical step many skip is contacting the USDA-FAS agricultural attache at the U.S. Embassy Islamabad early in the cycle to ask about current timing and procedures. It costs you an email and can save a wasted application.

Finally, be honest about fit. If your work is mostly administrative and you have no defined research question, the fellowship will be hard to win and harder to benefit from. If you are a working scientist with a sharp problem and an institution behind you, it is one of the most direct ways to get mentored research time in the U.S. without leaving your job for years. You can browse all United States scholarships if you are weighing other options.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Borlaug Fellowship a degree program?

No. It is a short-term, hands-on research placement of typically 6-12 weeks with a U.S. mentor. You do not earn a degree.

Can Pakistanis apply?

Yes. Pakistan is listed as eligible and has been a regular participant country. Still, confirm on the current year's eligible countries list before applying.

Can I apply right after my bachelor's?

Generally no. Applicants need a master's degree or higher in an agriculture-related field (or equivalent professional experience), at least 2 years of relevant work experience, and current employment at a university, government agency or research institution.

Does the fellowship cover travel and living costs?

Yes. It covers round-trip airfare, a living stipend, health insurance and J-1 visa sponsorship and fees for the duration of the U.S. placement.

Do I need to find a mentor myself?

Not strictly. USDA-FAS works to match candidates with a mentor. But naming a preferred institution or scientist where possible, and having a well-scoped research question, makes matching much faster.

Before you apply, check the current cycle details on the USDA-FAS Borlaug Fellowship page and read the full Borlaug Fellowship scholarship page for a summary of eligibility and documents.