Fulbright Visit Fulbrightonline.org
Fulbright Program for U.S. Students

Fulbright Program Adviser
Newsletter

Issue 26 | May 2008

A New Fulbright Season
table of contents

 Program Updates

Highlights from the FPA Memo

by Theresa Granza, Director, U.S. Student Programs (USP)

We are pleased to announce the opening of the 2009-2010 season of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program competition on May 1, 2008. Here are some highlights from the memo regarding the competition previously sent to all Fulbright Program Advisers:

Your University Page and Campus Deadline on Fulbrightonline.org

Please be sure that your e-mail address is included on your college or university page on our website. Enter this information by using the 'Maintaining Your University Page' function in the website 'Resources for FPAs' area. This will ensure that you receive all our newsletters and program/administrative updates throughout the competition cycle. Don’t forget to include your campus deadline date on your university page and list all campus Fulbright-related functions in the Events Section.

Separate Deadline for Fulbright/mtvU Awards

The deadline for the Fulbright/mtvU awards will be March 1, 2009. Therefore, students interested in applying for this opportunity should not apply in the regular Fulbright competition. Additional information is on the website and in the brochure.

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships Available to 32 Countries

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships (ETA) are now available to 32 countries. More program details are contained in the Fulbright brochure, a special one-page announcement and in the Participating Country Summaries on our website. Graduating seniors especially should be encouraged to apply. These are excellent opportunities for younger students. ETAs are available to: Andorra, Argentina, Belgium, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Nepal, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela and Vietnam.

Critical Language Enhancement Awards

Approximately 150 awards will be available. The Critical Language Enhancement Award provides funding for three to six months of intensive language training in select languages and select countries. This award is a component of the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI). Complete information on the Critical Language Enhancement Awards, including a list of eligible countries and languages, is available on the website and in the Fulbright brochure.



Back to Table of Contents
 

Community Involvement

by Theresa Granza, Director, U.S. Student Programs (USP)

Addressing Community Engagement in the Fulbright Application

Since the primary aim of the Fulbright Program is to further mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries, your students should be aware of the importance of addressing this issue in their applications. Students should describe any volunteer or extracurricular activities of interest to them and relate the activity to the Fulbright grant experience. They can choose to address community engagement in their Grant Purpose Statement, if the planned activity is an integral part of their study or research, or in the Personal Statement, if the planned activity is more extracurricular.

The importance of students addressing this issue should be part of your discussions with them as they draft and fine-tune their essays. A discussion of the students’ planned activities for involvement in the community should be part of the campus interview process as well. FPAs should include comments on the students' plans and ability to interact with the host community in the 'General Comments' section of the Campus Evaluation Form.

 



Back to Table of Contents
 

Increasing Diversity and General Outreach Issues

by Tony Claudino, Director, Fulbright Student Program Outreach

Increasing Diversity in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program

The U.S. Department of State, the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and IIE are working to increase applicant and U.S. institutional diversity in the Fulbright Program. To that end, The U.S. Student Programs Division at IIE stands ready to assist you in any way possible to publicize the program on your campus and to work with you in recruiting and counseling students. If your institution has not participated in the past, we would urge you to do so for the upcoming competition. IIE can work with you to jumpstart your campus’ participation in the Fulbright Program.

We are looking for diversity within the Fulbright program. This means ethnic, field of study, socio-economic, geographical and institutional diversity.

Partnerships:

Campus Visits by IIE staff or Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors

Please let us know if you would like us to visit your campus. We enjoy meeting students and talking about Fulbright; we also talk to institutions about how they can internationalize their campuses with a variety of programs.

The deadline for submitting a request is June 18, 2008 for the following academic year. If you are able to provide travel support and/or coordinate with other colleges and universities in your region, please include this information in your request. Fall visit notifications will be sent the week of July 28, 2008. To submit a campus visit request, please contact Kumasi Adoma: kadoma@iie.org.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program National Screening Committee

Nominations of faculty interested in working with IIE on the National Screening Committee are welcome. Those nominated should be at least at the associate professor level, with Ph.D.s, and experience in the country for which they will be reviewing applications. Especially needed are reviewers with expertise in: Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands (except Art History) and Scandinavia (except Sweden), the UK, France and Spain (except Language/Literature and History); Eurasia (except Russia); Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan; Southeast Asia (except Indonesia) and all fields in the Visual and Performing Arts. We also welcome the nomination of scientists with international experience. Please send a short biography of the nominee - indicating his or her country/area of expertise, including their email address - to Jody Dudderar: jdudderar@iie.org; 212.984.5565.

In expanding our diversity outreach, we have partnered with the Posse Foundation, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), mtvU, and the United Negro College Fund's Institute for International Public Policy Fellowship Program to name a few. If you know of organizations, that Fulbright should be partnering with, please contact Tony Claudino: tclaudino@iie.org; 212.984.5345.

 

 



Back to Table of Contents
 

U.S. Student Fulbright Online Application for 2009-2010

by Walter Jackson, Program Manager, Fulbright U.S. Student Program

The online application is the only method for application. Complete instructions for its use can be accessed online at www.fulbrightonline.org/us in the 'Resources for Fulbright Program Advisers' link. A PowerPoint presentation with instructions for using all the functions of the online application manager is in the 'Using the Online Application' section. The application system will be available May 1, 2008. Login IDs and passwords for the online application management system have not changed from last year. Advisers who have not already done so should request access to the application system for their institutions. E-mail wjackson@iie.org with your request.



Back to Table of Contents
 

Recruitment Resources for Promoting Fulbright

by Tony Claudino, Director, Fulbright Student Program Outreach

Below are several resources you can use to let your students know about the Fulbright Program:

E-Newsletters

We are currently producing three newsletters each month:

Fulbright Applicant Newsletter:

http://newsletter.fulbrightonline.org/newsletter/index.php?id=75

Fulbright Grantee Newsletter:

http://newsletter.fulbrightonline.org/newsletter/index.php?id=72

FPA Newsletter:

Each issue will cover tips on how to assist U.S. Student Fulbright Program candidates, offer resources and best practices on how to promote the program.

Podcasts (available on iTunes)

We are producing two types of podcasts over the summer:

My Fulbright Life: This will be an interview with a current Fulbrighter talking about his or her project and experiences overseas.

Applicant Podcast: These will be interviews with IIE Program Managers and others on how to complete a successful Fulbright application.

YouTube

The Fulbright Program now has a YouTube page where you will be able to view videos produced for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.



Back to Table of Contents