Fulbright Scholar Program

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program 2023-24 Competition will open in February 2022. Full Applications will be due on September 15th, 2022.

Announcements!

Visit the Webinar Schedule for details about events happening throughout the competition. Webinars are a valuable resource for prospective applicants and U.S. institutions to learn more about Fulbright U.S. Scholar opportunities. Hear directly from Program Staff as they share details about awards by region, discipline or program, as well as offer general application advice and answer questions live from attendees.
Unable to join a scheduled event? Visit the online Webinar Archive to view all recordings.
Connect with Fulbright to stay informed on the latest program updates, webinar schedules, helpful resources, suggestions for application assistance, and talk with program staff.
Applicants are encouraged to contact award-specific program staff to discuss your research/teaching ideas and to review award details, requirements, and goals before submitting an application. A full list of open awards and their program staff are available in the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Catalog of Awards.

About The Fulbright Program

The Fulbright Scholar Program offers diverse opportunities for academics, administrators and professionals to teach, research, do professional projects and attend seminars abroad. Annually, the Fulbright Program awards approximately 8,000 fellowships. Since its founding in 1946, over 400,000 Fulbrighters have participated from over 160 countries. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the United States Department of State strives to ensure that the Fulbright program reflects and values the diversity of U.S. society and societies abroad. Read more about Fulbright Diversity and Inclusion on the program website.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is the largest fellowship program in the U.S. supporting higher education faculty and administrators, professionals, artists, journalists, scientists, and independent scholars at all career-levels through a suite of unique award opportunities. Over 800 fellowships are awarded annually, and over 400 different types of opportunities are available to teach, research, and conduct professional projects in more than 135 countries. The locations and eligibility vary across all awards, and some awards may restrict applicant eligibility based on career levels or types of scholars. College of Charleston Faculty and Staff members are encouraged to apply for Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards.

Featured in The College Today, Two CofC Professors Receive Fulbright Awards to Teach, Study Abroad by Erin Perkins

Two College of Charleston professors, Adem Ali and Richard Bodek, have received Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program awards for the 2021–22 academic year to travel to different parts of the globe in international exchange programs.

Ali, an associate professor in the Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, will conduct research and teach in South Africa at the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Limpopo. Ali’s studies use current technology, including high-resolution satellites and drones, to assess water supplies from a resource and quality aspect, which can help further climate and environmental research.

Bodek, a professor in the Department of History, will travel to London to teach at the University of Roehampton, where he will teach historical methods, historical problems and war and memory in the 20th century.

Featured in The College Today, Communication Professor Receives Second Fulbright Grant to Teach in Poland by Alicia Lutz

College of Charleston Communication Professor Robert Westerfelhaus has been awarded his second Fulbright grant to teach at the Maria Curie-Sklodowska University (MCSU) in Lublin, Poland. After teaching as a Fulbright Fellow at the MCSU Instytut Anglistyk in 2009–10, he is returning this academic year as the Distinguished Scholar in Humanities, the highest Fulbright designation. Professor Westerfelhaus will teach upper undergraduate and graduate classes in contemporary American popular culture, give the plenary lecture for this year's annual conference of the Polish Association for American Studies, guest lecture at multiple universities across Poland, and will volunteer at the Lublin American Corner to help locals acquire English language skills, organize workshops for UMCS students and faculty.

Eligibility

Please refer to the award descriptions for more detailed information regarding award-specific eligibility requirements.

U.S. Citizenship: Applicants must hold U.S. citizenship at the time of application. Permanent residence is not sufficient.
Residency Abroad: Applicants who have resided abroad for five or more consecutive years in the six-year period preceding the application deadline are ineligible. A period of nine months or more during a calendar year constitutes a full year.
Degree and/or Experience: Award descriptions specify where a Ph.D., other terminal degree, or comparable professional qualifications are required.
Prior Fulbright Scholar Awards: Recipients of a Fulbright Scholar award are eligible to apply for another award two years after the date of completion of the previous award.
Department of Sate Employees: Employees and their immediate families (i.e. spouses and dependent children) of the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, and of public or private organizations under contract to the U.S. Department of State are ineligible to apply for a Fulbright award until one year after termination of such employment.

4 Award and Activity Types: Which one is right for you?

Award Types:

Fulbright Scholar Awards comprise the bulk of awards offered and include opportunities for professionals, artists, and scholars at all career-levels. Location and eligibility vary across all awards, and some awards may be restricted to certain career levels or types of scholars. This information is outlined in the award description. The Global Scholar Award and the Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship are unique opportunities within the Fulbright Scholar awards.

Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Awards are viewed as the most prestigious appointments in the Fulbright Scholar Program. Awards are open to scholars who have more than seven years of experience in their discipline or area of expertise, though some awards may further restrict eligibility. Distinguished Scholars are expected to actively engage host institutions in a spirit of promoting mutual understanding and sharing knowledge.

Fulbright Postdoctoral Awards provide recently graduated scholars an opportunity to conduct research and receive professional training abroad. Awards may involve limited teaching. Postdocs are open to scholars who will have received a doctoral degree (Ph.D., J.D., M.D., Ed.D., etc.) within five years of the fellowship start date. Degree conferment before the start of the award is mandatory. Institutional affiliation in the U.S. is not required.

Fulbright International Education Administrator (IEA) Awards provide international education professionals and senior higher education officials an opportunity to engage in a two-week intensive seminar to learn about the host country’s education system and establish networks of U.S. and international colleagues. More detailed information about IEA Awards is avaiable on the website.

Activity Types:

Teaching includes classroom teaching, as well as giving guest lectures, workshops, and seminars, and engaging in other related activities. Classroom teaching is typically at the undergraduate and graduate level, and courses may be designed by the scholar or prescribed by the host institution and may be taught or co-taught by the scholar. The teaching load varies by award, as well as the host institution. Scholars may also consult on building research capacity, advise graduate students, and assist with thesis advising.

Research includes activities involving scientific research, qualitative research, quantitative research, and practice-based research, including artistic research. Research can take place in locations such as the laboratory, the field, the archives, or an artist residency. It can be experimental, clinical, or applied. It can include examining policies, systems, theories, methods, interactions, and works of art and music, with the objective to evaluate or develop new knowledge or works. Quantifiable (tangible) outcomes can include publications (books, journal articles, scripts, etc.), conference presentations, artistic and musical compositions, exhibitions, performances, films, and patents.

Many awards allow participants to conduct both research and teaching as defined above. Some awards will indicate the percentage that should be devoted to teaching compared to research while other awards allow the candidates to select their own percentage breakdown.

The Professional Project activity type provides professionals and artists in various fields the opportunity to interact with relevant organizations abroad to further their career goals. Professional Projects may include visits to organizations in the applicant's field, practical experience in day-to-day operations, public lectures, artist residencies, or other appropriate professional activities.

Visit the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Catalog of Awards to search for and review current and past awards.

Peruse the Fulbright Scholar Directory to locate and connect with past Fulbright scholar award recipients.

How long are Fulbright opportunities?

Fulbright opportunities range from a few months to a full year and many of our awards offer flexible durations. Each award outlines the duration and potential start dates. Many awards offer a Flex option which is designed for Scholars who require multiple visits to the host country. This option allows grants to be conducted over short segments, preferably during the fall and/or spring semesters. Applicants should clearly indicate plans for Flex in their project statement and include a project timeline.

Application Components

Click the following links for further information on application instructions and an application review checklist.

Application Timeline

Please note that applicants can only submit one application per competition in a given year. Each competition is a unique opportunity, and unsuccessful applicants are welcome to re-apply for a similar competition in successive program years. Additionally, faculty, who have been awarded a Fulbright grant in the past, are also welcome to apply for another round of scholarships.

Review Criteria

Applicant training, background, and experience
Quality of project
Project's potential impact, outcome, and benefits
Personal qualities
Veteran status

Fulbright FAQs

Please, click the link above to review frequently asked questions and answers about the Fulbright U.S. Scholar program.

Contact CofC's Fulbright Scholar Liaison

Susan Anderson, Assistant Vice President for Research and Director of the Office of Research and Grants Administration, is delighted to serve as the Fulbright Scholar Liaison for CofC faculty and staff. Please contact Susan at andersons@cofc.edu with questions or inquiries.

The Office of Research and Grants Administration is responsible for managing the development and submission of all applications and awards made to College of Charleston faculty through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.

Connect with Fulbright

Stay informed about the latest program updates, upcoming and archived webinar and office hour schedules, helpful resources, suggestions for application assistance, and communicate with program staff who provide direct application support in office hours and share program opportunities in webinars and U.S. campus presentations throughout the year.

Join an Office Hour

Email: scholars@iie.org

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