There is no difference between the terms TechWomen “Emerging Leader” and “participant.” We use both of these terms to refer to the women selected to participate in the TechWomen program.
To be eligible for the program, prospective TechWomen Emerging Leaders must fulfill all of the eligibility criteria and submit an online application by the deadline.
The TechWomen Program will not take place in 2026. We encourage prospectiv applicants to reach out to their local U.S. embassy or consulate to learn more about U.S. Department of State-sponsored exchange programs.
TechWomen strives to identify emerging women leaders in all fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, Central and South Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The scope of fields in STEM, which the program encompasses, is broad.
Each participant is asked to choose one of the following tracks based on her area of expertise and interest: biotechnology and health, green technology and sustainability, information technology (IT) and communication, science and engineering. This track becomes the basis for the professional programming that the Emerging Leader will participate in throughout the program. For details, please see Professional Development.
TechWomen participants are women who are rising in their professional careers in STEM fields and who already are – or show promise of being – role models for others in their countries, particularly for women and girls.
TechWomen is a competitive program, and participants must have least two years of full-time professional experience in careers requiring significant knowledge of technology and/or innovative application of these skills.
The TechWomen Program will not take place in 2026. We encourage prospectiv applicants to reach out to their local U.S. embassy or consulate to learn more about U.S. Department of State-sponsored exchange programs.
All applications are reviewed by independent selection panels consisting of industry experts and country specialists. Semifinalists may be contacted via email or phone by Embassy staff for in-country interviews, after which final decisions will be made.
Applicants may check the status of their application at any time throughout the selection process by logging into their application.
The TechWomen Program will not take place in 2026. We encourage prospectiv applicants to reach out to their local U.S. embassy or consulate to learn more about U.S. Department of State-sponsored exchange programs.
Each Emerging Leader and her Professional Mentor(s) design a series of activities based on the Emerging Leaders learning objectives and goals and the experience of the mentor(s). In 15 days over the period of four weeks, the Emerging Leader and her Professional Mentor(s) work together on the activities in a hybrid setting. For details, please see Professional Development.
International travel, housing, meals and incidentals, local transportation and transportation to official TechWomen events are covered by the TechWomen program. Participants are responsible for the cost of any non-program activities in which they wish to partake, such as independent sightseeing and non-program-related travel. For more information, please see Award Details.
Each participant will share a two-bedroom apartment with a fellow Emerging Leader in either the San Francisco Bay Area or Chicago, depending on the location of her mentorship host company. Each participant will have her own private bedroom and bathroom. Common spaces such as a living room and kitchen will be shared.
No, program rules prohibit TechWomen Fellows from bringing their dependents and/or other family members to the United States during the TechWomen Program. Due to the intensive nature of the Program, successful applicants must be fully focused on their professional development and program activities during the entirety of the five-week experience. Therefore, the TechWomen Program is an unaccompanied program and no additional guests may join any Fellow during the Fellowship. Visas will not be issued for family members/dependents.
Yes! Women with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
You must be both a resident and a citizen of a program country in order to be eligible.
No. You may list internships and part-time work on your application, but you cannot use these positions to calculate your years of full-time experience.
According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to “plagiarize” means
- to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own
- to use (another’s production) without crediting the source
- to commit literary theft
- to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source
The Institute of International Education will be checking all applications for plagiarism. Applicants must use their own original ideas and words to complete the application. Any applicant found to be plagiarizing, including using the written application content or ideas of a previous applicant as their own, will be disqualified immediately.
For more information about plagiarism, please visit www.plagiarism.org.
