Fulbright U.S. Student Program

1. Fulbright U.S. Student Program June 1, 2009 Aajar Zaman, Bangladesh, 2004 Xiao Li Tan, China 2005 John Reuter, Ukraine, 2004 Andrew Lee, Singapore, 2006.

2. Outline for today • Program Overview • Thinking of Applying • Grants and Benefits • Fulbright Application • Application Process • Selection Process • Online Resources • Final Suggestions

3. PROGRAM OVERVIEW

4. The Basics • What is a U.S. Student Fulbright Grant? • An award to support self-designed study or research in 150 countries; English language teaching assistantships in over 40 countries • Who should apply? • Highly-motivated, open-minded individuals • Those who can contribute to and benefit from cultural exchange

5. The U.S. Student Program is designed for: • Recent BA/BS graduates • Master's and doctoral candidates • Young professionals, including writers, journalists, and those in law, business, and other professional fields • Artists and musicians Rosanna Brilliantes – Philippines

6. A Fulbright allows for: • University coursework • Independent library or field research • Professional training in the arts and other fields • Assistant English-teaching • Invaluable opportunities to meet, work, and live with the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences Rebecca Tyroler-Cooper - China

7. A Fulbright allows for: Opportunities to promote mutual understanding through engagement in the community Appreciation of other’s viewpoints and beliefs, the way they do things, and the way they think, through direct interaction with them Lydia Boyd - Uganda

8. Diversity • Program is seeking universities traditionally under-represented in the Fulbright Program • Institutional, ethnic & geographical diversity • 1,500 grants awarded representing all facets of American society (institutional, ethnic, & geographical diversity) Number of institutions submitting applications / Awarded: Small – 191 / 113 Large – 329 / 182

9. THINKING OF APPLYING

10. Who is eligible? • U.S. Citizens • Those with Bachelor’s degrees, equivalent training or professional experience by grant start • Sufficient language ability as required by host country and in keeping with the Fulbright mission • Able to pass simple physical exam (no conditions which would interfere with your ability to complete your project)

11. Who is NOT eligible? • Non U.S. citizens (including permanent residents) • Ph.D. degree-holders • Previous U.S. Student Fulbright grantees • Dual citizens or residents in some host countries (check website country descriptions)

12. A Fulbrighter has… • Strong academic and/or professional preparation • Demonstrated leadership ability • Less than six months spent in host country (excluding undergraduate study abroad) • Focus on community involvement Phuong Do - Vietnam

13. GRANTS AND BENEFITS

14. Types of awards • Basic Grant Types • Full Grants • English Teaching Assistantships • Travel-Only Grants (Germany or Hungary only) • Special Fulbright Programs (within the full grant structure) • Business Grant (Mexico or Spain) • Internship Grant (Taiwan) • Critical Language Enhancement Awards • Fulbright-mtvU Awards

15. Fulbright Full Grant • Individually-designed academic, research, or artistic project • Projects may include university coursework, research, or professional training in the arts • Guidelines may vary by country – check the website for details • “Thinking of Applying”  “Participating Countries”

16. English Teaching Assistantship • Grantees assigned to teach conversational English in schools or universities throughout host country • Grantee-designed project emphasizing community engagement • Over 40 countries offer Fulbright ETA grants

17. Critical Language Enhancement Initiative • Pre-grant training covering language study in Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Turkish and other specific languages for Full Grant applicants • Funding is only available to grantees who demonstrate need for trainingand have completed one year of language training • Language training occurs prior and during the grant term or for projects focusing on language acquisition training

18. Fulbright-mtvU Awards

19. Fulbright-mtvU Awards • Grants focus is on international contemporary or popular music as a cultural force of expression • Explores the use of music as a global force for mutual understanding • Special ‘Documentation and Outreach Plan’ must be submitted in addition to Fulbright application (https://us.fulbrightonline.org/thinking_mtv.html)

20. Grant Benefits • Roundtrip airfare • Monthly stipend (for room, board, incidental costs) • Health insurance • Benefits may also include (varies by country): • Dependent support • Research allowance • Enhancement activities • Tuition • Language lessons Lisbeth Garassino – Romania

21. FULBRIGHT APPLICATION

22. Application Components Application form (can be found online at https://apply.embark.com/student/fulbright/usa/22/ ) Must submit online and in hard copy to OGS by September 11 Two-page statement of proposed study/research Be aware of formatting specifications Personal Statement (one page) Tell them something about you they won’t see anywhere else in the application

23. Application Components (cont’d) Three references Professors, mentors, people who can speak about your ability to research/study/thrive in a foreign country, etc. Transcripts From ALL UG/Grad institutions where you received a grade for coursework Language Evaluation (if necessary) - varies by host country Affiliation in host country Someone who can “mentor” you in host country

24. Applications in the Arts • Supplemental materials must be submitted: • Photographs, Slides, Portfolios • CDs, DVDs • Writing Samples (Creative Writers only) • See website for eligible arts fields and specific requirements -artists don’t necessarily need to have earned a BA by the time of grant start Randin Graves - Australia

25. More information about the Fulbright can be found at: https://us.fulbrightonline.org

26. APPLICATION PROCESS

27. Statement of Proposed Research/Study (Full Grant) • Two page essay that answers the questions: what, where, how, when, and why • Demonstrates knowledge of the field of study • Demonstrates awareness of needs in host country • Any potential concern about project feasibility or your ability should be addressed directly

28. Statement of Proposed Research/Study (ETA Grant) • One page essay that explains how you will reach your goals as an English Teaching Assistant, and why you would like to be an English Teaching Assistant. • Description of a small, supplemental research project (focused on community involvement) • -Should not be location-specific • Demonstrates sincere desire to teach English to non-native speakers

29. Letters of Affiliation • From a host contact willing to advise/mentor you while conducting your Fulbright project • Can be a professional at a university, laboratory, library, community organization • Provides a signed letter on institutional letterhead indicating their support • Check country summary for specifics before requesting letter • ETAs DO NOT make affiliations

30. Things to Consider • Is your project feasible? • Do you have/can you secure a solid affiliation? • Do you have requisite language skills? • Have you demonstrated your ability to carry out your proposed project? Justin A. Ryan - Netherlands

31. UCSD Application Process • Deadline will be September 11, before the quarter starts. • Before 4:30pm on day of deadline, turn in hard copy on the fourth floor of the Student Services Center and hit submit button online. • Wait for further information about your interview. • After your interview, you may make changes and resubmit hard and electronic copies by the final due date.

32. THE SELECTION PROCESS

33. Deadlines Campus Deadline September 11 Enrolled candidates submit applications to campus committee by campus deadline for review. October 19 IIE Application Deadline Online submission deadline: October 19 Campuses send enrolled students’ applications to IIE at deadline, at-large applicants submit directly to IIE. Applications are processed at IIE and sent to National Screening Committee members.

34. Selection Timeline Nov/Dec National Screening Committees Screening committees review applications for a given country/field. They recommend candidates for selection. Fulbright Commissions/Embassies Jan-May The Fulbright Commissions and U.S. Embassies in the host countries select principal and alternate candidates J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB) Feb-May The presidentially-appointed FSB makes the final selection of candidates.

35. Online Resources

36. Current Grantees Directory

37. Fulbright tools online • The Fulbright online application (https://apply.embark.com/student/fulbright/usa/22/) • Fulbright blog – replaces the old applicant newsletter (http://usfulbrightstudent.blogspot.com/) • Podcasts and webinars (https://us.fulbrightonline.org/podcast.html) • PDF versions of application forms (http://us.fulbrightonline.org/applynow_formsandinstructions.html)

38. Fulbright contact information World Regions/Areas General Inquiries East Asia and the Pacific Region South and Central Asia Europe (except Germany) and Eurasia Africa and the Near East South America, Mexico and Canada Central America (except Mexico) & the Caribbean Regional Program External Relations/Outreach Relevant Program Managers Walter Jackson (wjackson@iie.org) Jonathan Akeley (jakeley@iie.org) Charles Restrepo (crestrepo@iir.org) Rachel Holskin (rholskin@iie.org) Jermaine Jones (jjones@iie.org) Jody Dudderar (jdudderar@iie.org) Cara Wollinsky (cwollinsky@iie.org) Tony Claudino (tclaudino@iie.org) Schuyler Allen (sallen@iie.org)

39. Final suggestions

40. Suggested UCSD Timeline Spring: Start thinking about possible project, identify people for letters of rec, become familiar with country specifications, identify country affiliation Summer: Write, revise, and refine proposal and personal narrative Fall: Apply (by UCSD internal deadline of September 11), interview, and wait Caleb Kim – South Korea

41. Final Thoughts • Spend the summer thinking about your projects, setting up affiliations, and writing/refining your proposal and personal narrative. • Get input on your project from professors, mentors, colleagues and peers. • Email Linda Vong (lkvong@ucsd.edu), the UCSD Fulbright Program Adviser, if you would like to set up an appointment to go over questions, concerns, proposals, etc.

42. Good Luck!