Research or Teach Abroad with a Fulbright Award
The UA Campus Deadline for Fulbright Awards is Tuesday, September 3, 2024.
Overview
The U.S. Congress created the Fulbright Program in 1946, immediately after World War II, to foster mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchanges. Today the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest U.S. exchange program offering students and recent graduates international opportunities to study, conduct research and teach. Each year, approximately 1,600 Americans study or conduct research in over 140 nations with the support of the Fulbright.
Grants for Study & Research
These grants are provided for an individual to conduct research or study in a host country of their choice for one academic year. Applicants for these grants self-design research projects. Projects may include university coursework, independent research, special projects in the creative or performing arts, or a combination thereof.
Grants for English Teaching Assistantships (ETAs)
ETAs grants are offered in many countries and are designed by the host country to be primarily engagement in an English language classroom. ETAs may, however, propose small research projects or community engagement activities that complement their award and fulfill the purpose of the Fulbright program. Applicants must show interest and ability in teaching in their application.
Applicants must submit the following:
• General Application form
• Statement of Grant Purpose (2 pages for Study & Research grants, 1 page for the ETA)
• Personal Statement (1 page)
• Three email addresses for Reference letters
• Foreign Language Report (when applicable)
• Letter(s) of Affiliation from Overseas contact (for Study & Research grants, and in exceptional cases the ETA)
• Official Transcripts
Next Steps
- Email a UA Fulbright Program Advisor
- Check out the official Fulbright website
- Attend one or more Fulbright Information Sessions on campus
Fulbright Program Advisors
If you are interested in applying for a Fulbright award or want to hear more, schedule an appointment with a Fulbright Program Advisor now!
How to make an appointment:
Click this link to access the scheduling page: http://bit.ly/UAfulbright
Choose “Make Appointment”
Choose “Fulbright Scholarship” from the menu
Choose “Search” to see all available appointments
Confirm your e-mail address and appointment time
Fulbright Program Growth
How to Get Started on the Fulbright Website
Application Process
Important Notice: If you are enrolled at The University of Alabama you MUST apply through the UA Fulbright Program Advisor. If you are a UA alumni, you are eligible, and encouraged to apply through our office as well.
To begin, please email a UA Fulbright Program Advisor: Megan Legerski at megan.legerski@ua.edu, Dr. Matthew Feminella at mfeminella@ua.edu, or Dr. Tori Jessen at tkjessen@ua.edu.
The Online Application:
1. Create an account on http://us.fulbrightonline.org. Click on “Applicants,” from the menu bar and click on “Fulbright Online Application.” Please create an account and fill in the required information, including choosing The University of Alabama as your institution. Please email Tori Jessen at tkjessen@ua.edu if you have any questions about the online application. The application opens in April of each year.
The Campus Deadline: The campus deadline is a FINAL deadline. The UA Campus deadline is Tuesday, September 3, 2024. All application materials must be submitted in the on-line application system by the campus deadline. For the campus deadline, please do the following:
1. Proofread your online application
2. Print out your online application
3. Submit your online application
4. Once you have submitted, you may sign up for an interview time slot. (More details will be sent to you via email.) You will not be assigned an interview time until your application is submitted. The application must be submitted by the campus deadline in order for an interview to be scheduled for you.
Please make sure you remind your recommenders that their letters are due by the campus deadline. Fulbright requires that recommendation letters be submitted online. Please make sure you have entered your recommenders’ information in the online application system correctly. This will generate an email to them with a username and password, which allows them to upload their letters. Recommenders do not submit hard copies.
It is your responsibly to make sure that all of your letters of reference and foreign language evaluation(s) are uploaded by the campus deadline. Please do not call or email to ask about the completeness of your application. You can check on the Fulbright application system to see if letters of recommendation and language evaluations have been uploaded and submitted.
What is the purpose of the campus interview?
The purpose of the campus interview is to provide additional information about your candidacy to the National Screening Committee. The interviews are your only chance to articulate, in person, your reasons for wanting to teach, study or conduct research abroad. Each applicant will be interviewed individually for about 30 minutes by a panel of UA faculty and staff. Panelists may question students on contacts they have made overseas, academic preparation for the study, knowledge of the host country, and language training.
How does the panel evaluate applicants?
The panel’s rating of your application is based on an evaluation of your complete application and the campus interview. A panel of the Screening Committee will assess the content and feasibility of your proposal, your language preparation, your knowledge of the host country, etc., and then complete the Campus Committee Evaluation Form. The panel will rate your candidacy. The campus interview is NOT a mechanism for disqualifying applicants, but it is a mechanism for rating—not ranking—the applicants. Your rating will not be disclosed to you at any time, nor will you be given feedback regarding the confidential Campus Committee Evaluation Form.
PLEASE NOTE: No one is eliminated from the competition at the campus level. UA is asked by IIE (the organization that administers the Fulbright Program) to forward all applications submitted, regardless of the rating given by the campus committee.
What is the make up of the panel?
In most cases, we try as best as possible to tailor the panels to fit your project and host country. Members may in fact be previous Fulbright recipients, natives of the host country, or an individual in your area of expertise. While we do have a large number of faculty and staff who serve as committee members, it is not always possible to be interviewed by someone in your field. Committee members have often had years of experience in working with Fulbright applications, and they are very aware of what makes a good application. In addition, your application at the national level will not only be read by people specifically in your academic field, but by others who have knowledge of the country or area where you wish to go.
Please do not worry if your campus interview panel is made up of faculty and staff from outside your area of study. In fact, one of the key concepts of the Fulbright is to be able to articulate your proposal to a “lay” audience.
Please be aware that the campus interview is meant to support your application and is not the deciding factor in your application. The interview and evaluation is meant to give the National Screening Committee as much information to work with as possible, and is, thus, very important. The campus level interviews will be your only interview through the Fulbright process, except in a few cases (e.g., the performing arts).
What if I will be away from campus during the fall semester?
Please notify us immediately. Most students who apply for the Fulbright at The University of Alabama have a campus interview in person, but we can accommodate an interview over skype, facetime, or zoom if an applicant is out of town.
Bama Fulbrighters Blog
Do you wonder what its like to go abroad on a Fulbright grant?
Do you want to apply but can’t decide which country you want to work in?
Are you curious as to what Fulbright winners do while overseas!
Bama Fulbrighters Blog