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The Fulbright Scholar Program consists of over 900 award opportunities in over 130 countries for U.S. college and university faculty, administrators, professionals and independent scholars. Awards are listed in 45 different fields or disciplines and a variety of sub-disciplines and interdisciplinary fields, and are open to every academic rank—from instructor to professor emeritus—as well as untenured faculty, adjuncts, professionals outside academe and retirees.
Some awards call for a specific discipline or field, a specific host institution and prescribed grant activities. Other awards—called All Disciplines—offer applicants greater flexibility over project activities and host institution, within limits depending on the country. Awards vary in activity and length of stay, and grant stipends and benefits vary by country program and type of award. The various categories of awards are described below.
Once you have identified an award, you would be well advised to consult the program officer responsible for the country you are considering. Program officers are experts on the countries assigned to them and can offer tips for shaping a competitive application, as well as additional information on the award, institution or country. Contact information for program officers can be found at the beginning of each country section or on our Web site at www.cies.org/amstaff.htm.
The program officers—and, indeed, all of us at the Council for International Exchange of Scholars—are committed to helping you in your quest for a Fulbright Scholar grant. Please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance or additional information.
There are several ways to search for awards:
- The Listing of Awards by World Area/Country, will help you locate awards in specific countries or regions.
- The Index of Awards by Discipline categorizes award opportunities by major academic discipline or field and lists any specializations or sub-fields that apply. Disciplines are arranged alphabetically, and under each discipline there is a listing of the countries and regional or special programs that offer awards. Awards in interdisciplinary fields such as area studies, ethnic studies or gender studies are listed under relevant major disciplines.
- Applicants should also take note of the listing of All Disciplines opportunities under the heading Index of Awards Open to All Disciplines. This is particularly useful for scholars whose discipline is not among those listed in the Guide to All Awards by Discipline. Some countries offer only All Disciplines awards, so please check here for opportunities that may not be categorized elsewhere.
- Index of Research Awards by Discipline. This index cross-references research-only award opportunities by major academic discipline or field and lists any specializations or sub-fields that apply. The Guide begins with a listing of research-only awards open to All Disciplines.
- Professionals and artists outside academe can consult the Index of Awards Open to Professionals for a listing of openings that are specifically designed for professionals or for which professionals are encouraged to apply. Professionals may also apply for many of the other awards listed in the Guide to All Awards by Discipline.
Awards may be either discipline specific or open to All Disciplines:
- Discipline specific awards, particularly for lecturing, are specific awards that identify areas of specialization, host institution affiliation and the type and level of the Fulbright assignment. These awards generally reflect the priorities and special interests of the host country and university.
- All Disciplines awards allow candidates to propose their own lecturing or research projects and institutional affiliations, within limits depending on the country.
Awards fall into several different categories:
- Research awards principally for research activity.
- Lecturing awards principally for lecturing, either as stipulated in the assignment or proposed independently. Lecturing awards are normally not offered for the summer months only, unless otherwise specified in the grant starting date.
- Lecturing/Research awards for combined lecturing and research activity, with the expectation that both activities will take place during the grant. Generally, a lighter teaching load is required to allow time for research activity.
- Distinguished Lecturing, Lecturing/Research and Research awards are offered in select countries to scholars who are outstanding in their disciplines or professions. Recognized national standing is normally required.
- Junior Lecturing and Junior Research awards designed primarily for recent Ph.D.s and others early in their careers or, in certain specified circumstances (for example, TEFL), where a doctorate is not required.
- Seminar short-term seminars or group programs.
Approximately 20 percent of awards are for research, and 80 percent are for lecturing, combined lecturing and research or seminar participation.
In addition to the major categories listed above, there are a number of Special Feature Awards, including:
- Serial Grants awards that allow the grant to be divided into shorter in-country stays over a predetermined period of time.
- Travel-Only Grants awards that provide only round-trip transportation to the country where the scholar will lecture or conduct research.
- Partial or Partial-Maintenance Grants awards that have a stipend or other fixed amount of support that is usually lower than the standard award benefits for the country.
- Full-Maintenance Grants awards that provide full benefits. Used in instances to distinguish the level of support available.
- Collaborative U.S./Visiting Scholar Lecturing or Lecturing/Research Awards offer an opportunity for U.S. scholars to submit a joint proposal with a colleague from abroad for a collaborative lecturing or lecturing/research project. These awards are available for Egypt, India, Thailand and Turkey.
Grant stipends and benefits vary by program and type of award. |
