On October 31, 2013, the U.S. Department of State launched the Veterans Innovation Partnership (VIP) fellowship program, a new public-private alliance platform aimed at serving America’s veterans and separating service members by preparing them for diplomacy and development careers.

About the Program

VIP will help build and deploy strategic partnerships between the U.S. government and U.S. private sector to mobilize resources and build networks to promote foreign affairs career opportunities for veterans. The Partnership will focus on the following elements of engagement to support veterans’ transition to diplomacy and development careers:

• Education: Assist with educational opportunities to study international relations;
• Fellowship: Establish fellowship opportunities at U.S government foreign affairs agencies;
• Employment: Facilitate international public and private employment opportunities.

Eligibility Requirements

VIP fellowships are open to veterans who have completed a master’s degree in the fields of international business or international relations. Applicants must apply within two years of graduate degree completion, except for veterans precluded from doing so due to their military service obligation, who will have up to six years after degree completion to apply. Successful applicants are placed in a dynamic developmental program.

*All positions will be in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The expected duration of the fellowship will be one year. The VIP fellowship is not designed to lead to permanent federal employment and does not convey preference in seeking such employment. Nor does it convey the ability to convert non-competitively to a competitive service federal position.

For further information, please contact Maura Hogan in the Global Partnerships Office at HoganM@state.gov or (202) 647-9268, or visit http://www.state.gov/s/partnerships/vip/index.htm.