Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grants

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Overview

  • Operates in more than 140 countries worldwide
  • Awards grants in nearly all fields and disciplines, including the sciences, professional fields and Creative and Performing Arts
  • Allows for individually designed study/research or an English Teaching Assistantship. You can propose a project and/or study plan that will take place during one academic year in a country outside the U.S.
  • Provides support for study/research/teaching in a single country (see Country Summaries). You can meet, work, live with and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences.
  • Facilitates cultural exchange. Through direct interaction on an individual basis in the classroom, field, home, and in daily tasks, you can gain an appreciation of others’ viewpoints and beliefs, the way they do things, and the way they think.
  • Promotes mutual understanding. Through engagement in the community, you can interact with your hosts on a one-to-one basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity, and intellectual freedom.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grants

The Fulbright program for U.S. students is coordinated by UCI's Graduate Division and the Institute of International Education (IIE) in New York. The purpose is to provide U.S. students with the opportunity for academic development and international experience.

Award Info

For full information on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, visit the Fulbright website.

Eligibility

Who Can Apply for a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grant?

  • U.S. citizenship at the time of application. Permanent residents are not eligible.
  • B.A. degree or the equivalent conferred before the start of the grant.
  • In the creative and performing arts, four years of professional training and/or experience meets the basic eligibility requirement.
  • Good health. Grantees will be required to submit a satisfactory Medical Certificate from a physician.
  • Proficiency in the written and spoken language of the host country sufficient to communicate with the people and to carry out the proposed study. This is especially important for projects in the social sciences and the humanities.

Note: The Fulbright U.S. Student Program has a preference for candidates who have not had recent extensive experience abroad (excluding recent undergraduate study abroad), especially in the country of application.

For full information on award eligibility visit the Fulbright website.

Application Process

The Fulbright website provides step by step instructions on how to apply for a Fulbright grant.

Note: Please carefully read through the “Application Components” section before starting your application.

For additional application assistance, the Graudate Division has created a Fulbright Best Practices document.

Contact Info

Fulbright Program Contact Information

IIE Contact
Walter Jackson
Program Director
Graduate Division
IIE/Headquarters
809 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017-3580
212-984-5327

Campus Contact
Sandy Loughlin
UCI Fulbright Program Advisor
University of California, Irvine
Graduate Division
120 Aldrich Hall
Irvine, CA 92697-3180
949-824-9792 (voice)
949-824-9096 (fax)

Deadline

AY 2013-2014 Application Calendar
(For AY 2014-2015 Fulbright Grants)

DATECALENDAR DETAILS
May 1, 2013
  • Fulbright Program for U.S. Students, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, officially opens.
May 31, 2013
  • Attend UCI’s International Fellowship Opportunities Information Session in the Graduate Resource Center (GRC map).
June 2013
  • Carefully review the Fulbright Program web site for all details of the application and award process.
  • Discuss ideas for a Fulbright project with both your faculty mentor and other faculty who have knowledge of you and your work.
July 2013
  • Notify UCI Fulbright Program Advisor of your intent to apply to the Fulbright Program.
  • Work on application, obtaining references, letters of affiliation, etc.
September 2013
  • Keep in close contact with UCI Fulbright Program Advisor.
  • Ensure that all aspects of your application are in progress (and almost complete).
  • Language assessment will need to be conducted separately by completing the "Foreign Language Evaluation" Form 8 (if required).
September 4, 2013
5:00 p.m. (Wednesday)		 THIS IS A FIRM INTERNAL DEADLINE. APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED AND SUBMITTED FOR REVIEW IF ALL MATERIALS ARE TURNED IN BY THIS DATE.
  • Completed electronic application with all uploaded supporting documents must be submitted online by 5:00pm.
September 12, 2013 to September 26, 2013 (Tentative)
  • Interviews are conducted by a campus committee consisting of two faculty members and the Associate Graduate Dean.
  • Language assessment will need to be conducted separately by completing the "Foreign Language Evaluation" Form 8 (if required) PRIOR to interview.

October 11, 2013
5:00 p.m. (Friday)

 THIS IS A FIRM INTERNAL DEADLINE FOR FINAL APPLICATION SUBMISSION.
  • The UCI Fulbright Program Advisor sends all E-applications electronically and any hard-copies of supporting documenation via  Federal Express to the Department of State, Bureau for Cultural and International Programs, in New York City,  in order to meet the Tuesday, October 15, 2013 electronic application deadline set by the Institute of International Education.

November - December 2013 Stage 1 Application Review
  • Applications are reviewed by committees in the U.S. Results are collated and panels of recommended candidates for each country receiving U.S. Student grantees are compiled.
January 2014
Stage 2 Application Review
  • Applications of recommended candidates are transmitted to the supervising agencies abroad, to the US State Department and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB) for further review.
January 31, 2014
Decision Notification
  • Applicants from the 2012-2013 competition will receive email notification indicating whether or not they have been recommended to the host country.
January - June 2014
Award Notification
  • As results of the selection and approval process are received, recommended candidates will be notified of their status:
    1. elected to receive a grant
    2. designated as an alternate to receive consideration if a selected candidate declines the grant offered. Alternates remain on the list until June 2011, since a declination or withdrawal can occur at any time prior to the closing of the competition.
    3. on-selected by the host country, and, therefore, no longer under consideration.
March - June 2014
Selected Candidates
  • Have Medical Certificate completed to receive clearance (within 4 weeks of selection notification)
  • Awarded students should work with the UCI Fulbright Program Advisor in order to plan for the upcoming award year.
June - July 2014
Mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation
  • MandatoryPre-departure Orientation Meetings in Washington DC, for specific countries only. Candidates invited to the PDO will be notified when selected of the PDO dates and arrangements. Attendance is mandatory.
July 2014 - March 2015
Grants Begin
  • Grantees may begin their grants with host country concurrence. Consult the Country Summary for specific restrictions on grant dates.

Notes

Duration Of Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grants

Grant lengths and dates vary by country. Please consult the Country Summaries for specifics.

In general, grants for 2014-15:

  • Are one academic year in length—between 9 and 12 months.
  • Begin no sooner than July 2014 and no later than March 2015.
  • Correspond to the academic calendars abroad.

Requirements for attendance at orientation programs, in the U.S. and/or overseas, are also contained in the Country Summaries.

Types of Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grants

U.S. Student Fulbright Grants fall into four general categories:

1) Academic Study/Research

  • Applicants for these grants design their own projects and will typically work with advisers at foreign universities or other institutes of higher education. Most grants offered in the U.S. Student Program are Full grants in academic fields. 

2) English Teaching Assistantships (ETA)

  • An English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) places a Fulbrighter in a classroom abroad to provide assistance to teachers of English to non-native English-speakers. English Teaching Assistants help teach English language while serving as a cultural ambassador for U.S. cutlture.

3) Arts

  • These include grants in academic fields and in the Creative and Performing Arts and Writing.

4) Fulbright-mtvU Awards

  • Available for all countries where there is an active Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Projects should center around research on an aspect of international musical culture, and should focus on contemporary or popular music as a cultural force for expression.

 

Grant benefits for all Fulbright U.S. Student grants include:
  • round-trip transportation to the host country
  • funding to cover room, board, and incidental costs, based on the cost of living in the host country
  • Accident & Sickness Health Benefits

Special Program Opportunities:

Within the full grant structure of the U.S. Student Program, a number of special study or academic focus opportunities are available.  For full information see section on "Types of Grants."

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is there an on campus information session planned?
    An annual information session is hosted by Graduate Division during May or June. An email announcement typically goes out to all students early in May. If you have not received email notification by Mid May, you may contact the UCI Fulbright Program Advisor for further information. See contact information at the end of this article.
  • What is the role of the UCI Fulbright Program Advisor?
    The Advisor answers questions regarding the administrative details of the Fulbright Award including the application process. The Advisor is also the person to whom you will submit your final application and required materials. The Advisor organizes and co-chairs the Campus Review Committee.
  • How do I apply?
    Students must apply online. Once you hit the submit button, your UCI Fulbright Program Advisor will be able to view your application. Only your UCI Fulbright Program Advisor can submit your application to IIE.
  • What will I be required to submit for my final application?
    1. Your completed online application must be submitted for review by the UCI Fulbright Program Advisor. This is done by completing your online application and hitting the submit button, which does not submit your application to IIE, but rather, allows access of your application to your UCI Fulbright Program Advisor. Only your UCI Fulbright Program Advisor can submit your application to IIE.
    2. In addition to the completed online application, you must submit a hard copy of the completed application, signed, your curriculum vitae, three academic letters of recommendation, a language evaluation (if applicable) and a letter of affiliation (if applicable). All information must be submitted on the forms provided with the application.
  • How do I make sure my proposal is feasible?
    There are several things to keep in mind when determining an appropriate Fulbright proposal:
    • Is your proposal sufficiently defined to allow you to carry out your project within the given time frame and resources available?
    • Do you possess the necessary skills and experience?
    • Will you have access to relevant resources overseas?
    • Do you possess the language skills necessary to carry out the project?
    • Is your proposal relevant to the discipline?
    • Have you clearly expressed the outcome of your proposal (what do you expect to gain, contribute to the field, host country, or U.S.)?
    • Is it necessary for you to carry out your proposal only in the host country, or are sufficient resources available in the U.S.?
    • Is your proposal unique, or is it something that has already been investigated many times?
  • Do I need a formal affiliation even if I'm not planning to enroll in university classes?
    Yes, all students need to be affiliated with an educational or research institute, ministry, or other organization in the host country - see awards brochure for specific country details.
  • How do I set up my overseas affiliation and mentor?
    In many countries it is up to you to find a mentor and/or a university or institution with which you would like to be affiliated. Even in those countries where affiliation is arranged for you (see awards brochure for individual country details), in most cases your application will only be strengthened by any steps that you take to affiliate yourself. Setting up an affiliation generally means finding a university where you will be able to take classes (usually as a special status non-degree seeking student) and use the library and other facilities. Note that in some countries you are required to gain formal university acceptance. In these cases it is up to the applicant to obtain application materials and follow the procedures of the host university.

    Finding a mentor entails identifying a professor(s) in the host country who will be willing to support your research and will write a letter to that effect. This letter should be uploaded to the application system by the referee. The mentor letter is in addition to the three letters of recommendation which are required as part of the application and may also serve as a letter of affiliation. Your professors may be able to help you establish overseas contacts. When contacting potential mentors, you should explain that you are a Fulbright applicant and should provide a detailed description of your study/research proposal. You must also outline the type of support that you are requesting (e.g., access to libraries, professors, equipment etc.). It is very important to begin identifying both your affiliation and mentor at least three months in advance of the application deadline.

    Your affiliation and mentor letters may or may not be one and the same. You should have as many affiliations as necessary to carry out your project, but not more than three.

    [Important Note: If your affiliation/support letters are in a language other than English, you MUST attach an English language translation to the original.]
  • I'm applying for a Teaching Assistantship. Do I need to submit a research proposal?
    Yes, you must include a research proposal which you can combine with your teaching duties. Keep in mind that your teaching responsibilities will take up approximately 20 hours per week, and you must therefore indicate what you plan to do during your residual time.
  • Can I apply for a grant in more than one country?
    Multi-country proposals are possible in all regions of the world with the exception of Western Europe. For non-Western European countries, your proposal is limited to three countries within the same geographic region and must be approved by each country involved. You must designate one country as the primary country of your research/study.
  • If the UCI Campus Review Committee does not recommend my application, will it be forwarded to IIE for further consideration?
    Yes, the Campus Review Committee forwards all applications to IIE along with the committee's ratings and comments.
  • Can I have access to my campus rating?
    No, these ratings are confidential records and cannot be released.
  • Will a Fulbright award allow me to obtain a degree overseas? Can I apply overseas credits earned towards a U.S. degree program upon my return?
    No, in the vast majority of cases. Grantees generally take courses on a not-for-credit, non-degree seeking basis. See individual country summaries for exceptions. It is the sole responsibility of the individual to arrange for the transfer of credit to UCI. Applicants should note that most overseas universities do not operate on the U.S. credit system.
  • If I am awarded a grant may I defer it to another time?
    No, grants are not deferrable, and may only be used for the particular academic year they are awarded.
  • Can I submit more than three letters of recommendation?
    No, a maximum of three recommendation letters should be submitted. Letters of support from the host country may be submitted in addition to the three, but should be limited to those individuals or institutions with which you will actually be working.
  • I am a native speaker of the language of the country to which I am applying. Do I need to submit the foreign language report form?
    Yes. This form must be completed for native speakers as well as for anyone who is proposing to study or do research in a language other than English.
  • While I am doing research or studying abroad on a Fulbright Grant, do I need to register (enroll in units and pay fees)?
    Yes, you will need to enroll as In Absentia.
    • Complete and submit an In Absentia petition
    • Once approved, you will need to enroll in units and pay the In Absentia fees.
  • While I am teaching abroad on a Fulbright ETA Grant, do I need to register (enroll in units and pay fees)?
    No, you will need to petition for a Leave of Absence.