Overview
The
Fulbright Specialists Program is designed
to provide short-term academic opportunities
(two to six weeks) for U.S. faculty and professionals.
Shorter grant lengths give specialists greater
flexibility to pursue a grant that works best
with their current academic or professional
commitments. Applications for the Fulbright
Specialists Program are accepted on a rolling
basis, and peer review of applications is conducted
eight times per year.
Program Goals
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To increase the participation of leading
U.S. scholars and professionals in Fulbright
academic exchanges |
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To encourage new activities that go beyond
the traditional Fulbright activities of
lecturing and research |
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To promote increased connections between
U.S. and non-U.S. post-secondary academic
institutions |
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Applicants apply throughout the calendar year
for candidacy on the Fulbright Specialists
Roster. Peer review is conducted eight times
each year. CIES builds lists of qualified Specialist
candidates for each eligible discipline and
facilitates matching Senior Specialist candidates
with project requests.
Non-U.S. post-secondary academic institutions
submit Senior Specialist project requests through
the appropriate Fulbright agency in their country.
Once approved by the Fulbright Commission or
U.S. Embassy, the Specialist project request
is forwarded to the U.S. Department of State
for final approval.
Fulbright
Specialist Roster |
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The Fulbright Specialists Program differs
from the traditional Fulbright Scholar competition
in that the Council for International Exchange
of Scholars (CIES) builds a roster of specialists
in a variety of disciplines through an open
application process. Applicants recommended
by specialist peer review committees and approved
by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship
Board become candidates for Fulbright Senior
Specialist projects.
Fulbright Commissions and U.S. Embassies access
the Fulbright Specialists Roster through
a secure Web site. The roster is searchable
by a variety of criteria including discipline
and specialization.
Sample
Fulbright Specialists activities |
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Fulbright Specialist projects are designed
to provide U.S. faculty and professionals with
opportunities to collaborate with professional
counterparts at non-U.S. post-secondary academic
institutions on curriculum and faculty development,
institutional planning and a variety of other
activities. For example, grantees may:
- Conduct needs assessments, surveys, institutional
or programmatic research at non-U.S. post-secondary
academic institutions
- Take part in specialized academic programs
and conferences in conjunction with other
scheduled activities
- Consult with administrators and instructors
of non-U.S. post-secondary institutions on
faculty development
- Present lectures at graduate and undergraduate
levels
- Participate in or lead seminars or workshops
at non-U.S. post-secondary academic institutions
- Develop and/or assess academic curricula
or educational materials at non-U.S. post-secondary
academic institutions
- Conduct teacher-training programs at the
tertiary level
Note: Personal Research is not funded
via the Fulbright Specialists Program.
Eligible disciplines for the Fulbright Specialists Program are listed below. Each eligible discipline has designated subdisciplines. To view the available subdisciplines in each field, click on the discipline name. At the time of application, an applicant will select a discipline and one subdiscipline from the list of available specializations within the discipline selected. Additional specializations may be entered in the “Additional Expertise” section of the application.
Requiring applicants to select a primary discipline and specialization assists prospective applicants in discerning whether they are eligible to apply to the Fulbright Specialists Program. CIES uses the primary disciplines and subdisciplines to assign applicants during the peer review process. The discipline you select must match your academic and professional credentials.
The discipline categories are also used by CIES in matching roster candidates with projects, although they do not preclude roster candidates from participation in grant opportunities that are outside their primary discipline but for which they are qualified. Identification by primary discipline and specialization is not intended to pigeonhole applicants or roster candidates.
The Fulbright Specialists Program is
active in all world regions.
Countries eligible to participate in the program
include those where there is a U.S. embassy
or a Fulbright Commission. Lists of these countries
can be found at http://usembassy.state.gov/ and http://exchanges.state.gov/education/fulbright/commiss.htm
The Fulbright Specialist Program is open to qualified U.S. scholars and professionals in the disciplines listed above. Applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin and /or physical impairment.
Applicants must meet all of the following minimum eligibility requirements. In matching candidates with grant opportunities, preference will be given to candidates with the most relevant professional experience.
- U.S. citizen at the time of application. Permanent resident status is not sufficient. If a naturalized citizen, applicant must provide actual date of naturalization.
- For academics, a Ph.D. or equivalent professional/terminal degree at the time of application plus a minimum of five years of post-doctoral teaching or professional experience in the field in which you are applying.
- Limits apply to previous Fulbright Scholar grantees
Important Message from the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board about Newly Adopted Eligibility Guidelines for all those applying for awards in the 2007-2008 year and all years beyond.
- For professionals and artists outside academe, recognized professional standing and substantial professional accomplishments plus a minimum of five years of professional experience in the field in which you are applying (Note: Senior Specialists work with colleagues at non-U.S. post-secondary, academic institutions. In the application, professionals and artists outside academe should highlight 1) experience as a college/university teacher or trainer and/or 2) how their experience could benefit foreign academic institutions).
- Disclosure of prior conviction or current indictment for commission of a felony. Prior conviction or current indictment may result in disqualification.
- Employees, spouses or dependent children of the United States Department of State or public and private organizations under contract to the United States Department of State exchange programs are ineligible to apply for a Fulbright grant until one year after the employee's termination.
- Fulbright senior specialists must be residing in the United States at the time they are approved for a grant and intend to return to their U.S. institution after the grant's completion. Roster applicants or candidates need not necessarily be residing in the United States in order to be approved or accepted for the roster, but must be residing in the United States in order to receive a grant.
After State Department approval of the project, CIES contacts the preferred candidate indicated by the requesting institution or, for open requests, contacts appropriate Specialist candidates to ascertain their interest and availability for the project. CIES processes the grant and administers the grant payment for the candidate ultimately selected for the Specialist project.
The program will award grants ranging from
two to six weeks and will make use of serial
grants if deemed necessary.
Terms
of the grant
Grant benefits include international economy
fare travel and approved related expenses plus
a $200 per day honorarium. The honorarium is
payable upon completion of the grant and submission
of an online final report and travel expense
report. Host institutions normally cover in-country
per diem costs for lodging, meals and transportation.
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