---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 2738"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "2738"
heading: "Mid-Career Mentoring Program"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/2738"
units:
  - "Chapter 38 — Department of State"
---

# §2738. Mid-Career Mentoring Program

- (a) **Authorization—** The [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5), in collaboration with the Director of the Foreign Service Institute, is authorized to establish a Mid-Career Mentoring Program (referred to in this section as the “Program”) to assist in the retention of, and to decrease mid-career attrition of, employees, including those who have demonstrated potential for advancement and may be at risk of leaving the Department.
- (b) **Selection—**
  - (1) **Nominations—** The head of each bureau shall semiannually nominate participants for the Program from a pool of applicants in the positions described in [paragraph (2)(B)](#b-2-B), including from posts both domestically and abroad.
  - (2) **Submission of slate of nominees to Secretary—** The Director of the Foreign Service Institute, in consultation with the Director General of the Foreign Service, shall semiannually—
    - (A) vet the nominees most recently nominated pursuant to [paragraph (1)](#b-1); and
    - (B) submit to the [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5) a slate of applicants to participate in the Program, who shall consist of at least—
      - (i) 10 Foreign Service Officers and specialists classified at the FS-03 or FS-04 level of the Foreign Service Salary Schedule;
      - (ii) 10 Civil Service employees classified at GS–12 or GS–13 of the General Schedule; and
      - (iii) 5 Foreign Service Officers from the United States Agency for International Development.
  - (3) **Final selection—** The [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5) shall select the applicants who will be invited to participate in the Program from the slate received pursuant to [paragraph (2)(B)](#b-2-B) and extend such an invitation to each selected applicant.
  - (4) **Merit principles—** [Section 3905 of this title](/usc/22/3905.md) shall apply to nominations, submissions to the [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5), and selections for the Program under this section.
- (c) **Program sessions—**
  - (1) **Frequency; duration—** All of the participants who accept invitations extended pursuant to [subsection (b)(3)](#b-3) shall meet 3 to 4 times per year for training sessions with high-level leaders of the Department and USAID, including private group meetings with the [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5) and the [Administrator](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=1) of the United States Agency for International Development.
  - (2) **Themes—** Each session referred to in [paragraph (1)](#c-1) shall focus on specific themes developed jointly by the Foreign Service Institute and the Executive Secretariat focused on substantive policy issues and leadership practices.
- (d) **Mentoring program—** The [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5) and the [Administrator](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=1) each is authorized to establish a mentoring and coaching program that pairs a senior leader of the Department or USAID with each of the program participants who complete the Program during the 1-year period immediately following their participation in the Program.
- (e) **Annual report—** Not later than one year after December 22, 2023, and annually thereafter for three years, the [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5) shall submit a report to the [appropriate congressional committees](/usc/22/2152j–4.md?p=1) that describes the activities of the Program during the most recent year and includes disaggregated demographic data on participants in the Program.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 118–31, div. F, title LXII, § 6205, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 973.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The General Schedule, referred to in subsec. (b)(2)(B)(ii), is set out under section 5332 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Definitions

For definitions of “Secretary”, “Department”, and “appropriate congressional committees” as used in this section, see section 6002 of Pub. L. 118–31, set out as a note under section 2651 of this title.