Selection and Eligibility Requirements

General

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
• Applicants must be federal government employees with at least two consecutive years of service by and immediately preceding the start of the pre-departure training (July 1, 2024) in order to apply for the 29th class of Mansfield Fellows.
• After completing the program, Fellows are required to serve at least two years in the federal government, where it is anticipated they will continue to work on projects and issues concerning Japan and U.S.-Japan relations.
• Prospective Fellows must have written approval to apply from their home agency.

Selection Criteria

Ideal Fellows will be accomplished federal professionals who are hard working, self-reliant and self-disciplined, flexible and sociable. They must be fully dedicated to the program and be able to cope with the challenges of working and living in a different culture.

Fellows will need to:

• understand that the year in Japan is a full-time program;
• recognize that the program is not an independent project, but rather the objective of the Mansfield Fellowship Program is to observe and experience the Japanese decision-making process;
• know what they want to accomplish in the program, but at the same time be open to new possibilities;
• have an interest in broadening their knowledge about Japan;
• have a clear idea about how they will use the knowledge gained during the Fellowship when they return to their home agencies, and patience to work toward the long-term goal;
• be willing to share their contacts and what they have learned in Japan with their colleagues in the federal government as well as with individuals and organizations in the public and private sectors;
• be willing to participate in group activities and support the program’s larger goals and objectives; and
• work collaboratively with the Mansfield Foundation offices in Washington, D.C., Missoula, MT and Tokyo, Japan and other Fellows.

Detail to the Mansfield Foundation

• Fellows from the executive branch participate in the program as detailees to the Mansfield Foundation. During the one-year program in Japan, executive branch Fellows’ home agencies are required to continue paying Fellows’ salaries and benefits and must guarantee Fellows will have a position upon their return.
• Fellows from the legislative and judicial branches participate as non-detailees.

Applicants are encouraged to attend a Fellowship information session for more information about selection and eligibility requirements.