Program Update – December 2003

Program Overview Key Features –Single largest allocation ever approved by Ford Foundation, September 2000 –$280 million “wasting grant,” –Program operates in 22 Ford Foundation countries & territories in Asia/Russia, Africa, and Latin America –Support for up to 3 years of post-baccalaureate study worldwide –Estimated 3150 Fellows over life of the program –Pathways to Higher Education - $50 million “sister” program funded by Ford Foundation Key Innovations –Explicit Focus on talented individuals from excluded communities –Decentralized implementation through partner organizations –Pre-academic training and placement assistance –Worldwide study opportunities –Leadership training and cohort-building at national, regional and global levels –Post-Fellowship activities to help Fellows “stay connected”

Results to Date 1131 grantees selected in 36 selection rounds since 2001 from 40,000+ applications 51% women; 49% men 67% from outside major cities 5% with physical disabilities Average age 34 Fellows describe their communities of origin as low-income, characterized by poor educational resources, chronic poverty and large families Leadership demonstrated in community-based and student organizations, in families and extended families, in established and new NGOs 595 Fellows awarded contracts for study in more than 300 universities in more than 30 countries 32% studying in US and Canada; 34% in Europe, 34% in-region 71% in MA programs; 29% in PhD and other degree programs Range of academic fields: education, development, anthropology and sociology, arts and culture, environmental sciences, government and public policy, health and health policy Almost 200 Fellows have participated in 3 Leadership for Social Justice Institutes 63 alumni have completed IFP Fellowships Some staying on for higher degrees, others already returned to home countries

Fellow Selections 2001, 2002 & 2003 Total 1,131 Fellows 51% Female, 49% Male Total 1,131 Fellows 51% Female, 49% Male 4 Selection Rounds 3 Selection Rounds 2 Selection Rounds1 Selection Round

Lessons Learned Enormous unattended demand for post-graduate study among new groups of university graduates in developing countries Decentralized selection processes must be locally relevant but also globally consistent with overall IFP guidelines Importance of targeting, recruitment, and selection practices that explicitly counter usual hierarchies of power in higher education Importance of flexible eligibility criteria (no age limit, no foreign language requirement, range of fields and degrees, range of universities and regions, no prior placement required) in attracting target population Importance of pre-academic training, placement assistance in serving educational needs of target population Importance of providing Fellows with continuing access to professional and peer support network during and after the fellowship period Importance of building implementing capacity in local partner organizations Importance of systematic data collection and formative evaluation Importance of external communications Great interest in IFP program model in international higher education community

Ongoing Challenges Maintaining programmatic consistency while accounting for enormous variation among IFP countries and regions Creating a set of university partnerships worldwide and clustering IFP Fellows in those institutions Providing educational services (pre-academic training, placement, academic support, grants administration) to IFP Fellows spread worldwide Creating meaningful and lasting networks among IFP Fellows and alumni to promote leadership for social justice Designing and maintaining data collection systems for administration, evaluation and research