There is hereby established a Fellowship Board (hereafter in this chapter referred to as the “Board”), which shall select the individuals who will be eligible to serve as Fellows.

The Board shall consist of 7 members as follows:

(1) A senior official of the Department of State (who shall be the chair of the Board), designated by the Secretary of State.

(2) An officer or employee of the Department of Commerce, designated by the Secretary of Commerce.

(3) Five academic specialists in international affairs or foreign languages, appointed by the Secretary of State (in consultation with the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the chairman and ranking minority [1] of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate).

The Board shall meet at least once each year to select the individuals who will be eligible to serve as Fellows.

Members of the Board shall receive no compensation on account of their service on the Board, but while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of their duties under this chapter, may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the Government service are allowed expenses under section 5703 of title 5.

(Pub. L. 99–399, title X, § 1003, Aug. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 893; Pub. L. 101–454, § 9(c)(1), Oct. 24, 1990, 104 Stat. 1066; Pub. L. 105–277, div. G, subdiv. A, title XIII, § 1335(f), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–788.)