Overview > FAQs

	Eligibility
	Program Requirements and Guidelines
	Application Procedures
	Budget and Funding Guidelines

Eligibility

Are alumni of the Fulbright University Affiliations program, the Department of Education Fulbrights, the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program, or the Fulbright student program administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) eligible to apply for AIA awards?

No. Eligible alumni are only those who received Fulbright grants administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES).

Am I still eligible if I just had a Fulbright senior scholar grant that ended in 2002 and the three years between grants is not up?

Yes. There is no three-year waiting period requirement for the AIA program. The program is open to eligible alumni whose grants occurred at any time from the 1998/1999 academic year through the 2001/2002 academic year

Is participation in the AIA program limited just to Fulbright alumni? Or could it be extended to include other faculty members?

This program is limited to application by a Fulbright alum (whether U.S. or Visiting Scholar) in partnership with his/her host institution colleague. However, other faculty members from both applicants' institutions may be part of the proposal and participate in the project. In all cases, however, the application must be submitted by the alum and the host institution colleague, and the AIA award administered by the participating US institution.

I had a Fulbright grant in 1997 and it was renewed for 1998. Am I eligible?

Yes, you are eligible, as long as you received a renewal for the 1998/99 academic year.
If your grant had been an academic-year grant beginning in 1997 and ending in 1998, you would not be eligible.

I am currently a member of a CIES Review Committee. Am I eligible to apply to the AIA program? If so, may I apply while I am still a committee member?

Yes, you are eligible as long as you have had an eligible Fulbright senior scholar award during the indicated period. And you may apply while still serving as a committee member.

Can Fulbright scholar alumni who are adjuncts, retirees, or professors emeriti apply to the AIA program?

Yes, as long as the institution with which they have current affiliation demonstrates evidence of commitment to sustaining the proposed linkage project in the long term and agrees to assume responsibility for administering and implementing the award should the application be successful.

I am an independent scholar and have no US institutional affiliation. Am I still eligible?

No. You must have a current university or appropriate professional affiliation to apply. The objective of the program is to foster and sustain an ongoing institutional relationship between the Fulbright scholar's home and host institutions that will contribute to the institutional growth and development of both partners.

I have had two previous Fulbright scholar awards. Does my project have to involve linkages with the institution of my most recent award?

No. The proposed linkage can involve the official host institution from any eligible grant year.

I have changed my home institution since I had my Fulbright grant. Can my proposal involve my new home institution or does it have to be with my original home institution at the time of my grant?

Proposals should involve linkages between the Fulbright alum's current home institution and his/her official host institution during the period of the Fulbright grant.

What types of activities are eligible under the AIA award?

Just about any activity resulting in the creation or fostering of a sustainable institutional relationship that will have an impact on both the Fulbright alum's home institution and the Fulbright host institution abroad and which both institutions are prepared to support in both the long and short terms. Projects promoting individual research or other objectives or which involve the implementation of a one-time event or activity (e.g. mounting of an exhibit or performance, publication of a book, etc.) would not be appropriate.

What exactly does "home institution" mean? Does it have to be a university? Can it be another institution?

Your "home institution" is the organization with which you are currently affiliated. This institution does not necessarily have to be a university. It can be a nongovernmental organization, a library, a law firm, a business, etc. Whatever the institution; however, it must demonstrate commitment to supporting your proposed project for a sustained linkage and institutional relationship. For U.S. Fulbright alumni applicants, the home institution must also be willing and able to assume responsibility for administering all aspects of the AIA award.

What responsibilities must the U.S. institution assume in relation to administering the AIA grant?

The U.S. institution will be responsible for providing logistical, visa, or other support associated with international travel by program participants. This will include, but is not limited to, issues regarding visas, insurance, taxes, or the transfer of funds to foreign scholars and institutions.

What if I am affiliated with more than one institution?

It is possible for the proposal to involve more than one institution; however, if you are the U.S. applicant, you need to keep in mind that only one institution may administer the grant so you will need to designate which one it is in your application. Also, the principal institutional partners should always be the alum's current home and official Fulbright host institutions. Other participating institutions would play secondary roles.

Does my AIA project have to be with the original institution with which I was affiliated during my Fulbright, or can it be with a new institution?

Since the objective of the AIA Program is to build on relationships initiated by the original Fulbright assignment, the proposed AIA project must be with the host institution designated for the scholar's Fulbright award. Other institutions might be involved, but the official Fulbright host institution must be the principal institution with which the linkage is proposed. If there was an approved change of the Fulbright institutional affiliation that can be documented, then the AIA proposal may include that institution in place of the originally assigned host institution.

Should the AIA project be with only one institution or can it be with two or more universities in the host country?

The proposed project may involve linkages with more than one institution; however, the scholar's official host institution during the time of his or her Fulbright grant must be involved and must be the principal institution with which the linkage is proposed.

Can my proposal include institutions in other countries where I have contacts?

No. AIA awards are for the development of institutional linkages specifically as the result of the Fulbright experience in the country of assignment.

Can the AIA project involve institutions in more than one country where I have had a Fulbright?

No. Your project must focus on just one country and the host institution with which you were affiliated within that country during a single Fulbright grant period.

I have contacts with individuals abroad who are not at the same institution with which I was affiliated during my Fulbright grant. Can I propose a project that will create linkages with an institution with which I was not affiliated?

No. The institutional linkages must be with the individuals and institution where you carried out your Fulbright grant.

If my project involves international travel, must the travel be by US carrier?

Yes, in most cases. However, since the AIA awards are jointly funded by the US Department of State and the IIE Fulbright Legacy Fund (i.e. a combination of government and private funds) the Fly America Act will be applied only to those awardees whose proposal receives US Government funding. Since the funding distribution will not be known until the selection stage, all applicants are asked to use US carrier fares when estimating their budgets. When awards are announced, awardees will be advised as to the funding source for their proposals so that they can make necessary adjustments.

How can I get the application materials?

Applications are available through our Web site at www.cies.org.

What type of credentials, i.e. c.v., publications list, do I need to include?

You do not need to provide credentials. We already have them on file from your original Fulbright application. Submit only the materials requested in the instructions.

What will you be evaluating in each application?

We will be evaluating the prospects for the proposed activity to develop or foster a sustainable, mutually beneficial linkage between home and home intuitions. We are not evaluating the intrinsic academic, scientific, scholarly or artistic substance of the proposal.

Can application materials, for example the institutional letters of support or the letter of endorsement from the Fulbright Commission, be submitted to CIES separately?

Your application materials should be submitted to CIES in the requested number of copies and in complete sets. CIES staff cannot ensure that all pieces of an application arriving at different times will be assembled. Nor will CIES staff be able to confirm receipt of such materials. To guarantee review of your application, please make every effort to obtain the required materials and to submit a complete application set postmarked by the February 15, 2003 deadline

What if I have changes to my application AFTER it has been delivered to CIES?

CIES staff cannot guarantee that requested changes to the application materials can be made after the deadline. Please be sure that your application materials are accurate and complete before you submit them.

Can I apply for both a Fulbright grant and an AIA award?

Yes. But you need to keep in mind that the duration period for your AIA project is two years beginning approximately March 2003. If you apply for a regular Fulbright award for the 2002/03 academic year, you need to make sure that your absence from the country on your Fulbright does not interfere with the objectives and timeline of your AIA project.

When will the decision on funding for the AIA-LINC Awards be made, and if they are not funded, will I still be considered for a regular award.

We will know whether funding is available for the AIA-LINC Awards in September 2002. Should funding not become available, those applications will still be considered for a regular AIA award.

What commitments from my home and host institutions (e.g., matching funds or in-kind support) would help make my application more competitive?

The stronger the evidence of support from the participating institutions, the more competitive the application will be. Since the objective of the AIA Program is to foster sustainable institutional linkages, we want to see that both institutions are committed to supporting the relationship in both the short and the long term. It is understood, of course, that institutional resources and capacities differ widely and that what is possible for some institutions may be out of the questions for others. However, whether an institution can provide matching funds or in-kind support, it should be clear that the institution is making a good faith effort to support the project in tandem with AIA funding and plans to sustain the institutional relationship to the best of its ability in the future. Proposals that appear to depend primarily on AIA funding to get off the ground or to be sustained will not be considered competitive.

What are the guidelines as to what funding may be used for?

There are no specific guidelines; most requests for funding will be considered, as long as the expenditures are justified in terms of AIA objectives. Please see the Budget section of the application materials for the items that will not be funded under the program, including university overhead or indirect costs.

Can I indicate support from sources other than the home and host institutions? Can retirement funds be used as a part of the matching funds?

Matching funds and/or in-kind contributions are encouraged from the home and host institution as evidence of the institution's commitment to sustaining the proposal. The stronger the commitment on the part of the home institution to supporting the linkage, the more compelling the application will be. In addition, applicants may also indicate other funding sources, including personal funds, if such exist, but these should not represent the principal source of non-AIA funding.