Fulbright Program Adviser
Newsletter

Considerations and Trends for Students Interested in Applying to Sub-Saharan Africa

Most countries are open to projects in a wide range of fields, although candidates should check the relevant country summaries for further guidance on which fields or subjects are preferred or not recommended.

While we are usually able to offer 60-70 awards to this region each year, there is no pre-determined number of grants available for any sub-Saharan country (except for South Africa).  Instead, grants are distributed as widely as possible among countries that receive recommended candidates in order to assure good geographic distribution.

Finally, there are two recent developments in the Fulbright program for this region that should be highlighted:

• Multi-country applications are no longer accepted for sub-Saharan Africa.  This means that candidates can now only submit applications involving projects to be carried out within a single country.
• Beginning with the 2009-2010 academic year, English Teaching Assistantships (ETAs) are available for three countries: Cameroon, Madagascar, and South Africa.  Further details on these grants are given below.

English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Programs

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program currently offers ETA awards to Cameroon, Madagascar, and South Africa.  ETA candidates will need to convey a strong commitment to the intensive cultural immersion involved in a program which places its grantees in assistant teaching positions.  Interest in the local culture, along with the pedagogical strategies that the applicant intends to employ will need to come through in the Fulbright project statement.  Plans for community involvement and/or small side projects can be helpful, but they cannot be location-specific and must be feasible given the time constraints teaching responsibilities will impose.

Institutional Affiliation

Candidates should understand that the process of securing an institutional affiliation is solely their responsibility, except in the case of ETAs, whose affiliations will be arranged for them.  They should read the 'Affiliation' section of the relevant country summary for more guidance.  Affiliations should be with institutions (i.e., colleges and universities, government ministries, research institutes, archives, museums, etc.) based in the host country.  Affiliations may also be possible with a local office of a multi-national organization as long as its personnel are primarily from the host country and are not Americans or other expatriates.  Candidates should ask to have this point emphasized in their letters of affiliation.

Language Considerations

Even though English, French, and Portuguese are the official languages of nearly all sub-Saharan African countries, applicants should carefully think through the requirements and objectives of their projects and how far knowledge of these languages will take them.  Since many African languages are not commonly taught in the U.S., prior knowledge is typically not required at the time of application (although it may be recommended in some cases).  However, applicants with projects requiring knowledge of an indigenous African language should make every effort to begin learning it before the intended start of their grants - and ideally have some working knowledge of it at the time of application.  At minimum, applicants should include plans for studying the language in the host country concurrent with their research, and/or enlist the assistance of translators.  Keep in mind that the research allowance is minimal and will not fully cover these costs in most cases.

Focus on South Africa

South Africa remains the most popular - and thus most competitive - country in the region.  Roughly 100 applications have been received yearly for South Africa over the past several competitions, and of these, only about 9-12 grants are awarded annually.  South Africa's popularity can be attributed to several factors including the quality of its higher education system and research centers, the fact that English may be sufficient for some projects and the country’s solid track record of awarding grants in a range of academic and artistic disciplines.  Given the high ratio of applications received to grants awarded, candidates interested in South Africa might want to consider some of its less competitive neighbors such as Botswana, Namibia, and Swaziland if they have projects that can be carried out in one of these countries.

Candidates interested in South Africa should bear in mind that they must submit letters of invitation/affiliation with their applications.  Therefore, they should make every effort to begin communicating with their South African contacts as early as possible to ensure that they receive these letters by the Fulbright application deadline.

One final point to consider: the South African Fulbright Program is very interested in promoting geographic diversity in terms of where Fulbrighters are placed.  A large percentage of applicants to South Africa are interested in the Western Cape region where there are excellent educational institutions.  However, unless it is absolutely imperative that candidates be located there, we strongly encourage projects that can be carried out in other provinces or cities.

My First Fulbright

Aaron R.S. Lorenz, Ph.D., Director, Fellowships and Scholarships, Cahill Center, Ramapo College

I also hope that my students will be proud cultural ambassadors for the United States.  Fulbright is a wonderful opportunity for our students to show the world that they, too, want to be leaders of industry, science and education, and remain true to their integrity and ethics.  For the students, the social and civil aspects will be as enriching as the academic and professional ones.  I look forward to hearing their stories about writing papers and traveling to their host countries.  I want to hear about the information they share with their academic colleagues, fellow Fulbrighters, and see pictures of them enjoying the outdoors near their new homes.  I anticipate my students returning to tell prospective students that they too can become Fulbrighters.  As I said, my success rate is 100% in my mind.  Realistically, I hope to be able to find one student who will have the opportunity to have a fantastic Fulbright experience.

Effective Advising of Potential Fulbright Applicants with Disabilities

ACCOMMODATIONS

As a potential applicant becomes more informed about a program site, activities and the host country, she or he will be thinking about what kinds of accommodations will make the situation successful.

Kathy Poole, University of Oregon’s Fulbright Program Adviser, explains the Fulbright process to Audrey, a blind student studying for her doctorate in counseling psychology

Disability accommodations are arranged on a case-by-case basis.  Access abroad will not be the same as in the United States, but you can work together with applicants to plan ahead for disability needs.  Since the accident and sickness travel insurance provided to Fulbright participants does not cover pre-existing conditions, those with primary insurance that cannot be used abroad need to research other options.  The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange’s website (www.miusa.org/ncde) has health insurance information, disability accommodation forms as well as other resources.  Many people with disabilities require no accommodations.  

“As soon as I heard that I had been given the chance to go to China, I contacted the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange.  I hoped that they could help me with some research and they did just that.” says Cristi Gilson, a Fulbright U.S. Student Program alumna who is blind.  “I knew that I would need Orientation and Mobility training as soon as I arrived in Hong Kong.  I knew that I would want to make contact with local blindness organizations.  I knew that I had to decide whether to take my guide dog to China or not.  They helped me locate resources in all of these areas.”

Similar to other Fulbright recipients, participants with disabilities will establish strategies for managing the new environment of the host country.  Remember that people with disabilities live in every country.  Seeking out local people with disabilities is one of the best ways to learn how to navigate a community. 

RESPECTFUL DISABILITY LANGUAGE

There is much discussion within disability communities about how to respectfully discuss different types of disabilities.  Since this is a very personal issue, let the language used by the individual with a disability guide you.

Common suggestions include:

1. Do not sensationalize a disability by saying "suffers from."  Instead, say "a person who has," "a person with," etc.  

2. Say "uses a wheelchair" rather than "confined to a wheelchair."

3. Refer to "people without disabilities" or "non-disabled” instead of "normal."

4. Approach conversations with "how," not "if," solutions can be found.

Other suggestions and information can be found at: http://www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets/respect/.

Using the suggestions above can encourage positive responses and provide encouragement to prospective Fulbright applicants with disabilities.

The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (www.miusa.org/ncde) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by Mobility International USA.