---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 4901"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "4901"
heading: "Fellowship program for temporary service at United States missions abroad"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/4901"
units:
  - "Chapter 59 — Fascell Fellowship Program"
---

# §4901. Fellowship program for temporary service at United States missions abroad

- (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.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 99–399, title X, § 1002, Aug. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 893; Pub. L. 101–454, § 9(b), Oct. 24, 1990, 104 Stat. 1065; Pub. L. 103–199, title III, § 303, Dec. 17, 1993, 107 Stat. 2323.)

## Notes

### 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 sections 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’.”