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Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-110

§4901 Fellowship Program for Temporary Service at United States Missions Abroad

Title 22 › CHAPTER 59 — FASCELL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM › § 4901

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of State must create a fellowship program that pays U.S. citizens to work for one to two years in jobs at U.S. embassies or consulates abroad that would normally be done by local staff. These are called "Fascell Fellowships." Fellows serve short-term to get real experience in the host country and may do independent study of that country’s languages or area studies. Eligible people are U.S. citizens who are undergrad or grad students, teachers, scholars, other academics, or others with expertise or interest in international affairs or foreign languages. Fellows must have a working knowledge of the host country’s main language. The Secretary must actively recruit women and members of minority groups.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §4901

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Establishment
There is hereby established a fellowship program pursuant to which the Secretary of State will provide fellowships to United States citizens while they serve, for a period of between one and two years, in positions which would otherwise be held by foreign national employees at United States diplomatic or consular missions abroad.
(b)Designation of fellowships
Fellowships under this chapter shall be known as “Fascell Fellowships”.
(c)Purpose of fellowships
Fellowships under this chapter shall be provided in order to allow the recipient (hereafter in this chapter referred to as a “Fellow”) to serve on a short-term basis at a United States diplomatic or consular mission abroad in order to obtain first hand exposure to that country, including (as appropriate) independent study in that country’s area studies or languages.
(d)Individuals who may receive a fellowship
To receive a fellowship under this chapter, an individual must be a United States citizen who is an undergraduate or graduate student, a teacher, scholar, or other academic, or an other individual, who has expertise in international affairs, foreign languages, or career and professional experience or interest in international affairs, and who has a working knowledge of the principal language of the country in which he or she would serve.
(e)Women and members of minority groups
In carrying out this section, the Secretary of State shall actively recruit women and members of minority groups.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1993—Pub. L. 103–199 substituted “abroad” for “in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe” in section catchline. 1990—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–454, § 9(b)(1), substituted “which would otherwise be” for “formerly” and “abroad” for “in the Soviet Union or Eastern European countries”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 101–454, § 9(b)(2), substituted “abroad” for “in the Soviet Union or an Eastern European country” and “that country’s” for “Soviet or Eastern European”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 101–454, § 9(b)(3), substituted “international affairs, foreign languages, or career and professional experience or interest in international affairs,” for “Soviet or Eastern European area studies or languages”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

of 1990 Amendment Pub. L. 101–454, § 9(a), Oct. 24, 1990, 104 Stat. 1065, provided that: “This section [amending this section and section 4902 and 4904 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 4902 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Fascell Fellowship

Amendments

Act of 1990’.”

Short Title

Pub. L. 99–399, title X, § 1001, Aug. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 893, provided that: “This title [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Fascell Fellowship Act’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 4901

Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110