Fulbright Grant
Fulbright Grants are designed to give recent bachelor’s degree recipients, master’s candidates and recipients, doctoral candidates, and young professionals and artists opportunities for personal development and international experience in one of over 130 countries. Grantees usually plan their own programs. Projects may include independent research, field work, university coursework, classes in a music conservatory or art school, special projects in the social or life sciences, business internships, teaching English as a foreign language, community service, or a combination of the above.
Full descriptions of all of these grants can be found in the individual country summaries, and in the printed Fulbright information brochure available (by the end of May) in hardcopy at CURF.
Fulbright information is inherently general. Individuals considering a year abroad should discuss their interests with the Fulbright advisor.
Eligibility and Qualifications
Selection is made on the basis of the applicant’s academic or professional record, language preparation, the feasibility and specificity of the proposed project, commitment and motivation as well personal qualifications.
Eligibility requirements:
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens at the time of application. Graduating seniors, graduate or professional students or alumni of any age are encouraged to apply.
- Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree before the beginning date of the grant
- Applicants may not hold a doctoral degree at the time of application
- Preference will be given to applicants who have completed the majority of their high school and undergraduate education in the U.S.
- Applicants must have sufficient proficiency in the written and spoken language of the host country to communicate with the people and to carry out the proposed study
- Good health
Application Procedures and Selection Criteria
Applications may be made for one country only. If they meet the eligibility requirements, candidates will be considered for all awards to that particular country.
The most important parts of the application are the following:
- A two page proposal articulating the research project or plan of study. Considerable weight is given to this statement in the selection of candidates, and it should, therefore, be as specific and as well defined as possible. The statement should include, for example, specific information concerning resources available in the host country and not available elsewhere (e.g., special collections, outstanding scholars, research teams in the field). The project proposal is evaluated in terms of its validity as a scholarly undertaking, and its feasibility.
- One-page curriculum vitae. This should be a “narrative statement giving a picture of yourself as an individual” rather than merely a factual autobiography. It should deal with personal history, family background, influences on intellectual development, special interests and abilities, career plans, and life goals
- Three letters of recommendation, two of which are usually from professors in the applicant’s proposed area of study. (Exceptions are common.) Referees should be given a draft of the Statement of Proposed Study or Research. A good academic reference for a Fulbright puts the referee’s knowledge of the applicant in the context of the proposal
- Official transcript from every college attended
- Language proficiency report, to be completed by a Penn language instructor whenever possible
Timeframe
After CURF receives applications, candidates will be told which member of the Penn Fulbright Committee they need to contact to arrange for a personal interview. The purpose of the campus interview is to enable the committee to complete the Campus Committee Evaluation Form, commenting on the academic proposal, its feasibility, and how prepared the applicant is non-academically. The interview also serves as a way for the applicant to explain his or her reasons for wanting to pursue the proposed study or research. The applicant can expect to be asked about the importance of the proposed study or research, what contacts have been made and what other preparations have been undertaken in advance of submitting the application. The Penn Fulbright Committee will meet in October for a review of all applications, after which all applications will be forwarded with the Campus Evaluation and a committee rating to the Institute of International Education, which conducts the national competition. The campus interview and review are not a mechanism for disqualifying applicants.
At the end of January, IIE will notify candidates of their status after a preliminary national screening. Those who are recommended by the national screening panels are transmitted to the supervising agencies abroad for further review, particularly as to placement at foreign universities. Final selection for Fulbright Grants is made by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and grantees usually receive notification of the final decision by May.