The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award offers plentiful opportunities for mid-career American professionals to conduct research, teach University courses, or complete a professional development opportunity abroad. But there are plenty of Fulbright alternatives that provide the same types of experiences to US citizens.
This list of alternatives to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award includes international fellowship opportunities for terminal degree holders, scholars, and mid-career professionals. While the deadline to apply for a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award typically falls in early September for grant awards beginning the following academic year, the fellowships on this list have a wide range of deadlines. Be sure to click the title of the award for more information, including an estimated or confirmed deadline. You can bookmark international fellowships of interest and visit the award’s website via your free ProFellow account.
If you’re a college senior, recent graduate, or early career professional, you can check out our list of 40 Alternatives to the Fulbright US Student Grant for International Study and Research.
ACMS Field Research Fellowship Program
The American Center for Mongolian Studies is inviting applications to conduct field research in humanities, sciences, and social sciences, for at least 6 weeks in Mongolia. Fellows must be US citizens with at least a bachelor’s degree and currently enrolled or employed at a university or college. The projects will be conducted between May and October with an up to $4,000 award given with additional funding for travel. The goal of the fellowship is to assist as many researchers as possible to participate in a field research experience in Mongolia.
American Academy in Berlin Prize
The Academy welcomes applications from emerging and established scholars, writers, and professionals who wish to engage in independent study in Berlin. Approximately 24 Berlin Prizes are conferred yearly. Past recipients have included historians, economists, poets and novelists, journalists, legal scholars, anthropologists, musicologists, and public policy experts, among others. Fellowships are typically awarded for an academic semester or, on occasion, for an entire academic year. Bosch Fellowships in Public Policy may be awarded for shorter stays of 6-8 weeks. Benefits include round-trip airfare, partial board, a $5,000 monthly stipend, and accommodations at the Academy’s lakeside Hans Arnhold Center in the Berlin-Wannsee district. Fellowships are restricted to individuals based permanently in the U.S.
ASF Fellowships for Americans in the Nordic Countries
The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) offers year-long fellowships of up to $23,000 and short-term (1-3 months) fellowships of up to $5,000 to graduate students (preferably conducting dissertation research) and academic professionals interested in pursuing research or creative-arts projects in the Nordic region (Denmark, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sámpi, and Sweden). ASF’s award program for study and research abroad has been the Foundation’s most long-standing commitment to educational exchange. Awards are made in all fields.
APS/British Academy Fellowship for Research in London
Since 1933, the American Philosophical Society (APS) has awarded small grants to scholars in order to support the cost of research leading to publication in all areas of knowledge. The APS offers an exchange postdoctoral fellowship for a minimum of 1-2 months’ research in the archives and libraries of London. This award includes travel expenses between the United States and the United Kingdom and a monthly subsistence paid by the APS. Applicants are expected to have a doctorate or to have published work of doctoral quality. Funding is offered up to a maximum of $6,000.
APS/Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities Fellowship for Research in Edinburgh
In collaboration with the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh, the APS offers a visiting fellowship of between 2-4 months for research in Edinburgh in any aspect of the humanities and social sciences. This award includes travel expenses between the United States and the United Kingdom, a private office, library, and research facilities at the IASH, and a monthly subsistence paid by the APS. Travel expenses and the monthly subsistence amount will not exceed a maximum of $6,000.
ARIT Fellowships in Humanities and Social Sciences in Turkey
The ARIT fellowships support research in Turkey for the academic year. Scholars and advanced graduate students engaged in research on ancient, medieval, or modern times in Turkey, in any field of the humanities and social sciences, are eligible to apply. Non-U.S. applicants who reside in the U.S. or Canada are expected to maintain an affiliation with an educational institution in the U.S. or Canada.
Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellowship supports the best and brightest minds in their postdoctoral research, connecting them with world-class academics and leading researchers. The fellowship provides generous funding for eligible international applicants to conduct research in any academic discipline at accredited institutions in Israel, a country long recognized for outstanding achievements in research and higher education. The fellowship is open to candidates who have received or will receive, their Ph.D. at a recognized university in the EU or EFTA states, UK and Canada.
BAEF Study and Research Fellowships in Belgium
The Belgian American Educational Foundation (B.A.E.F.) encourages applications for fellowships for advanced study or research during one academic year at a Belgian University or institution of higher learning. The B.A.E.F. will award up to ten fellowships as outright non-renewable grants carrying a stipend of $27,000 for Master’s or Ph.D. students and $32,000 for Post-doctoral Fellows. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Applicants must also either be registered in a graduate program towards a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in the U.S., plan to register in a graduate program (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Belgium, or currently hold a Master’s, Ph.D., or equivalent degree.
Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies Fellowships
The Program supports North American scholars in all social science and humanities disciplines, including historians working on modern and contemporary German and European history. Applicants must be U.S. or Canadian nationals or permanent residents who are either full-time graduate students who have completed all coursework required for a Ph.D. or have received their doctorates within the past two calendar years. Awards provide between 10 and 12 months of research support and a generous travel allowance for intra-European research.
CFR International Affairs Fellowship in Japan
Founded in 1997, the International Affairs Fellowship in Japan (IAF-J), sponsored by Hitachi, Ltd., seeks to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation between the rising generations of leaders in the United States and Japan. The program provides a selected group of mid-career U.S. citizens the opportunity to expand their professional horizons by spending a period of research or other professional activity in Japan. The IAF-J is only open to U.S. citizens. The duration of the fellowship is 3-12 months. The program awards a stipend in yen which covers travel and living expenses in Japan.
European University Institute Policy Leader Fellowship
The European University in Florence is offering 3, 6, or 9-month-long fellowships for early- or mid-career professionals in public policy, politics, civil service, media, and non-governmental organizations. In the School of Transnational Governance, fellows will live in Florence, Italy, and work in workshops, training, and skills development sessions and conferences. Fellows are excepted to contribute to peer discussions and have a strong interest in policy issues, especially related to transnational governance. Each fellowship is fully-funded with a grant of 2,500 euros per month for applicants from anywhere in the world.
Fellowship Program for International Postdoctoral Researchers
The Council for Higher Education in Israel and the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities are seeking top young recent Ph.D. graduates to take on a postdoctoral position with leading scientists and scholars in Israel on cutting-edge research in all fields of science, social science, and humanities. The fellowship is open to international candidates who have received a Ph.D. from a recognized higher education institution outside of Israel less than 4 years from the time of application. Fellows will be awarded for two years the amount of 160,000 NIS (~$47,000) per year.
French Institutes for Advanced Study Fellowship Programme
The French Institutes for Advanced Study Fellowship Programme offers 10-month fellowships in the six Institutes of Aix-Marseille, Loire Valley, Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes, and Paris. It welcomes applications from high-level international scholars and scientists primarily in the fields of the social sciences and the humanities (SSH). The call is open to all disciplines in the SSH and all research fields. FIAS awards fellowships to outstanding researchers of all career levels, from postdoctoral researchers to senior scientists. The minimum requirement is a Ph.D. + 2 years of research experience at the time of the application.
Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship
The Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship allows fellows to serve in professional placements in foreign government ministries or institutions and gain hands-on public sector experience while carrying out an academic research/study project. Fellows serve in a capacity similar to a “special assistant” for a senior-level official. Proficiency in the host country’s language of government is required. Successful Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship candidates will include early to mid-career entrepreneurial and self-starter professionals with a graduate degree in a public-policy related field (e.g., JD, MPA, MPH). Fellowships are available in three world regions: Africa (Botswana, Ghana, and Rwanda); Western Hemisphere (Colombia and Peru); and East Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia, Fiji, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam)
Hans Fischer Senior Fellowship
Outstanding scientists from outside TUM, who intend to explore innovative, high-risk topics in their scientific research areas together with a TUM Research Group are eligible for a TUM-IAS Hans Fischer Senior Fellowship. The TUM-IAS awards up to 5 Hans Fischer Senior Fellowships each year. The Fellowships last 3 years, of which Fellows are expected to stay at TUM in Munich, Germany for 9 months. Fellows receive an award of 60,000 EUR plus 50,000 EUR for travel, housing, and research. Additional funding of up to 50,000 EUR is available on an as-needed basis. In addition, Fellows receive support for one doctoral candidate at TUM for 3 years.
Ian Axford (New Zealand) Fellowships in Public Policy
Ian Axford (New Zealand) Fellowships in Public Policy are for outstanding mid-career American professionals to research and gain firsthand experience of public policy in New Zealand. Two to three fellowships valued at up to NZ $58,500 are granted each year, towards three to seven months of research. Fellows will be based at a relevant government agency in Wellington, New Zealand and carefully paired with a leading policy expert who will serve as their mentor. To be eligible, you must be a US citizen with at least five years of experience in your profession in the public, business or non-profit sector.
Jean Monnet Fellowship
The Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies in Florence, Italy offers fellowships to scholars who have obtained their doctorate at least 5 years before the start of the fellowship. During their stay at the RSCAS, fellows work on a research topic that fits well in the overall research profile of the RSCAS (Integration, Governance and Democracy; Regulating Markets and Governing Money; and 21st Century World Politics and Europe) and participate in the academic life of the Centre and of the EUI. Jean Monnet Fellowships have a duration of 1 year, renewable once.
MIF Research Fellowship Program
The Matsumae International Foundation’s Research Fellowship Program was created to deal with national egoism and help nations move toward world peace. The fellowship is particularly geared toward enhancing Japan’s foreign relations with other nations and ensuring the preservation of mankind. Fellowships are for 3-6 months of research in Japan with an institution of the fellow’s choosing. Fellows must hold a Ph.D., be over 49 years old, and have an interest in solving major problems facing humanity. Fellows in the fields of science, engineering, and medicine will be given first priority.
Nantes Institutes for Advanced Study Fellowship Program
The Nantes Institutes for Advanced Study Fellowship Program offers nine-month fellowships in Nantes, France. IAS Nantes awards fellowships to outstanding researchers of all career levels, from postdoctoral researchers to senior scientists. IAS Nantes offers 15 fellowship positions. Applications are expected from the fields of the social sciences and the humanities (SSH) and all research fields. The Fellows will benefit from the IAS’s support and conducive scientific environment, in an interdisciplinary cohort of fellows and close relation to the local research potential. IAS Nantes offers a living allowance, social security coverage, accommodation, a complete workspace, plus coverage of travel expenses.
Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Fellowship
The ODI Fellowship Scheme is a two-year fellowship for high-caliber postgraduate economists and statisticians to gain practical work experience in a developing country. The ODI Fellowship Scheme is open to candidates of all nationalities who have a master’s degree or PhD in economics, statistics, or a related field. Fellows are selected and appointed by ODI, but they then become employees of the governments or public bodies for which they work. Fellows received a salary, travel expenses, a monthly supplement, emergency medical insurance, and an end-of-fellowship bonus.
PhD Bridging Program in Indonesia
The Centre for Human Rights, Multiculturalism, and Migration (CHRM2) is offering facilities for current Ph.D. candidates and early career researchers with a Ph.D. degree who want to complete field research in Indonesia. Fellowships are between 2 weeks and 4 weeks long. Eligible candidates must be researchers in human rights, law, politics, education, gender, sociology, and anthropology. Each fellow will receive 4,000,000 IDR, free housing, and a private office.
RMIT Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellowships
RMIT University in Australia is recruiting Senior Research Fellows, Research Fellows, Postdoctoral Fellows and Indigenous Research Fellows whose experience and expertise align with one of RMIT’s 8 Enabling Capability Platforms (ECPs): Advanced Manufacturing and Fabrication; Advanced Materials; Biomedical and Health Innovation; Design and Creative Practice; Global Business Innovation; Information and System Engineering; Social Change; and Urban Futures. Fellows will engage in high-quality, high-impact research projects, which address local, national, regional, and global challenges. To be eligible, you must hold a Ph.D./Doctorate qualification.
Smithsonian Mpala Postdoctoral Fellowship
This is a one-year fellowship in Africa for postdoctoral scholars to conduct research in biology, anthropology, geology, hydrology, material science, social science, and soil science at the Smithsonian Mpala Research Center. The Mpala Center is a site of multidisciplinary research and training in Kenya and welcomes scholars from around the world to apply. Postdoctoral and senior investigators work in association with the professional Smithsonian research staff and utilize the resources of the institution in their projects. A stipend of $50,400 is provided for the year plus an additional research allowance of up to $4,000.
The Academic Research Institute in Iraq Fellowship – U.S. Citizens
The Academic Research Institute in Iraq (TARII) is inviting post-doctoral and advanced pre-doctoral researchers to conduct research focused on subjects in historical academic fields from ancient Mesopotamia to modern Iraq. Potential projects include research in archives in Europe, Turkey, or India, interviews with Iraqis living abroad, remote sensing of ancient Iraqi landscapes, and collaboration between a U.S. scholar and an Iraqi living in Iraq. Financial awards are up to $7,000 and are based on merit by a review panel consisting of scholars from member universities.
The Prince of Wales Global Sustainability Fellowship Programme
The Prince of Wales Global Sustainability Fellowship Programme is a funded opportunity for academics to reside in Cambridge, UK as they do research into building a sustainable economy. The Programme aims to foster new transdisciplinary thinking on sustainability in a large variety of fields, leading to practical insights, tools, and recommendations for decision-makers to carry into their organizations alongside important advances in fundamental knowledge. There are specific opportunities open in specialized fields listed on their website.
Title VIII Combined Research and Language Training (CRLT) Program
Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII), the CRLT Program serves graduate students and scholars who, in addition, support research in the independent states of the former Soviet Union, require supplemental language instruction. Applicants must conduct research and language studies for 3-9 months in the field. Participants must have at least an intermediate level of language proficiency. Fellowships range from $5K-$25K.
Title VIII Research Scholar Program
The program offers support for graduate students, faculty, Ph.D. candidates, post-doctorate, and independent scholars to conduct policy-relevant research for 3-9 months in Central Asia, Russia, the South Caucasus, Ukraine, Southeast Europe, and Moldova. The total value of Title VIII Research Scholar fellowships ranges from $5K to $25K each. Typical awards include international roundtrip airfare from the scholar’s home city to his/her host city overseas, academic affiliation at a leading local university, visa(s), opportunity for housing with a local host family, and a living stipend. Scholars in the social sciences and humanities are eligible.
USA to Australia Fellowship Program
The Association awards Fellowships each year at the graduate (Masters, PhD, or Postdoctoral) level of up to $40,000 USD for US scholars undertaking advanced research or study in Australia. Fellowships are available for Americans who will benefit from doing research or studying in the fields of biophotonics, engineering, environmental and marine sciences, mathematics, medicine, sciences, sustainability and technology. Applicants must make their own arrangements for university affiliation and have a confirmed placement by the time the Fellowship is awarded. Applicants must be US citizens or US permanent residents doing research or studying at the graduate level. Applicants may already be in Australia.
Visiting Erskine Fellows, University of Canterbury
Each year, some 70 distinguished, international academic visitors who are already advanced in the learning of any subject taught in the Faculties of Commerce, Engineering or Science are invited to the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand for durations of 1-3 months for the purpose of giving lectures in such subjects to students of the University. Each Visiting Erskine Fellow receives a grant-in-aid which takes account of up to two return airfare and a daily allowance towards living expenses. A visitor must be nominated by the Department concerned.
Zuckerman Postdoctoral STEM Scholars Program
The Mortimer B. Zuckerman Stem Leadership Program attracts high-achieving postdoctoral scholars from premier universities in the United States to do research at one of seven Israeli universities. Once they complete their research, many Zuckerman postdocs are expected to accept faculty positions at top North American universities, weaving a network of academic collaboration and goodwill that will greatly benefit US-Israeli scientific cooperation. Postdoctoral scholarships are for up to two years for $52,000 per academic year and applicants must hold a Ph.D. degree from a premier university.
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