International Fellowship Program

For three decades the Compton Foundation has supported a competitive fellowship program as a companion to its other grants. From 1976 until 1999 the Foundation’s fellowships were awarded primarily through the Institute for the Study of World Politics to doctoral candidates from the United States pursuing degrees in world affairs; and specifically to minority graduate students through its Dorothy Danforth Compton Fellowship Program.

In 2000 the Foundation redesigned its fellowship program to focus exclusively on students from developing countries, primarily Central and South America and sub-Saharan Africa. The primary goals of the Compton Graduate Fellowship Program are: 1) to increase and enhance professional capacity in developing countries in the fields of Peace & Security, Population & Reproductive Health, and Environment & Sustainability; and 2) to promote research-based linkages between these three fields. In order to accomplish these goals, the Foundation supports nine graduate programs that have achieved excellence, offer an interdisciplinary curriculum, and have a record of attracting students committed to returning to their home regions to conduct their research and pursue their careers.

From 2004 through 2006 the Foundation provided $1,350,000 for approximately 105 graduate fellowships, awarded by nine universities. Fellows are selected by the academic institutions, not by the Compton Foundation; please do not submit applications directly to the Foundation.

Mentor Fellowship Program

The Compton Mentor Fellowship Program is the Foundation’s newest fellowship program. Started in 2002, the program‘s purpose is to promote the creativity, commitment, and service of ten graduating seniors each year, who are nominated by ten selected colleges and universities in the United States, and chosen by an independent committee. The Mentor Fellowship Program is based on the belief that life-changing experiences can occur when formal learning is transformed by action. Each Mentor Fellow designs a project of social merit that focuses on the environment, peace and conflict resolution, reproductive health, and/or equal opportunity.

A central component of the Mentor Fellowship is the relationship that develops between the fellow and his or her chosen mentor, who provides guidance, encouragement, and practical opportunities. The pragmatic, self-directed nature of this program is designed to deepen and enrich the fellows’ experience and lead them to understand themselves and the world in dramatic new ways.