Congratulations on your selection as a Fulbright Specialists Roster Candidate!
As a Fulbright Specialists Candidate you are now eligible to be matched with projects as they are proposed by host institutions and approved by the U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. This section of our Web site provides more in-depth information on project development for Fulbright Specialists Roster Candidates.
If you have questions or concerns not addressed here, please contact us at fulspec@iie.org or 202.686.4026.
All Fulbright Specialists projects must be proposed by foreign host academic institutions [see Request Specialist section www.cies.org/specialists/FSP_Candidates/]. Foreign, post-secondary academic institutions submit their project proposal to the local Fulbright Commission or the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy.
If the proposal is approved by the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy, it is then forwarded to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) for final approval. Once a project is approved, CIES begins the “matchmaking” process, contacting Fulbright Specialists Roster candidates with relevant expertise to inform them of the opportunity.
For projects submitted with a requested scholar, the named scholar is contacted first by CIES to ascertain his or her availability. In such cases the named request is the priority candidate but is not guaranteed selection as the final grantee.
For projects without a named request, eligible qualified candidates will be contacted and, if available and interested in the project, forwarded to the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy for final selection. Once the host institution selects a candidate, and a “match” is made, CIES begins the grants administration process.
Costs
Costs for a Fulbright Specialists grant are shared by the host institution and the U.S. Department of State.
The host institution is responsible for the cost of housing, meals and any necessary, program related, in-country transportation. In-country costs may be supplied by the host institution as in-kind services and/or monies paid directly to the grantee.
CIES administers the U.S. State Department funds for the international travel costs, to be paid prior to departure, and a $200 per day honorarium, to be paid upon return and completion of an online final report and travel expense report. The $200 is paid for every day of the grant period, including weekends and travel days.
Roster Eligibility
Now that you have been approved as a candidate on the Fulbright Specialists Roster, you will remain on the Roster for five years from your date of approval. During that time, you are eligible for a maximum of two Fulbright Specialists grants (there must be two years between Specialists grants). Please see message from the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board for further information about eligibility criteria: www.cies.org/message1.htm.
Once you rotate off the Roster, at the end of your five-year term, if you have not had two Specialists grants, you may return to the Roster in three years. This policy is contingent on continued funding and no subsequent policy changes.
All approved Fulbright Specialists projects must go through the Roster matchmaking process. However, host institutions are allowed to request a specific candidate when submitting their project proposal.
Roster candidates may be contacted by a potential host institution prior to their submitting a project in order to assist in the development of that project. Alternatively, Roster candidates may approach colleagues and counterparts at overseas academic institutions to propose possible Fulbright Specialists Projects for which the potential host may apply.
By being proactive and cooperating with a host institution in developing a project, a scholar has a much better chance of receiving a grant during his or her five-year term on the Specialist roster.
Please remember, and remind your host institution, that all proposals MUST be approved by the U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Roster candidates should not contact U.S. Embassies and Fulbright Commissions in efforts to develop Fulbright Specialists Projects.
When considering how to develop a grant, it is important to remember that you should not contact the Fulbright Commissions or U.S. Embassies. Only host institutions can submit a project proposal to the local Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy. Fulbright Commissions and U.S. Embassies cannot help you locate interested institutions or otherwise develop a project.
The best approach to finding an interested host institution is to use your contacts with foreign academic institutions and scholars.
If you have taught or studied at foreign academic institutions, get in contact with them and discuss the possibility of developing a Fulbright Specialists project to meet their needs in a particular area. If you have contact with a foreign Fulbright grantee or other visiting scholar, whether at your home campus or another U.S. campus, discuss the possibility of collaborating with them at their home institution, or get in contact with former foreign visiting scholars.
A useful tool in the development of overseas contacts is the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Directories (www.cies.org/vs_scholars/vs_dir.htm) which can be searched by discipline and country. These online directories provide the name, title, discipline, and home institution of all Fulbright visiting scholars from 1998 to the present.
The Fulbright Occasional Lecture Program is another useful tool for developing foreign contacts. The Fulbright Occasional Lecturer Fund (www.cies.org/olf/) allows U.S. institutions to invite Fulbright visiting scholars at other U.S. universities to present guest lectures on their campus, and funds travel for 2 or 3 day trips. This program can be utilized by Roster candidates both to utilize visiting scholars’ expertise while they are in the United States and to develop contacts at overseas institutions.
Be aware of the limits and benefits of pursuing projects in the country and region in which you are interested
Each country participating in the Fulbright Specialist Program has a limited number of grants each year. Competition for these grant opportunities can be high in certain world areas, particularly Western Europe. You may wish to explore opportunities in under represented areas such as the Middle East, Africa and Eurasia, to significantly improve your chances of receiving a Specialists grant during your five year term.
Consider the possibility of working with more than one host institution
Joint project proposals are permitted under the Fulbright Specialist Program. Because of the host institution’s responsibility to pay a portion of the costs of the program it is sometimes difficult for potential hosts to commit to Fulbright Specialists projects. Sharing the costs with another institution may be an attractive option for some potential host institutions.
Roster candidates should become acquainted with the situation on the ground in each country in which they are interested. To learn more about countries participating in the Fulbright Program and to research potential hosts, please visit the country pages at www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/.
Project Development Steps |
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Steps in Project Submission and Administration
Step 1)
A potential host institution requests the Fulbright Specialists Project Request Form from the Fulbright Commission or the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy.
Step 2)
The potential host institution (or the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy) completes the form.
The Commission or Public Affairs Section may provide guidance and support to the institution as they prepare the proposal.
Note: A potential host may at this point include the name of a preferred candidate on the proposal form.
Step 3)
Once the form is complete, it is submitted to the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy for approval.
Note: Each country participating in the Fulbright Specialist Program has a limited number of projects it can submit each calendar year. Some Fulbright Commissions and U.S. Embassies administer a competition to select their quota of projects. Full authority for the choice of proposals is held by Fulbright Commission or Public Affairs staff of the U.S. Embassy. CIES has no role in project approvals.
Step 4)
The Commission or Embassy approves the project and submits it online to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the U.S. Department of State for final approval.
Step 5)
ECA reviews the project and may contact the Commission or Embassy for clarification or revision. ECA either approves or rejects the project. Approved projects are forwarded to CIES for grants administration.
Step 6)
CIES processes approved requests by contacting potential Specialists Roster candidates to ascertain their availability and interest. Candidate curriculum vitae are forwarded to the Commission or Embassy and the host institution for final selection.
Note: For projects without a named request scholar each candidate will be asked to submit a two page summary outlining their qualifications for and approach to the current project. This summary will be forwarded to the Commission or Embassy and host institution to assist them in their final selection.
Step 7)
The Commission or Embassy informs CIES of its final selection. All candidates are informed of their status. At this point the project moves into grants administration.
Step 8)
The grantee receives a grant packet from fulspec@iie.org that contains a congratulatory letter, an overview of the project, the terms and conditions of the grant and instructions for accessing the Grantee Web page.
Step 9)
The grantee visits the Grantee Web page and accesses the “Preparing to Go” document. This document contains instructions for filling out the travel advance budget form.
Step 10)
The grantee confirms the grant dates with the host institution and obtains two quotes for travel, in compliance with Fly America regulations, for the dates of the grant.
Step 11)
The grantee submits the travel advance budget form with the agreed-upon grant dates to CIES, as well as the two airfare quotes. Travel budgets may be submitted to CIES via fax or email.
Step 12)
The grantee receives an email from CIES advising of the approved travel advance amount and permission to purchase air tickets.
Step 13)
The grantee receives the grant authorization document as an email PDF attachment from CIES, prints it, signs the authorization and returns it to CIES via fax.
Step 14
Once CIES receives the signed grant authorization, a travel advance check is prepared and sent to the grantee from CIES’ office in New York (the return address is the Institute for International Education, the parent organization of CIES).
Step 15)
The grantee completes the grant as planned or informs CIES of any changes.
Step 16)
The grantee returns to the United States and submits the Grantee Final Report via the online final report system. The link to the final report system can be found on the Grantee Web page. The grantee’s User ID and Password for the online final report system appear on the bottom of the grant authorization document.
Step 17)
The grantee submits the Travel Expense Report along with an official receipt for airfare and any other receipts for approved reimbursable expenses via post. The Travel Expense Report may be found on the Grantee Web page.
Step 18)
Once the completed Final Report and Travel Expense Report are received, expenses are reconciled by CIES and an amended grant authorization is prepared, if necessary, and sent with the final check from CIES’ office in New York. The amended grant authorization does not need to be returned to CIES.
Important Points to Remember |
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Approved Roster candidates remain on the Roster for 5 years and can receive up to two Specialists grants during that period.
The five-year period begins on the date of roster approval and the calendar year of a grant is determined by the start date of the project. Two years must elapse between Specialists grants.
All Specialists grantees must depart from and intend to return to the United States after a project.
U.S. residency (the 50 states and its territories) is a requirement for selection of a candidate for a Fulbright Specialists grant. All grantees are expected to reside in the United States or U.S. territories at the time of selection and plan to return to the U.S. on completion of the grant.
Roster candidacy does not guarantee you will receive a Specialists grant.
Each country receives a limited number of grants and determines which projects it wishes to submit for funding.
Candidates on the Roster are not Fulbright Specialist Grantees.
Now that you have been approved for the Fulbright Specialists Roster, you are considered a Roster Candidate. It is not until you receive a Fulbright Specialist grant that you become a Fulbright Specialist grantee.
Receiving a Specialists Grant means you must wait 2 years to apply for a traditional, long-term Fulbright Grant.
Under the revised eligibility rules, Specialist grantees must wait two years after the conclusion of their Specialists grant before applying for a traditional U.S. Fulbright Scholar award.
The Fulbright Specialists grant is driven by the needs of host institutions and goals of the Fulbright Commissions and Public Affairs Offices of U.S. Embassies.
Each Fulbright Commission or Public Affairs Office determines the best process for approving project proposals. It is up to the host to investigate how the Commission or Public Affairs Office receives, processes, and approves Specialists projects. CIES does not maintain information on each Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy’s deadlines or internal guidelines pertaining to the Fulbright Specialists Program.
Individual Fulbright Commissions or U.S. Embassies may have deadlines for project submission.
Although CIES receives and administers projects on a rolling basis, various Fulbright Commissions and U.S. Embassies have initiated competitions for their quota of projects each year, which may include a project submission deadline. CIES does not maintain information on each Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy’s deadlines or internal guidelines pertaining to the Fulbright Specialist Program.
Grantees must inform themselves of their host country’s visa, medical and security requirements.
Because each country has different visa and security requirements, deadlines and other grant requirements will differ by country. CIES does not assist in the procurement of visas. Although CIES will provide reimbursement for the cost of single-entry visas, if needed, the cost of photos, service, rush, expeditor, and postal fees are the sole responsibility of the grantee.
Specialist grantees must make necessary health-related arrangements for health insurance and inoculations, CIES does not provide health-insurance nor reimburse for medical expenses.
Grantees are responsible for ensuring they are adequately covered by their own health insurance provider while traveling and living abroad. Please consult your health insurance provider about your coverage.
Candidates must inform CIES as soon as possible if they have a health-related condition that may impact their ability to carry out grant activities or may require special accommodation.
Please be aware that medical facilities throughout the world may not be of the same level as major medical centers in the United States.
All Fulbright Specialists Projects must be driven by the needs of the host institution and not the desires of the grantee.
Although Roster candidates can initiate the project development process by contacting colleagues and contacts at the potential host institution, projects may not focus on grantee research or study. All Fulbright Specialists Projects must consists of activities that directly benefit the potential host institution, such as:
- Conducting needs assessments, surveys, institutional or programmatic research
- Taking part in specialized academic programs and conferences
- Consulting with administrators and instructors of post-secondary institutions on faculty development
- Presenting lectures at graduate and undergraduate levels
- Participating in or lead seminars or workshops at overseas academic institutions
- Developing and/or assess academic curricula or educational materials
- Conducting teacher-training programs at the tertiary level
No Roster candidate should pressure faculty or administrators of potential host institutions to submit projects requesting their services.
Updating your Curriculum Vitae and Contact Information |
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It is important for a Specialists Roster Candidate to keep his or her Curriculum Vitae up to date
Host institutions use CV’s to determine the best candidates for their project. Updating your CV will also enable CIES to contact you for any potential projects that might match your expertise.
To update your Curriculum Vitae
Roster candidate CV’s are limited to five pages. In order to update your CV please edit yours so that it complies with the page limit. When complete, e-mail it to fulspec@iie.org (Word or text formats preferred) and inform us that you want to update your CV for the roster database. Please use block formatting only.
It is important for a Roster Candidate to keep his contact information up to date
As the Fulbright Specialist Program was designed to impact relations both at home and abroad, a grantee must reside in the United States at the time of selection and plan to return to the U.S. after the project. It is your responsibility to inform CIES of any plans to move abroad, as residing overseas will make you ineligible for a Fulbright Specialist grant.
When your name is matched to a project CIES staff will attempt to contact you to ascertain your availability for and interest in the project. We need to have current contact information in order to do this so please inform CIES of any change of address, permanent or temporary.
To update your contact information
Roster candidates may update their contact information by e-mailing new information to fulspec@iie.org and informing us that you want to update your information on the Roster.
Peer Review Committee Service |
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The Fulbright Specialists Review Committees evaluate Roster applicants and determine which applicants are qualified to be included on the Roster as candidates for Specialists Projects.
The committees consist of individuals with specialized expertise who evaluate applications and recommend applicants for consideration by the Presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
There are generally two committees per discipline which alternate review cycles. Over the course of the review year, each committee will evaluate no more than 15 applications per cycle.
Serving on a Peer Review Committee
CIES encourages Roster Candidates to consider serving on a review committee at some time during their five year Roster candidacy.
Although Roster Candidates are not eligible for projects while serving on review committees, one additional year will be added to a Roster Candidate’s usual five year term of candidacy for each year he or she serves on a Peer Review Committee.
We also encourage you to consider serving as a peer reviewer after you rotate off the Fulbright Specialists Roster. Please contact Anneke Archer, aarcher@iie.org if interested in serving as a peer reviewer. |
