A PPROACHES TO A PPLY FOR A F ULBRIGHT G RANT Michael Givel, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Oklahoma For: University of Oklahoma,

APPROACHES TO APPLY FOR A FULBRIGHT GRANT

Michael Givel, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Oklahoma

For: University of Oklahoma, Fulbright Information Session, June 10, 2011

Purpose of Fulbright Program• Fulbright flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by

U.S. government – Designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United

States and the people of other countries” – Opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute

to finding solutions to shared international concerns • Fulbright Program established in 1946 under legislation introduced by

Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas• Fulbright Program sponsored by U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs • Approximately 294,000 “Fulbrighters,” 111,000 from the United States and

183,000 from other countries have participated in Program • Fulbright Program awards approximately 7,500 new grants annually • Currently, Fulbright Program operates in over 155 countries

Types of U.S. Fulbright Programs• Core Fulbright Scholar Program

• Fulbright Specialist Program

– Designed to provide short-term academic opportunities (two to six weeks) for U.S. faculty and professionals.

• Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Program

– Senior scholars with significant publication and teaching record

• Fulbright International Education Administrators Program

– Seminars designed to introduce participants to the society, culture and higher education systems in Germany, India, Japan or Korea

• Fulbright German Studies Seminars

• Fulbright NEXUS Regional Scholar Program– Brings together network of junior scholars, professionals and mid-career applied researchers

from US and other Western Hemisphere nations for seminar meetings

University of Oklahoma Internal Application Review Timeline

• June 10th -- Information session• July 1st -- Project statements due to reviewers• July 11th -- Reviewer feedback due • July 11th-- 22nd -- Additional assistance with

development of formal proposals• August 1st -- Most proposals due to Fulbright

U.S. Scholar’s Program

BEST PRACTICES AND TIPS WHEN APPLYING FOR A FULBRIGHT AWARD

Basic Tips

• Be sure to meet eligibility requirements and application deadline

• Read instructions carefully

• Determine why you want to go to particular country and what you propose to do before you begin the application

• Conduct careful analysis of country’s social, religious, cultural and political conditions

Basic Tips

• Projects that collaborate with host institution are often (but not always) more compelling

• Application should be integrated as a whole

• Proofread your application

• Have colleagues and peers critique your application • Comply exactly with requirements, information, materials

requested in application

References and Teaching Reports

• Number and type of references vary by award type:– For Research Awards, requirement is three reference letters – For Lecturing or Lecturing and Research Awards requirement is

one teaching report and two reference letters

• Applicant responsible that recommendation letters submitted to Fulbright by deadline

• Send copy of application to your references

• Referees should submit their letters online

References and Teaching Reports

• Do not exceed indicated number of references • All references must be in English• References should be from referees able to

evaluate your teaching effectiveness; research abilities; ability to adapt; and merits of project

• At least one letter should be from colleague outside your home institution

References and Teaching Reports

• Departmental chair, dean, or other appropriate individual should complete the teaching report

• If you recently arrived at University of Oklahoma, one reference letter should be from prior institution

• If Ph.D. is recent or you are early in career, one reference should be from supervisor of your graduate program

Developing Contacts Abroad

• Some countries require and others recommend letters of invitation

• If you do not have contacts in country of interest, following should be pursued:

• University of Oklahoma International Office• Appropriate international students and faculty, as well as area

studies faculty• Colleagues who have gone abroad• Current and former Fulbright Scholars• CIES program officers

Developing Contacts Abroad

• You should also research country and its educational system

• Some university Web sites are: – Library of Congress’s Portals to the World site:

www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html – Braintrack: www.braintrack.com • Education index of over 8300 links to higher education

institutions in 194 countries

Language Proficiency Report

• Applicants for awards that require knowledge of foreign language must submit Language Proficiency Report

• Report is optional for all other awards• Consult awards catalogue for specific requirements • Questions? Contact appropriate CIES program officer• Complete Part I of report online• Appropriate foreign language instructor submits an

evaluation (Part II) through online reference system

The Project Statement

• Project statement should be three to five pages, single spaced, in 12-point or larger font size

• Use headers and/or bullets if helpful in organizing and conveying key elements of project statement

• In project statement you should clearly explain:

– What you propose to do – Your methods, including hypothesis, aim, and timeline– Significance and background of your project– What benefits it will produce hosts, discipline, and applicant’s home

institution

The Project Statement

• Previous Fulbright grantees should also address:– What accomplishments and contributions

resulted from your earlier grant(s)– How a second grant will build on your previous

Fulbright experience– What you will accomplish with second grant

Project Statements for Teaching Awards Also Describe

• Why this country• What experiences indicate collegiality, adaptability, cultural

sensitivity, ability to serve as cultural ambassador• Preparation to teach courses abroad• What do you propose to teach• How you adapt materials to culture and language of host country• How will you adapt to teaching environment in which first

language for students may not be English• What impact do you expect on your teaching and/or professional

work and how do you expect to use experience upon return

Project Statements for Research Awards Also Describe

• What you will do – state clearly objectives and methodology• If research is quantitative or qualitative in nature• What is academic and professional context of project

– Include bibliography (not exceeding 3 pages) referring to leading works by others and current state of field

• What teaching and professional experience prepared you for this work

• What significance does your research hold for discipline, development, host country

• Why it must be done in this country • How local political or cultural issues may impact your work• How results will be disseminated

Curriculum Vitae or Resume

• All applicants must include tailored curriculum vitae or resume with detailed publications list

• For Fulbright Scholar grants, maximum length of C.V. is 6 pages

• Maximum length of C.V. for Distinguished Chairs Program is 8 pages

• Cite publications fully, listing them chronologically from most recent

• Separate refereed from un-refereed publications • Include an employment history

Course Syllabi and Outlines

• Two or three course syllabi or sample course outlines

• Syllabi should indicate philosophy of teaching

• Indicate when used or have they been developed for your application

• Syllabi and reading lists should be no more than total of 10 pages

Materials for Applicants in Arts, Architecture, Writing and Journalism

• Format all images, pictures and graphics into JPEG or BPM files– No more than 10 images– No more than 1 GB of information total

• Format all movie and video clips into MOV, AVI or MPEG files – No more than 1 GB of information total

• Format all sound and music clips into MP3 files – No more than 1 GB of information total

• Format all writing samples into DOC files– No more than 1 GB of information total

Questions????