Relationships August 8, 2016
Are you a bright and ambitious woman who is in college or recently graduated? If so, have you heard of the Fulbright Scholarship? A Fulbright Scholarship allows students to pursue research, become an English teaching assistant abroad, work in a foreign government and more. The scholarship has been won by distinguished ambassadors, congress members and journalists. While the Fulbright Scholarship program is for recently graduated and graduate students, it is a competitive opportunity so it’s a good idea to start preparing early on.
If you’re interested in applying, check out our 13 step guide to getting a Fulbright Scholarship:
The Fulbright program offers several different types of grants.
Study/Research Grants
This is the most traditional award type. With this grant, you design your own research project in a country of your choice and work with foreign advisers to accomplish your project. If you want to apply for this program, you should first explore country options and the specific programs that they offer. You can also check out field*-specific grants within this program that outline desirable countries for you. Researching other countries’ programs could also work to inspire the sort of research project you wish to conduct in case that you have not settled on a topic.
English Teaching Assistant Awards
This grant allows you to teach English abroad in foreign classrooms. The ages and requirements vary from country to country, so explore the different country options and see which one is the best fit for you.
Fulbright-Clinton Public Policy Fellowships
This is a great option for people interested in politics and foreign affairs. This fellowship gives you the opportunity to work at a foreign ministry or institution. For this fellowship, it is required that you have a master’s degree and gives preference to candidates with work experience and fluency in foreign languages.
Fulbright-mtvU awards
While this award was suspended for this coming year and may not be back next year, you should talk to the Institute of International Education if you are interested. The mtvU award is for projects centered on research around an aspect of international music culture and pop/contemporary music’s potential for change. In total, there are only four awards given.
Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship
This fellowship is all about storytelling. With this fellowship, recipients have an academic year to travel to up to three countries. Applications for the 2017-2018 year must focus on one of three themes about “globally relevant” issues. The story told must utilize multimedia, meaning each application should be exploring different mediums such as text, audio, infographics, photos and videos to tell their story. Multi-country projects also have to compare a singular issue across borders.
The three categories can be found here and include:
Applicants from all fields of study are welcome to apply, but preference is given to individuals who have experience with storytelling.
Critical Language Enhancement Award
This grant is awarded to students who have already received a Fulbright and is awarded as a supplemental study that gives students three to six months of intensive language study. If this grant interests you, you should apply for it along with your first choice Fulbright application. For details on what forms to use check out the website.
Not all grants are available in all countries. Check to see which countries are participating in your chosen grant program and which countries would be most conducive to your research. Also, consider any language requirements these countries have or if knowing the language is preferred before you arrive.
Once you’ve decided what sort of project you want to pursue, you should find your campus adviser. If you’re currently enrolled in an institution in the United States, you have to apply through your Fulbright adviser. You can find yours by using this tool and entering the name of your institution.
However, it is possible that your institution does not have a Fulbright adviser. If this is the case, try reaching out to your administration about appointing one. If you can get the backing of your academic adviser, that could help as well. Let them know that this is a program you’re interested in applying for and that adding it to your institution will attract a higher caliber of students and offer a more diverse array of opportunity. Institutions interested in appointing an adviser should email the program at [email protected].
If you aren’t enrolled in a US institution you only have to apply through the site.
Contact your adviser to find out when your campus deadline is. It should be about four to six weeks before the overarching deadline.
Talk to your adviser about getting an informational session on your campus or check to see if there are any events in your area. If nothing else, try sitting in on a webinar. The Fulbright site lists all of their upcoming events here.
Work with your adviser or mentor to come up with an intensive research project that truly interests you. You’re more likely to get the scholarship if you’re passionate about the topic you’re studying and if you do get the scholarship, you don’t want to be stuck with a topic that doesn’t quite pique your interest.
Your statement of purpose declares why you should be an award recipient and why your project is worth investing in. You’ll want to outline all the practicalities of your project—does it end global hunger? If so, how? But isn’t that expensive? No … why?
You’ll want to start drafting your Statement of Purpose early on so that you can send it to potential affiliation host advisers and have others look over it for feedback before sending out to the Fulbright Program.
The letter should be short and concise but thorough. You should avoid field-specific language; you may be conducting research about nuclear physics, but the people reviewing your application probably aren’t nuclear physicists. Don’t bury any information or points. The application reviewers will want to know everything up front. This isn’t a college essay, nor is it a creative writing piece—you don’t need to take anyone on a journey.
The guidelines for your Statement of Purpose will vary depending on what type of applicant you are (enrolled in an institution, not enrolled, etc.), and which project you’re applying for, so make sure to check the Fulbright website for specific details. The points you’ll want address are as follows:
How will the culture and politics of the host country impact the work?
Will the resources of the host country support the project?
Have you developed a connection with a potential adviser in the host country who has knowledge of the research topic and access to other appropriate contacts in the field?
Do you have the requisite academic/field-specific background to undertake the proposed research?
Do you have sufficient language skills for the project being proposed and to serve the basic purposes of the Fulbright Program? If not, how will you accomplish these goals? You should consider that, even if a country indicates that English will be sufficient for carrying out the proposed project, for purposes of Community Engagement, at least a basic level of language skill should be obtained prior to leaving the United States for the host country.
What are your plans for improving your language skills if they are not adequate at the time of application?
Are there any possible feasibility concerns that the project could provoke?
You’ll want to use the following format presented here.
You get much more creative room with a personal statement than you do with a Statement of Purpose. This document should be all about you. Here is where you talk about your background, how it relates to your field and project, and how this project benefits you and your future goals. If you’re applying for the Fulbright Nat Geo Fellowship, you could talk about a background in journalism and storytelling across cultural boundaries and your dream of pioneering more ethical and diverse media outlets that don’t diminish foreign cultures.
You still have to keep the statement short—it can only be one page at most. Longer statements won’t be considered, and you’ll have to adhere to their specific format.
You’ll need an adviser from your host country, which you should find before applying for the scholarship. Need help finding a valuable host adviser? Ask your institution adviser or other campus faculty for assistance.
Draw from your network. Do you know someone who knows anyone working in your field in your potential host country? Do you have any contacts studying abroad who could help? Be resourceful. Research institutions near the area you want to study and email faculty members there with details about your proposed project. It never hurts to reach out and make those connections. They will be the connections that will help move you forward in your project.
Once you have identified the perfect adviser, you will need an affiliation letter. Make sure you give them at least a month’s notice from when you would ideally like the letter and provide them with plenty of context about your research project and about what their role would be. You will also want to tell them how to format the letter. The letter should be on your host institution’s official letterhead and signed by the author. Once receiving your letter of affiliation, you have to upload the letter yourself via scanning it onto your computer and turn it in with the rest of your application materials.
Seek letters of recommendation from three people who can attest to your ability to carry out your proposed project. Choose people who can also communicate and write effectively. Request your letters at least a month in advance. Be sure to provide your recommendations with your Statement of Purpose and your Personal Statement and link them to the letter guidelines provided on the Fulbright site.
Some institutions put you through a complicated process in order to get your transcripts. Stick to the safe side and request them well ahead of your deadline.
Don’t let the effort and requirements for a Fulbright Scholarship intimidate you. You are ready now to go forth, my little scholar, and conduct research to your heart’s desire!
