IEA Seminars

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2011 IEA group to Korea
2014-15 IEA group to Germany. More photos and quotes

The International Education Administrators (IEA) seminars help U.S. international education professionals and senior higher education officials create empowering connections with the societal, cultural and higher education systems of other countries. Grantees have the opportunity to learn about the host country’s education system as well as establish networks of U.S. and international colleagues over the course of an intensive two week grant duration.  Grantees return with enhanced ability to serve and encourage international students and prospective study-abroad students.

Seminar Activities Include

  • Campus visits with a cross-section of universities and colleges
  • Briefings with faculty and administration, government officials, and leading educational experts at public and private institutions
  • Tours of historical and cultural sites

All travel, accommodations and schedules are provided by the Fulbright IEA Program.

Current IEA Seminar Participating Countries (Click on a country for award information)

  • India - Deadline: August 1, 2019 (11:59 pm EDT)
  • Taiwan - Deadline: September 16, 2019 (11:59 pm EDT)
  • Russia - Deadline: October 15, 2019 (11:59 pm EDT)
  • Japan / Korea - Deadline: November 1, 2019 (11:59 pm EDT)
  • France / Germany - Deadline: Feb. 3, 2020 (11:59 pm EDT)

Contact
For more information, contact IEA staff at iea@iie.org.

Grant/Program Dates or Duration:

Two weeks

Resources - Click here for webinar announcements, flyers and more

The Fulbright Scholar Program hosts frequent webinars about Fulbright awards, the application process, programs offered and more. Sessions are archived weekly.

Webinar Schedule (2020-2021)

  • Webinar - Fulbright International Education Administrators Program: General Overview (April 24, 2019 - 11:00 am to 12:00 pm EDT)
    Archive
  • Webinar - Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Application Walk-Through - IEA Seminars (April 29, 2019 - 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm EDT)
    Archive
  • Webinar - Fulbright International Education Administrators Program: Opportunities in India and Taiwan (June 11, 2019 - 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm EDT)
    Register
  • Webinar - Fulbright Community College Administrators Program: Opportunity in Russia (September 04, 2019 - 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm EDT)
    Register
  • Webinar - Fulbright International Education Administrators Program: Opportunities in Japan and Korea (September 11, 2019 - 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm EDT)
    Register
  • Webinar - Fulbright International Education Administrators Program: Opportunities in France (December 03, 2019 - 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm EST)
    Register
  • Webinar - Fulbright International Education Administrators Program: Opportunities in Germany (December 04, 2019 - 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm EST)
    Register

Program Policy

The complete Fulbright policies for U.S. Lecturers and Research Scholars, which includes U.S. International Education Administrator Seminar participants are available here (Chapter 600)

  • The Fulbright Program is governed by policy and procedures established by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB), the 12-member board appointed by the President of the United States.
     
  • Opportunities are open to people regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Eligibility Essentials

Applicants must meet all of the following requirements at the time of application unless specific exemptions apply.

  • U.S. citizenship - permanent residence is not sufficient.
     
  • Recipients of a Fulbright Scholar grant are eligible to apply for another Fulbright Scholar grant two years after the date of completion of the previous grant. (For serial or Flex grants, the two-year period begins at the end of the final grant in the series.)
     
  • Candidates who have resided abroad for five or more consecutive years in the six-year period preceding the date of application are ineligible. In this case, a period of nine months or more during a calendar year is considered to constitute a full year abroad.
     
  • Recent college graduates with limited professional experience are ineligible for consideration under the Fulbright Scholar Program. Instead, such applicants can visit the Fulbright Student Program.
     
  • Graduate or doctoral students seeking funding to complete their degrees are ineligible for consideration under the Fulbright Scholar Program. Instead, such applicants can visit the Fulbright Student Program.
     
  • Sound physical and mental health: selected candidates are required to submit a Medical History and Examination Report before their grants can be finalized.
  • Grants shall not authorize engagement in pastoral, missionary, or other professional religious activities.
     
  • Applicants are required to disclose any prior convictions of a felony or a misdemeanor, including Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), but excluding minor traffic violations. FFSB regulations can be found here (Chapter 600/Section 626 Ineligibility Factors.)
     
  • Employees and their immediate families (i.e. spouses and dependent children) of the U.S. Department of State and of public or private organizations under contract to the U.S. Department of State are ineligible to apply for a Fulbright grant until one year after termination of such employment.

    Please note: Candidates who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States will be given preference, provided their qualifications are approximately equivalent to those of other candidates.

Award-specific Requirements

Please reference individual award descriptions for additional eligibility information, including professional qualifications.  

  • Professional Profile: Individual award descriptions specify the preferred administrator background and years of experience.
     
  • Language Requirements: The seminars are conducted in English, foreign language proficiency is not required.
     
  • Directors of English language programs and instructors in such programs are not eligible for many of these awards.  

Guidelines for Previous Fulbright Grantees

  • Candidates who previously held a Fulbright Scholar grant should be aware that, as a general matter, preference will be given to candidates who have not previously received a Scholar grant. Therefore, previous Fulbright Scholar grantees are expected to make a strong justification in their application for a repeat Fulbright grant. For further guidance, please refer to the relevant section in the Application Guidelines and Review Criteria.

Only U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for a grant through the U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program. If you are not a citizen of the United States, and would like to apply for a grant to visit the U.S., please visit the Visiting Fulbright Scholar Program. If you are a recent college graduate, or graduate student or doctoral candidate with limited professional experience, please visit the Fulbright Student Program.

Application

It is essential that all required application components for the 2020-21 U.S. Scholar Program be complete and submitted by the application deadline.

Check your eligibility and the award description for any specific requirements that must be met. Only complete, eligible applications will be forwarded for consideration.

Application

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Statement of Intent

All applications require a statement of intent. It must be clear and compelling to audiences  familiar and unfamiliar with your institution/organization.

Format Requirements:

  • 3 to 5 pages
  • File type: Adobe PDF or Word document
  • Single spaced, 12-point or larger font size, 1-inch margins
  • Use headers and/or bullets to organize and convey key elements, and page numbers
  • Only Latin alphabet characters are allowed (i.e., do not include any words or phrases that contain non-English characters)
  • File type: Adobe PDF (recommended) or Word document

The statement of intent should address the following:

  • Your current job responsibilities and how they relate to this grant, including any achievements in the development of international initiatives and/or systems.
  • Why you chose this country, including how it relates to your professional responsibilities.
  • How your participation in this IEA seminar would contribute to the international education goals of your institution, and the anticipated impact your participation would have on your institution and/or community.
  • How you would share what you have learned with your home institution and others, as well as any expertise you can share with peers in the host country.
  • The impact your participation would have on your professional development and career.

CV/Resume

All applications require a curriculum vitae or resume. It should be clearly organized and tailored to show how your credentials, professional standing and accomplishments relate to international education.

  • Include your employment history, listing all items chronologically, starting with the most recent

Format Requirements:

  • Up to 6 pages
  • Single spaced, 12-point or larger font size; 1-inch margins
  • Use headers and/or bullets to organize and convey key elements, and page numbers
  • File type: Adobe PDF (recommended) or Word document
  • Only Latin alphabet characters are allowed (i.e., do not include any words or phrases that contain non-English characters)

Institutional Statement

All applications require an institutional statement, except for the Russia Community College Administrators Seminar award.

Institutional Statements should address the following:

  • General information about your home institution (type of institution, total enrollment, number of degrees offered, etc.).
  • The number of international students on campus and where they are coming from.
    • If applying for the IEA Seminar in Japan or Korea, you must include the number of Japanese or Korean students currently on your campus.
  • The study abroad opportunities available on your campus.
  • Any institutional partnerships, particularly with universities in the country where the grant takes place.
  • Any future goals/plans for internationalizing the campus.

Format Requirements:

  • Up to 2 pages
  • Single spaced, 12-point or larger font size; 1-inch margins
  • Use headers and/or bullets to organize and convey key elements, and page numbers
  • File type: Adobe PDF (recommended) or Word document
  • Only Latin alphabet characters are allowed (i.e., do not include any words or phrases that contain non-English characters)

Recommendations

All applications require three letters of recommendation. Recommenders evaluate your professional qualifications, the potential for institutional impact, and your personal qualifications and qualities.

  • Applicants must register their recommenders in the online application, and are responsible for ensuring their letters are submitted via the online system by the application deadline
  • Recommenders submit their letters directly to the online application, and may not be submitted outside the online system
  • Letters can be submitted before or after you submit the application
  • All recommendations must be in English

Tips

  • Applicants: Provide your recommenders with a copy of your statement of intent
  • Recommenders: Retain an electronic copy of submitted letters

Who may serve as a recommender?

Recommendations should be from a variety of persons:

  • One reference must be from your current supervisor or someone you report to at your institution
  • One reference must be from a colleague in your field from your own or another institution who is familiar with your administrative skills and leadership success
  • One reference can be from any colleague who can speak to your personal attributes and interest in international education
  • References from relatives are not permitted
  • Representatives of U.S. Embassy posts or Fulbright Commissions in the country of application may not serve as recommenders
  • Representatives of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the U.S. Department of State may not serve as recommenders
  • Representatives of the Institute of International Education may not serve as recommender

Recommenders should address the following

  • Applicant’s professional qualifications: Evidence of achievements in the development of educational institutions and systems, including any international initiatives
  • Institutional impact: Anticipated benefits to applicant’s home institution after participation in the program; commitment of the institution to international education activities and programs
  • Applicant’s personal qualifications and qualities: Ability to work with colleagues from a variety of institutions in the U.S. and abroad and to function well in a group

The Fulbright Scholar Program supports activities and projects that recognize and promote the critical relationship between educational exchange and international understanding, in addition to the intellectual merit of the proposals. Applications with broad multiplier effects are particularly welcome, as are projects that are conducive to candidates sharing their experiences and knowledge with colleagues, students and, ideally, with the general public in their host country and, upon return, in the United States.

Review Criteria

Reviewers consider the basic objectives of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, evaluating applications on the following criteria:

  • Applicant training, background, experience: Applicant possesses the appropriate background and experience necessary to effectively participate in this seminar, as appropriate for their career path and stage, and focused on their broader capacity to succeed in the cultural context; applicant demonstrates potential for impact on their career, professional development, home institution, and community;  
     
  • Statement quality: Applicant presents a clear description of why participation in the seminar in this location is needed, how the applicant would share what they learned from the seminar, and how their participation would contribute to their institutions’ international education goals;
     
  • Impact, outcomes, and benefits: Applicant demonstrates potential for impact, outcomes, and benefits, including the potential for impact to be broad and sustainable at their home institution and community, as well as the commitment of the home institution to international education activities and programs;
     
  • Personal qualities: Applicant displays ability to be adaptable, culturally sensitive, collegial, and can serve as a cultural ambassador for the U.S.  

Previous Fulbright Awards  

  • Applicant provides compelling justification for prior Fulbright grant: Where there is competition for grants, preference will be given to candidates who have not had previous Fulbright grants, especially within the past ten years. View the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board’s policies on previous Fulbright Scholar grants here.

Veteran status

  • Preference is given to veterans of the U.S. armed forces when other factors are equivalent

Diversity and geographic distribution

  • The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State strives to ensure that its efforts reflect the diversity of U.S. society and societies abroad. The Bureau seeks and encourages the involvement of people from traditionally underrepresented audiences in all its grants, programs and other activities and in its workforce and workplace. Opportunities are open to people regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. The Bureau is committed to fairness, equity and inclusion.

 

 

 

 

The Fulbright Scholar Program supports activities and projects that recognize and promote the critical relationship between educational exchange and international understanding, in addition to the intellectual merit of the proposals. Applications with broad multiplier effects are particularly welcome, as are projects that are conducive to candidates sharing their experiences and knowledge with colleagues, students and, ideally, with the general public in their host country and, upon return, in the United States.

Review Criteria

Reviewers consider the basic objectives of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, evaluating applications on the following criteria:

  • Applicant training, background, experience: Applicant possesses the appropriate background and experience necessary to effectively participate in this seminar, as appropriate for their career path and stage, and focused on their broader capacity to succeed in the cultural context; applicant demonstrates potential for impact on their career, professional development, home institution, and community;
     
  • Statement quality: Applicant presents a clear description of why participation in the seminar in this location is needed, how the applicant would share what they learned from the seminar, and how their participation would contribute to their institutions’ international education goals;
     
  • Impact, outcomes, and benefits: Applicant demonstrates potential for impact, outcomes, and benefits, including the potential for impact to be broad and sustainable at their home institution and community;  
     
  • Personal qualities: Applicant displays ability to be adaptable, culturally sensitive, collegial, and can serve as a cultural ambassador for the U.S.  

Previous Fulbright Awards  

  • Applicant provides compelling justification for prior Fulbright grant: Where there is competition for grants, preference will be given to candidates who have not had previous Fulbright grants, especially within the past ten years. View the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board’s policies on previous Fulbright Scholar grants here.

Veteran status

  • Preference is given to veterans of the U.S. armed forces when other factors are equivalent

Diversity and geographic distribution

  • The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State strives to ensure that its efforts reflect the diversity of U.S. society and societies abroad. The Bureau seeks and encourages the involvement of people from traditionally underrepresented audiences in all its grants, programs and other activities and in its workforce and workplace. Opportunities are open to people regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. The Bureau is committed to fairness, equity and inclusion.

India

Taiwan

Russia

Japan/Korea

France/Germany

For Senior Level University Administrators

“…I have been in the field for 35 years, and  the experience was a shot in the arm regarding creativity and energy in forming new partnerships, informational in terms  of better understanding of the Japanese context, and terrific networking in terms of meeting new  people that will help in years to come. “

-Michael Bustle, Fulbright Japan IEA Grantee, Associate Vice Provost North Carolina State University

“Beyond a lifelong personal interest, our institutional leadership agreed that India be a strategic priority. The Fulbright experience allowed me to develop not only a more personally enlightening understanding, but also a more professionally and culturally enlightened approach to our institutional strategy. I’m not sure this could have occurred through any other process.”  

-Michael Proctor, Fulbright India IEA Grantee, Vice President of Global Initiatives, The University of Arizona

“The Fulbright experience was truly transforming! I read about the Bologna process but hearing it from those who created it and live it was remarkable. Learning that educational and research systems can be set up so differently from what we experience in the USA was eye opening! The university officials and faculty with whom we met were all well prepared to explain their universities, programming and opportunities for collaboration…”

- Patricia LaGrow, Fulbright France IEA Grantee, Emeritus Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Central Oklahoma

For International Student and Scholar Services Administrators

“I believe this seminar has played a transformative role for me… I am more adept at engaging and understanding cultural interactions with my Korean colleagues and students.  I also now have the knowledge and enthusiasm to encourage more students to study in South Korea for their semester abroad.  This has been the highlight of my career thus far, and I will encourage all of my colleagues in international education to apply for an IEA seminar. “

-Hilary Wilson, Fulbright Korea IEA, Exchange Coordinator, George Washington University

“The Germany Fulbright Scholars program was one of the best international trips that I have had the opportunity to experience. The interactions of diverse colleagues in higher education from the U.S. and Germany broadened my knowledge, skills and perspectives on higher education. The program will enhance the work that I currently do for my campus and future international education opportunities.”

-Linda Bennett, Fulbright Germany IEA Grantee, Interim Title IX Coordinator, University of Missouri

Fulbright IEA Seminars Application FAQ

  1. How do I access the application?
  2. Can I apply to or be considered for more than one higher education administrator seminar? Can I also apply for a core award for teaching and/or research?
  3. Do I have to know a foreign language?
  4. Can I propose a project of my own design for the seminar? Can separate briefings be arranged for me?
  5. How can I make my application more successful?
  6. Where do I upload the institutional statement, and do I need a bibliography or syllabi?
  7. Who should write my reference letters? How should they be submitted?
  8. How is my application reviewed and how am I notified?
  9. What are the financial benefits of Fulbright awards?
  10. If I am selected, can I take my family with me on my grant?
  11. I applied last year and was unsuccessful. How can I find out why I wasn’t selected so I can improve my application for the current competition?
  12. If I already had a Fulbright, can I receive another one?
  1. How do I access the application?
    Please read the application guidelines before beginning your application. Begin or return to your application here.
     
  2. Can I apply to or be considered for more than one higher education administrator seminar? Can I also apply for a core award for teaching and/or research?
    No. Applicants may apply for only one award per academic year. This also means that applicants may apply for only one seminar per academic year and will only be considered for the seminar to which they applied. For example, you may not apply for a seminar with an August 1 deadline and a seminar with a February 1 deadline if both are offered for the same academic year. Please consult the Catalog of Awards for the most up to date award offerings.
     
  3. Do I have to know a foreign language?
    No. The seminars are conducted in English.
     
  4. Can I propose a project of my own design for the seminar? Can separate briefings be arranged for me?
    No. Each country arranges an itinerary of meetings, briefings, and campus visits. There is little time available for individual projects or appointments.
     
  5. How can I make my application more successful?
    There is no "formula" for a successful application. The application should reflect the candidate, why the country was chosen, how the grant will benefit them and their home institution, and what outcomes can be reasonably expected. Desired professional profiles vary across the awards, so you are encouraged to apply to the award that best fits your background and experience. Please see our application guidelines for information on the application components. Also, you can discuss your application and fit for the program with the staff contact listed in the award description.
     
  6. Where do I upload the institutional statement, and do I need a bibliography or syllabi?
    Please upload the institutional statement to the online application. You do not need to submit a bibliography nor syllabi.
     
  7. Who should write my reference letters? How should they be submitted?
    The best criteria for recommendations is someone who knows your work and character extensively. In addition, they should be able to address the impact your participation would have on your institution and its commitment to internationalization. You may wish to mix internal and external referees. One letter must be written by your supervisor or someone to whom you report; the other two must be from colleagues, speaking to your skills and successes, interest in international education, and personal qualities. Please see our application guidelines.
     
  8. How is my application reviewed and how am I notified?
    Your application will undergo a two-phased review process. The first phase is peer review, where U.S. international education administrators with experience in the selected country review the applications. After the peer review meeting, all candidates will be notified whether their application has been recommended for further consideration. Recommended candidates are simultaneously forwarded to our counterparts abroad, as well as to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and the U.S. Department of State (Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs) for final decisions and confirmation. Grantees are informed of the decisions sometime in the spring. More specific guidelines are found in our Review Criteria and Notification Timeline.
     
  9. What are the financial benefits of Fulbright awards?
    Grant benefits vary by country but generally include round-trip travel, lodging, and a per diem that includes meals. Each award description contains details on these benefits.
     
  10. If I am selected, can I take my family with me on my grant?
    No financial benefits for dependents are provided for the international education administrator seminars.
     
  11. I applied last year and was unsuccessful. How can I find out why I wasn’t selected so I can improve my application for the current competition?
    Final selections are based on the U.S. peer review and the commission abroad. CIES operates in conformity with the policies of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB). Per FFSB policy, CIES cannot give applicants the specific reasons for selection or non-selection. If you are interested in reapplying, you may contact IIE for general guidance.
     
  12. If I already had a Fulbright, can I receive another one?
    Preference for Fulbright Scholar opportunities will be given to candidates who have not previously received a Fulbright Scholar grant. Recipients of a Fulbright Scholar grant are eligible to apply for another Fulbright Scholar grant two years after the date of completion of the previous grant. This includes the higher education administrator seminars. (For flex or serial grants, the two-year period begins at the end of the final grant in the series.) Additional Fulbright policies are available here.
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Applicants