Applicant Interview Questions - FEP 5-22

OMB Control No. 0551-New

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INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

FACULTY EXCHANGE PROGRAM

The Philippines and Vietnam

Name:

Country:

Date:

Overview of the Faculty Exchange Program (FEP)

The Faculty Exchange Program for Veterinary Science and Medicine (FEP) was established in 2016 and focuses on improving veterinary education in selected countries. Since 2016, USDA has trained 71 Fellows from various countries.

The program is for early- to mid-career instructors at Colleges of Veterinary Science and Medicine and is intended to help improve university agricultural education and extension programs by providing a one-semester training at U.S. Land Grant Agricultural Universities. These U.S. host universities are selected based on technical expertise, suitability and experience of the Mentors, ability and experience in hosting foreign exchange visitors, and program plans and budgets. Training programs are designed and organized in conjunction with the USDA and other federal government agencies.

Program participants (Fellows) are expected to upgrade their technical knowledge in their subject area, but they will also learn new teaching and curriculum development methods through class observation, short courses, and one-on-one instruction with an assigned Mentor. Each participant will revise and modernize their class outlines for introduction at their home university after they return from the U.S.

Participants also travel to laboratories, farms, agribusinesses, and government offices in the U.S. to gain an understanding of how the veterinary science and animal health systems operate. Assigned host university Mentors visit each participant in their home country 3-9 months after the conclusion of the U.S.-based portion of the program to provide follow-on support and advice.

How FEP works if you are selected

If you are selected for the program, FAS will be in touch with you about completing your medical clearance and the steps for procuring your J-1 visa.

Please ensure your passport is up-to-date and will not expire soon. Your travel to and from your home country as well as per diem, lodging, and insurance while in the U.S. will be paid by USDA/FAS through the selected host university. Additional information about program expectations will be presented to you prior to and during orientation if you are selected.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Applicant Qualifications

1. Please tell us about your professional background, including your current place of employment and your job duties.

2. Does your institution have any specific mandates related to veterinary practices and do you do any extension or outreach activities?

3. Please tell us about any of your past or current collaborations with other national and international universities or research centers.

4. Please tell us about any past participation in international fellowships or workshops.

2. Commitment to the Faculty Exchange Program

1. What would you like to learn during the fellowship – what are your expectations and what teaching skills do you want to improve?

2. What do you hope to accomplish during and after the fellowship?

3. How do you hope to provide leadership to your home institution to disseminate the skills and information learned during the fellowship?

4. What are your short- and long-term career goals and how do you envision your future role in your institution as well as in your country?

C. Concluding Questions and Next Steps:

Please know that each year the FEP receives many applications and is a very competitive program. Once we have completed interviews with all candidates, we will compare the qualities of each applicant and select a maximum of 10 fellows from [the Philippines / Vietnam] for the program. Should you not be selected to participate as a fellow, it does not mean that you are unworthy of the program or that you submitted a poor application. 

If you are not selected this time don’t be discouraged. We will wish you the greatest success in your academic and research endeavors, and hope that you consider applying to USDA/FAS Fellowship Programming in the future as opportunities arise.

We hope to contact selected candidates in April via email with a notification of their conditional acceptance as a Fellow, and to provide the next steps.

1. If this program runs from August through December of 2023, will your institution grant you full leave of your duties – will you be able to attend and participate fully in the program?

2. Is there any additional information that you would like to share with us about yourself or your interest in this program, or do you have any final questions for us at this time?

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