WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today more than $3 million in new fellowships to support graduate students at six leading U.S. universities. Through the U.S. Global Development Lab’s Expand the Research and Innovation (RI) Fellowship Program, USAID and Arizona State University, Rutgers University, The University of Notre Dame, University of California-Berkeley, University of Chicago, and the University of California-Davis will work to support cutting edge science and technology research that addresses development challenges.

"Our U.S. Global Development Lab is partnering with some of America’s best institutions to address global hunger and malnutrition, prevent maternal and child deaths, and increase access to clean energy and healthy water,” said USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah. “These fellowships will support some of the best and brightest students who are capable of creating innovative solutions to improve or save the lives of more than 200 million people around the world in the next five years."

The RI Fellowships offer recipients support for travel and tuition and enable graduate students to connect with host institutions in developing countries. USAID anticipates funding 93 RI Fellows through its university partnerships in the first year. Fellows will be drawn from diverse fields of study, including medicine, engineering, business, science, and international affairs. 

In addition to the university partnerships, USAID also partners with the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences to offer RI Fellowships. Through these partnerships, USAID has supported 58 Fellows who represent 33 schools and who work in 7 countries. 

The U.S. Global Development Lab supports breakthrough solutions in water, health, food security and nutrition, energy, education, and climate change, to reach 200 million people in the next five years. To learn more, visit http://www.usaid.gov/GlobalDevLab.