The Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) provides travel awards through the Occasional Lecturer Program (OLP), which enable Fulbright Visiting Scholars except for those on the Fulbright Visiting Specialists Program: Direct Access to the Muslim World, who are currently in the U.S. to accept guest lecturing invitations at colleges and universities. OLP Awards are granted at three different levels ($250, $500 and $750), which CIES determines based on travel distance involved.

Arranging an Occasional Lecturer Visit Multiple Occasional Lecturer Visits and Visits to Minority Serving Institutions Responsibilities of Institutions and Organizations Hosting Occasional Lecturers Length of Visit Suggested Activities for Visiting Lecturers

The Occasional Lecturing Program enables Visiting Scholars to
	Share their specific research interests,
	Speak on the history and culture of their countries,
	Exchange ideas with U.S. students, faculty and community organizations,
	Become better acquainted with U.S. higher education and
	Create linkages between their home and host institutions.

Faculty and professional staff of U.S. colleges and universities can identify scholars to invite to their campuses for OLP visits by consulting the Directory of Fulbright Visiting Scholars, which lists all visiting scholars in the United States for the current academic year. Institutions may contact scholars directly via the faculty associates and departments provided or they can also contact CIES staff to obtain scholars' telephone numbers or e-mail addresses.

Occasional Lecturer Awards are provided directly to scholars who apply for and receive an OLP Travel Award. To apply for an award, the Visiting Scholar must submit to CIES at least one month before the visit is to take place a formal letter of invitation from an institution, in which the institution indicates the dates of the OLP visit and the lecture topic. Within one week of receiving the application, CIES will inform the scholar whether or not the OLP Travel Award has been approved. The scholar is responsible for purchasing an airline ticket or arranging some other means of transportation, such as a train, bus or rental car. The Fulbrighter will then receive the award after the OLP visit.

Due to limited funding, each scholar is eligible for only one trip. However, scholars may apply for multiple OLP visits as long as those involve visits to minority serving colleges and universities through the OLP, as additional funds are available to scholars visiting such institutions.

	Historically Black Colleges and Universities
	Hispanic Serving Institutions
	Tribal Colleges

Institutions wishing to invite a Fulbright Scholar for an OLP visit should develop a comprehensive plan of activities and arrangements to share with the scholar well in advance of the proposed visit. Host institutions are asked to provide Occasional Lecturers with local transportation, accommodations and meals.

It is important to inform the scholar, prior to arrival, about the support the host institution or organization will provide. Institutions should also provide the scholar with a formal letter of invitation as early as possible. The scholar will need this letter to formally apply for an OLP Travel Award from CIES. If an institution wishes to offer a scholar an honorarium for the guest lecture, the scholar must request a letter of approval from CIES ahead of time in order to do so.

The length of the lecturer's stay at the institution will depend upon the particular interests of the academic community or organization and the facilities available. The period, however, should allow an opportunity for the scholar to become acquainted with the host institution. A program of two to three days is suggested; a longer period may be advisable if visits to several institutions are planned.

Visiting Lecturers have engaged in the following activities in the past:
	Department- or campus-wide lectures to students or faculty (or both),
	Lectures in classrooms where the scholar can make a contribution to the discipline,
	Faculty meetings that allow for an exchange of ideas,
	Informal gatherings of students and faculty,
	Home hospitality offered by faculty,
	Meetings with community organizations or religious groups that have a special interest in international relations.