Woskob International Research in Agriculture (WIRA) Scholar Program

Download full program announcement in Ukrainian

Summary

• Program announced: August 21, 2023
• Applications are due: September 7, 2023
• Eligible institutions: Ukrainian universities with Agricultural and Related Sciences programs
• Eligible applicants: Ukrainian faculty members, university instructors
• Expected number of awards: 1-2
• Program Coordinator: Dr. Lidiia Iavorivska

Announcement

The College of Agricultural Sciences at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) is pleased to announce an open competition for the Woskob International Research in Agriculture Scholar Program (WIRA) for the 2023-2024 academic year. This program is managed by Ag Sciences Global in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

The College of Agricultural Sciences receives the funding from the Woskob International Research in Agriculture (WIRA) Endowment to implement this program.

The WIRA Scholar Program has been the flagship educational exchange program of the Woskob Endowment and has hosted dozens of faculty members from Ukrainian institutions of higher learning in agriculture and natural resources since 2008.

Goals

The WIRA Scholar Program is a Faculty Development Program (FDP) to provide opportunity for new, promising faculty members from Ukrainian agricultural universities for a professional development in curriculum improvement and teaching capacity.

The main goals of the FDP are:

• improve current programs and develop new courses
• implement new teaching skills, methods, and tools obtained at Penn State University
• expand knowledge and expertise in their fields of study
• stimulate adoption of new changes in their home universities in program development, academic crediting, implementation of new teaching techniques
• provide a link for ongoing academic, research, and outreach exchanges between home universities and Penn State University

The Faculty Development Program provides university instructors with a semester-long opportunity to expand their knowledge and expertise in their academic field by attending classes and working with College of Agricultural Sciences faculty members.

Objectives

The objectives of the WIRA FDP are to provide university instructors from Ukrainian agricultural universities with training in curriculum and course development and teaching methodology. Participants in the FDP are encouraged to establish relationships between Penn State University and their home universities. FDP fellows will have opportunity to work closely with faculty mentors from the College of Agricultural Sciences to outline new courses, to gather new teaching materials, and explain to U.S. faculty and students on teaching practices in the Ukrainian educational system. Throughout their stay at Penn State, FDP participants observe and listen to courses, attend seminars and colloquia, and may be invited to teach or co-teach classes at Penn State. Program participants do not earn academic degrees, credits, or transcripts through the FDP, and must return to their home countries after completing the program.

Fields of Study

Individuals may apply for the following fields: agricultural engineering, agricultural economics, agricultural education, extension education, crop and soil sciences, dairy and animal sciences; entomology, forestry, food sciences, horticulture, plant pathology, poultry science, agroecology, and environmental resource management.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this program, an applicant must meet all the following seven eligibility requirements. Failure to meet any one of the requirement makes a candidate ineligible.

At the time of application, the candidate must:

• have a current full-time teaching or/and administrative assignment at a Ukrainian university that has a college, institute, or department of agriculture, natural resources, or forestry
• be a citizen of Ukraine
• hold a university degree (Specialist Degree or higher)
• have at least three years of teaching experience at an institution of higher education
• have a good command of the English language
• agree to return to Ukraine after completion of the program
• be able to receive and maintain J-1 visa and abide to its all regulations

Individuals who may NOT participate in the FDP:

• spouse or dependents of the FDP participant
• individuals who have applied for an immigration visa to any country outside of Ukraine or who have requested asylum in any country.

For the purpose of determining eligibility, "full-time" refers to applicants who are currently employed full-time by the agricultural university. Teachers or administrators who hold a combination of part-time jobs which may add up to a full-time equivalent are not eligible. Applicant’s dependents are not allowed to participate in the Faculty Development Program under any circumstances.

The Faculty Development Program does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, or national origin.

Duration

Each FDP participant will spend a total of four (4) months (January - April) at the Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, United States.

Ag Sciences Global will provide logistical support for the FDP participant. The FDP program provides round-trip international and domestic transportation, medical insurance, modest monthly stipends for meals and incidentals, and covers lodging expenses.

During the four month program, the FDP participants will be provided with office space in the College’s departments, with appropriate access to a computer workstation, internet, University library resources.

Expectations

FDP participants are expected to:

• develop a monthly plan of work which includes attendance of classes, library work, meeting with faculty members, research, and outreach activities
• attend classes of their choice and on the advice of the Program Coordinator, be active members of the class
• prepare weekly oral reports for the Program Coordinator
• prepare monthly progress reports for the Program Coordinator
• prepare a final program report
• participate in the academic and social life of the College of Agricultural Sciences

Participation in ALL program events is mandatory for all FDP Fellows. FDP participants will be responsible for their own cultural program while at Penn State University.

Important Things to Note

• All application materials must be submitted electronically by September 7, 2023 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
• All materials must be submitted in English.
• No application documents will be returned to the applicant either during or after the competition.
• All application evaluations will remain confidential.
• Applicants must be living in Ukraine at the time of the interview. Interviews will be conducted via Zoom.
• Project administration reserves the right to verify all information given in application. In the event that there is a discrepancy or information is found to be false, the application will immediately be declared invalid and the applicant ineligible.
• Participation in ALL program events is mandatory for all FDP Fellows.
• No dependents may accompany FDP Fellows to the United States.

To apply to the FDP

A complete application to the FDP consists of:

• Completed application form 
• Statement of Purpose 
• One letter of recommendation 
• Curriculum Vitae 
• Photocopy of the first page of the Ukrainian foreign passport  

Please refer to the full Program Announcement document for detailed application instructions.

Download the application form (in MS Word)

Contact information

If you have questions about the program or application, please contact Deanna Behring, dmb37@psu.edu