Washington, Feb. 21, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced fellowship applications to connect USDA resources with faculty and staff at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI). The 2019 Class of the E. Kika De La Garza Fellows Program is available through the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE).

The E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program offers faculty and staff from Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) the opportunity to work collaboratively with USDA to gain insight and understanding of the federal government. Through the fellowship, participants learn about opportunities at USDA and other federal agencies that are available to their institutions and students.

Education Fellowship and High School Education Fellowships are for faculty and staff at HSIs. High School Fellowships are for secondary education superintendents, principals, agricultural and/or district level teachers working for a Hispanic-Serving school district. Participants attend a two-week program (June 17 through 28) in Washington, D.C.

Science Fellowships are for science faculty at HSIs. Science fellows collaborate with leading scientists from either USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) or Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Participants attend a one-week orientation in Washington, D.C., and also partner with a USDA Research Center. The fellowships take place June 17 through July 3, 2019.

“These fellowships provide an opportunity to strengthen USDA’s relationship with Hispanic-Serving Institutions while empowering them to leverage the wide-ranging resources and programs available in partnership with USDA and our federal counterparts,” said OPPE Acting Director Mike Beatty.

Eligible applicants are faculty or staff at a Hispanic-Serving Institution or Hispanic-Serving School District. HSIs are public colleges and universities with at least 25 percent Hispanic students enrolled.

Currently, there are more than 400 HSIs in 21 states and Puerto Rico, serving more than 2 million students.

The application deadline is March 20, 2019. See the E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program application (PDF, 486 KB) for details.