An Introduction to Fulbright Scholar Grants for U.S. Faculty and Professionals

November 20, 2014

http://www.cies.org

Program Overview

Justin Miller

Director

Sponsored Program Office

285-5085

jmmiller5@bsu.edu

Fulbright Ambassador

Dominic Caristi

Telecommunications

285-1493

dgcaristi@bsu.edu

Presentation Overview

• Introduction & History

• How to apply for Fulbright Scholar grants

• Additional Fulbright Scholar opportunities for U.S. faculty and professionals

• Fulbright Visiting Scholar opportunities

The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is the U.S. government’s

flagship international exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world.  For more

information, visit fulbright.state.gov. The Fulbright Scholar Program is administered by CIES. CIES is a

division of the Institute of International Education.

Senator J. William Fulbright

(1905-1995)“International education exchange is the most significant current project designed to continue the process of humanizing mankind to the point, we would hope, that nations can learn to live in peace.”

• Established in 1946

• Sends U.S. academics and professionals overseas and brings scholars and professionals from abroad to the U.S.

• Sponsored by U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

• Administered by the Institute of International Education’s Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES)

Fulbright Scholar Program

History

Eligibility

• U.S. citizen

• Ph.D. or terminal degree

• University teaching experience

• Well physically/mentally; not a felon

• Foreign language requirement for some programs

Fulbright Postdoctoral/Early Career Grants• Postdoctoral/early career grants are open to U.S. scholars who have recently completed their

doctoral degrees – typically within the five previous years. The number of such Fulbright Scholar awards has grown, particularly for research activities. A few awards include teaching opportunities as well.  Postdoctoral awards are available in STEM fields, the arts, humanities and social sciences. Specialists in public health should take special note of the Fulbright-Fogarty Postdoctoral Awards for research at a National Institutes of Health Fogarty site in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi or Zimbabwe through the African Regional Research Program, or in South Africa, Bangladesh or Peru.  Grant lengths for the programs listed below range from one semester to 20 months, depending on the host country.

• Several countries have developed awards that offer early career scholars research opportunities.  These awards are similar to postdoctoral research awards, so scholars within five years of completing a doctoral program should pay special attention to those as well.

• Postdoctoral/early career grants present an excellent opportunity for recently minted scholars to deepen their expertise, to acquire new skills, to work with additional resources and to make connections with others in their fields. Scholars will be expected to engage with graduate students in the host country and to be involved with host university training in cutting edge research in their specializations.

Fulbright Postdoctoral/Early Career GrantsIn the current Fulbright Award Catalog the following programs have postdoc and/or early career opportunities:AlbaniaBangladeshBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBurkina FasoCambodiaCanada ColombiaCroatia Czech RepublicDemocratic Republic of the CongoDenmarkEcuador EgyptEuropean Union AffairsFinlandFranceGermany

Ghana   Greece Hong KongHungaryIndia                                                      Ireland IsraelItalyJordan                        Kazakhstan  Kyrgyz RepublicLithuaniaMacedoniaMalaysiaMozambiqueNamibiaNetherlandsNew ZealandNigeriaNorwayOman

Palestinian TerritoriesPanamaPeruPhilippinesPolandRomaniaRussia (Russian Federation)Saudi ArabiaSingaporeSlovak RepublicSouth AfricaSpainSwedenUgandaUkraineUnited Kingdom Fulbright-Fogarty Postdoctoral Awards

Sub-Saharan Africa Regional ResearchSouth and Central Asia Regional Research Program

Fulbright Flex Awards• In order to engage U.S. scholars currently unable to spend extended

periods of time abroad, the Fulbright Program welcomes applications from scholars who propose multiple, short-term stays in the host country over a period of two to three years. The Flex Award is also designed for scholars who require multiple visits abroad to accomplish their research objectives. In addition to their research activities, Flex award scholars will be required to give public talks, participate in seminars, mentor students, and otherwise engage with the host country academic community. Applications that propose grant periods during the host institution’s academic year are preferred. 

 • Applicants should clearly indicate plans for their Flex grant in their project

statements.  Specific details on invitation requirements and grant length will vary by country, and can be found in each individual award listing.  Some programs may offer opportunities for multi-country research, but these should be discussed with the appropriate CIES staff.

Fulbright Flex AwardsIn the current Fulbright Award Catalog the following programs have flex grant opportunities:Asia and PacificBurmaChinaHong KongCambodiaJapanMacaoMongoliaSingaporeVietnamEurope and Eurasia         AlbaniaArmeniaAzerbaijanBelarusBosnia and HerzegovinaCroatiaEstoniaFinlandGeorgiaGermany

Greece KosovoLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgMacedoniaMaltaMoldovaMontenegroRussiaSerbiaSlovenia SpainSwedenUkraineUnited KingdomMiddle East and North AfricaBahrain Egypt Kuwait Morocco Palestinian Territories Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates South and Central AsiaBangladeshIndia

KazakhstanKyrgyz Republic NepalRepublic of MaldivesTajikistanSub-Saharan AfricaBeninBotswana                            Burkina FasoCameroonCote d’IvoireDemocratic Republic ofCongoEthiopiaGhanaGuineaKenyaMalawiMauritiusMozambiqueNamibiaNigeria SenegalSierra LeoneSouth AfricaSwaziland

TanzaniaUgandaZambiaZimbabweWestern HemisphereArgentinaBarbados and Eastern Caribbean              BoliviaBrazil     CanadaColombiaCosta RicaDominican Republic        EcuadorEl SalvadorHaitiHonduras NicaraguaPanamaParaguayPeruSurinameTrinidad and TobagoUruguayVenezuela

Worldwide Opportunities

Categories of awards:• Teaching• Teaching and Research (T&R)• Research

Core Scholar ProgramOpens: February 1, 2015Deadline: August 1, 2015

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

• Beginning with the 2014-2015 competition, opportunities for scholars specializing in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and associated fields are being organized and showcased in an entirely new way by the Fulbright Scholar Program. Although grants will continue to be made to a specific country, all TEFL opportunities are now grouped under a single award number (#4000).   By presenting the full range of TEFL within a worldwide context, potential applicants will be able to examine and compare more than 50 country options simultaneously. Applicants may indicate either: “open to any placement” if they have no specific country or region in mind, or one world area or as many as three country preferences. Letters of invitation are not required.

• As many as 60 grants are anticipated.  The award supports a priority for English language teacher training in any of over 30 areas of specialization. A Ph.D. is not required. Opportunities are open to a wide range of scholars and, in many countries, professionals as well. Applications will be evaluated by a TEFL-specific review committee in the U.S., and if recommended, sent for consideration in a country or countries of interest.  This streamlined review process and the ability to apply to more than one country make this an ideal time for scholars with experience training English teachers to consider participating in the Fulbright Scholar Program.

• For specifics of awards, the participating countries will provide access to more detailed information.

Opportunities by Region

Total Number of Awards for 2014-15: 594 (totaling app. 800 grants)

• Sub-Sahara – Africa (81)

• Middle East and North Africa (48)

• East Asia / Pacific (55)

• Europe (284)

• Western Hemisphere (98)

• South & Central Asia (28)

Advantages

• Premier program for exchange

• Opportunity to establish new ties

• Internationalization of own campuses

• New teaching/research insights

• Personal/family experience

Application Process

General instructions and application forms

• Awards by country (5 world areas)

• Each award has distinctive number

• Grant stipends and benefits

• Discipline index

• Forms

Selecting an Award

• Awards are created in the hosting country by the local Fulbright commission or the American embassy

• Country listings

• Activity? Teaching, research or both

• Indices – by Discipline or All Discipline*50% of grants are All Discipline awards*

• Read award descriptions and stipend information carefully, especially for Early Career / Flex awards

• Contact CIES program officer(s) for more information about awards and countries

Information on the Web Up-To-Date

• Some awards require invitation

• Website – information about contacts

abroad

• Program officers: storehouses of

knowledge!

Submitting A Competitive Proposal

• Follow instructions!

• Project statement– Up to 3-5 single-spaced pages– What you bring, what you plan to do– Reviewed by specialist/non ; in

U.S./abroad– Specific requirements for each

category

• Curriculum vitae–tailored; 6 pages

Submitting A Competitive Proposal

Attachments:• Course Syllabi/Outlines/Reading Lists

– Teaching or Research/Teaching– 2-3 courses – 10 page limit

• Bibliography – Research Only – 3pgs

• Specific attachments for the arts, architecture, writing, and journalism

Reference Letters

• Research award– 3 letters

• Lecturing or Lecturing/Research awards– 1 teaching report; 2 reference letters

• At least one from outside home institution

• Teaching report from home dean or chair

• Referees submit letters online

General Tips

• Teaching

– Familiarize self about country/situation

– Educated guess about what will teach

– Awareness of need to adapt

– Match of expertise/program

– Letter of invitation?

– Sample course syllabi – 10 pages

• Research– Define the project/methodology– Select bibliography – 3 pages– Need/relevance/advantage/feasibility– Consider culture/politics– Plans for dissemination

• Teaching & Research– Follow directions for both

lecturing/research– Relative proportions reflected in

statement

More Tips

Stipends and Benefits

• Refer to links on Fulbright web site at www.cies.org

• Stipends and benefits vary greatly, depending on award

Standard Stipends and Benefits Structure

• Base stipend(for some programs)

• Maintenance for living in country of assignment

• Travel and relocation

• Tuition assistance

• Other benefits

Salary Worries

• Ball State is supportive!

• You can still receive your full academic year salary – How?

Considerations

• Many Fulbright programs do not offer a stipend.

• In this case, you might need an approved special assigned leave of absence to continue to earn your salary and benefits. (Note that full-year leaves only provide ½ academic year salary.)

• This is where a Flex award might be beneficial

Example

Fulbright Award = $30,000 (Stipend)

Depart. Cost Share = $30,000 ----------

Faculty AY Salary = $60,000

Fringe benefits = $19,200(to be covered by MGR funds)

Salary Supplement Stipends (new for 2014-15)

For 2014-2015, for scholars on teaching or combined teaching/research grants to certain countries, a salary supplement stipend will be added if the total grant stipend and subsistence allowance plus home institution pay during the grant period is less than gross base salary (excluding summer teaching, merit awards, consulting fees, etc.) for the grant period.  The salary supplement stipend will bring the amount to the same level as the individual’s salary for a comparable period, up to a maximum of $10,000 per full grant month. This added supplement applies ONLY to earned salary as defined above and does not include royalties or other similar types of income. Flex awards are not eligible for salary supplement.

Prior to Submission

• Contact staff member in SPO

– Preliminary budget development

– Narrative assistance available

– Clearance Sheet will be prepared and

routed prior to submission

Review Process and Timetable

• Step 1: CIES Program officers review applications for eligibility, completeness, etc. (August)

• Step 2: Discipline review committees read applications electronically. (September)

• Step 3: U.S. peer review committees. Committees represent many disciplines and focus on one world area. (October to December)

• Step 4: Applicants receive notice of their status, either recommended or not recommended. (November through January)

• Step 5: Applications of recommended candidates are forwarded to host countries for selection and to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, which has final approval. Applicants are notified as approvals are given. (February through May)

• Step 6: Grant Packets are sent to selected grantees. (May through June)

• 1:3 Success Rate – Dependent on area

Review Process and Timetable

Other Fulbright Programs

• Distinguished Chairs

• Administrators programs

• Alumni Initiative

• Visiting Scholars (to U.S.)

Additional Opportunities for U.S. Scholars• Fulbright Specialist Program

• Seminars for International Education Administrators

• German Studies Seminar

• Fulbright NEXUS Regional Scholar Program

Fulbright Specialist Program

• Two- to six-week consulting and/or teaching opportunities

• Online application to Fulbright Specialist roster with rolling deadline

• Institutions overseas develop projects and request specialists from the roster

• Program does not support research• Twenty-five eligible disciplines, including

new STEM education fields

• Minimum of two years between grants

Global Initiatives

The International Education Administrators (IEA) seminars help U.S. higher education administrators establish lasting connections within the social, cultural and higher education systems of other countries. Selected administrators have the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge about the host country’s higher education system as well as to establish networks of U.S. and international colleagues. Grantees return home with enhanced ability to serve international students and encourage prospective study-abroad students.

The IEA Seminars are open to experienced international education administrators and senior administrators responsible for enhancing the international dimensions of their institutions. A Ph.D. is not required.

Countries Served: India, Russia, United Kingdom, Korea, Japan, Germany, France

Rolling Deadlines

Global Initiatives

The Fulbright Regional Network for Applied Research (NEXUS) Program will bring together a network of junior scholars, professionals and mid-career applied researchers from the United States, Brazil and other Western Hemisphere nations for a series of three seminar meetings and a Fulbright exchange experience.

At its core, the Fulbright NEXUS Program fosters collaborative and multidisciplinary research to address challenging regional issues and produce tangible results.

Twenty outstanding scholars and practitioners from the U.S. and abroad will be selected as Fulbright NEXUS Scholars to participate in the program through an open competition. Five of the scholars will be selected from the United States. Program activities will commence in June 2014 and conclude in May 2016.

The Fulbright NEXUS Program will provide a platform for scholars from across the region to engage in collaborative thinking, analysis, problem-solving and multi-disciplinary research in one of five areas:

– Renewable Energy, including Micro-Grid Innovations;– Social and Behavioral Adaptation to Climate Change;– Measuring Climate Change and its Impact (Metrics and Standards);– Climate Change and Biodiversity;– Climate Change and Food and Water Security

Core Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program

• Visiting Scholars from other countries research, teach and help internationalize U.S. campuses

• Overseas scholars should contact the Fulbright commission or U.S. Embassy in their home countries

• Letter of invitation from potential host is always usefulFulbright Occasional Lecturer Fund (OLF)

• Travel support for Fulbright Visiting Scholars already in the U.S. for short-term guest teaching

• Contact: OLF@iie.org

Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program

• Brings scholars and professionals from abroad to campuses that do not often host visiting scholars

• Involves colleges and universities that serve student populations underrepresented in international exchange programs

• Application is made by the interested U.S. institution

• Deadline is OCTOBER 17• Contact: SIR@iie.org

Other Fulbright Programs• Fulbright U.S. Student Program

– For recent graduates, postgraduate candidates up through dissertation level and developing professionals and artists to study and research abroad

– Administered by Institute of International Education, IIEwww.fulbrightonline.org/us

• Fulbright Teacher and Administrator Exchange – Principally for primary- and secondary- level

educators– Administered by FHI

http://www.fulbrightteacherexchange.org/

• Fulbright-Hays Awards– For faculty research, group projects and seminars

abroad in certain social sciences and humanities fields

– Administered by the International Education and Graduate Programs Service of the U.S. Department of Educationwww.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/iegps

Thank you

For more information, visit www.cies.org