Human Rights Advocates Program

Benefits & funding

• Participants receive academic coursework, advocacy and skills workshops, mentoring, networking, and access to practitioners, policymakers, and funders in New York.
• A very limited number of full scholarships are available, and the same HRAP application is used for funding consideration.
• Some admitted applicants may need to cover their own living costs or provide full or partial funding from another source. Columbia does not publish a scholarship amount on the reviewed pages.

Eligibility

• Applicants must hold a full-time paid position with a grassroots NGO and carry out human rights advocacy. Full-time students, academics, and government officials are not considered.
• Fluency in English is required. A bachelor’s degree and limited previous access to international travel or study are preferences, not hard requirements.
• Applicants need an English-language institutional endorsement, must commit to return to their organization after the program, and must be the only applicant submitted by that organization.
• Columbia states that it cannot currently sponsor nationals of these 75 countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
• Applicants from high-income countries are considered only when they represent marginalized communities. No age, gender, or residency requirement is published.

Application process

1. 1
   Review the admissions instructions and FAQ to confirm eligibility.
2. 2
   Complete the English-language online form, or use Columbia’s fillable PDF and submit it by email, and select the Fall 2027 cohort, the Spring 2028 cohort, or either.
3. 3
   Provide the requested application materials, including a two-page CV, a short video statement, an institutional support letter, a diploma or transcript, and two signed recommendation letters in English.
4. 4
   Submit by October 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time; late applications are not accepted and submitted online forms cannot be changed.
5. 5
   Shortlisted applicants interview with HRAP alumni from their country or region, and finalists interview with the Institute’s Director of Capacity Building.

Program timeline

1. Applications announced

   July 21, 2026

2. Application deadline

   October 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

3. Status notifications

   Late February 2027

4. Fall cohort on campus in New York

   September to mid-December 2027

5. Spring cohort on campus in New York

   January to early May 2028