Big news – the Fulbright U.S Student Program, which includes the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) grants and awards for study and research, is offering more than 2,000 awards in its 2017-18 application cycle, representing a 6% increase in awards worldwide. Despite its somewhat misleading name, the Fulbright U.S. Student program awards are open to eligible U.S. citizens who are graduating seniors and recent bachelor’s degree recipients, Master’s and doctoral candidates, and young professionals (including writers, creative and performing artists, journalists, and those in law, business, and other professional fields) with up to 5 years of professional study or experience in the field in which they are applying. The grants support individually designed research projects, graduate study or English teaching opportunities that will take place during one academic year (9-12 months) in a country outside the U.S.
Several countries are increasing the number of study/research and ETA awards on offer, including added awards in Spain (77!), Colombia (20), Czech Republic (19), Turkey (16), Taiwan (5), Jordan (5), and the United Kingdom (5).
In addition to 7 study/research awards, Israel is offering 4 new English Teaching Assistant grants administered by the United States-Israel Educational Foundation (USIEF). The grantees will be placed in colleges located in the south or the north of the country and will also receive up to $1,700 for Hebrew or Arabic language study.
Estonia is also offering 1 new ETA award in addition to 3 study/research awards. Also, Morocco is increasing their ETA grants from 10 to 12 and Jordan from 10 to 15.
There is also a new Fulbright-Royal Veterinary College, University of London Award. The award will support a one-year Master’s degree or higher research programme (or the first year of a longer Master’s or higher research degree program) in any discipline at the Royal Veterinary College. In this award category, the grantee will receive a full tuition fee waiver from the Royal Veterinary College and a stipend of £14,300, which is intended as a contribution towards general maintenance costs (accommodation, travel, subsistence, etc.) while in the UK.
Hungary is offering two new awards, including one Fulbright/Budapest Semester in Mathematics at the Rényi Institute Newa. The grantee will reside one academic year (two semesters) at Budapest Semesters of Mathematics (BSM) and will be expected to study 8 courses, and to take part in the activities of BSM. The other is a new Fulbright/Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music Award. The Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest is the only music academy in the world that was founded by Franz Liszt. Applicants are welcome with strong music education background in one of the following: symphonic orchestral instruments, voice, jazz, music education, music history, composition, choir/orchestral conducting or folk music.
Belgium is offering one grant for enrollment in the International Master of European Studies: Transnational and Global Perspectives (MAES) at the University of Leuven (KUL). This one-year interdisciplinary program focuses on Europe as a continent of strong interactions across national boundaries and constant exchanges with the outside world.
Ireland is offering a new Fulbright Study/Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane Student Award. The grantee will pursue an exciting education curatorial project up to 12 months working with the Hugh Lane team. The project will contribute to the gallery’s strategy and that of Dublin City Council of embedding a culture of continuous engagement between the Dublin City Art Gallery The Hugh Lane and Dublin’s communities.
Fulbright Mexico’s Graduate Degree awards are not new, but will now support up to four academic semesters (2 years) in a Master’s program or up to six academic semesters (3 years) in a Doctoral program. Also, Mexico’s former Binational Business Grant is now the Binational Internship Program and is expanding the program disciplines to include business administration, finance, economics, international relations, engineering, law/international law, accounting, or another business-related field.
Fulbright is also recruiting more applicants for a number of existing awards that were undersubscribed last year, particularly awards in East Asia and the Pacific, the Baltics, regions of Russia (outside Moscow and St. Petersburg), the Middle East and Central Asia.
Applications for this year’s Fulbright U.S. Student Program are due by October 11, 2016! If you are interested in applying, be sure to reach out to your university’s Fulbright Program Advisor, and check out our Fulbright application tips from former fellows.
© Victoria Johnson 2016, all rights reserved.