Scott Family Liberia Fellows

The Scott Family Fellows program recruited young professionals to support the government of Liberia as it recovered from 14 years of brutal civil war. The fellows filled a critical capacity gap and worked in Liberia as "special assistants" to senior Liberian government officials, primarily cabinet ministers. The program put a special emphasis on encouraging qualified Liberians to apply. The fellows worked long hours with the goal of helping Liberia in its urgent reconstruction and development efforts.

The Scott Family Fellows program was founded with a generous $1,000,000 grant from the family of Ed Scott Jr. Announcing the program in February 2007, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said, "This is just the kind of support we need from our friends. I am very grateful to Ed Scott and his family for their generous support." Since its inception, the program has expanded to include additional fellows funded by Humanity United, the McCall MacBain Foundation, the Open Society Institute, and the Nike Foundation.

The initial program was a collaborative effort between the Liberian government, the JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. and CGD. The JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. now fully administers the Liberia Fellows Program.