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Fulbright Program Adviser
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Trends and General Issues for Students Interested in Applying for Fulbright Awards to Sub-Saharan Africaby Jermaine JonesIt is anticipated that approximately 50-60 grants will be offered for sub-Saharan Africa in 2007/2008. The number of grants given annually to sub-Saharan Africa has been augmented somewhat in recent years by the awarding of several Islamic Civilization grants for projects in this region. 2006 was a particularly noteworthy year in this regard, as six Islamic Civilization grants have been awarded for Africa. This represents 15% of the Islamic Civilization grants awarded worldwide for that year, and 8% of all the Fulbrights awarded for sub-Saharan Africa. Most African countries are willing to accept proposals in various disciplines. However, some give preference to projects that are topical and in some way address critical needs in that country. For example, a Creative Writing application for a country such as Malawi would probably not be particularly compelling, especially if it had to compete with other applications in fields such as Public Health or Economic Development. This is not meant to discourage applicants in the creative/performing arts fields. In fact, arts candidates have been offered awards to nearly a dozen different countries in the region over the past 5-6 years. (For 2006, 4 have been awarded: 2 in dance, 1 in directing and 1 in photography to Ghana, Malawi, Benin and Burkina Faso.) (For 2006, 4 have been awarded: 2 in dance, one in directing and one in photography to Ghana, Malawi, Benin and Burkina Faso.) Most countries in the region are also willing to accept candidates at all degree levels. Even though some may have a stated preference for either graduating seniors or graduate-level students in their country summaries, the quality of the project, the candidate’s maturity, and their ability to carry out the project successfully are usually more important than their degree level alone. In general, countries that only accept applications from advanced-level graduate students have this policy because of their small U.S. embassy presence, which means that there is minimal in-country supervision/support for the Fulbright program. Given this, they are only able to accommodate mature candidates with a proven ability to carry out their projects with little assistance from the embassy. The standard duration of grants to sub-Saharan Africa is 10 months. Unless an applicant plans on enrolling in a college or university—in which case they should note that grants to sub-Saharan Africa do not cover tuition— they should know that they have a fairly broad and flexible time frame for beginning a grant. While most grantees (worldwide) head overseas to start their projects in the fall, grants in Africa may be started in the late summer 2007, but definitely not prior to the pre-departure orientation for sub-Saharan Africa Fulbrighters, which will probably be held in June or July 2007. The latest that a 2007/2008 year grant could begin is the end of March 2008. Institutional AffiliationCandidates should understand that the process of securing an institutional affiliation is solely their responsibility. They should read the "Affiliation" section of the relevant country summary for more guidance on this. Affiliations should be with institutions (colleges and universities, government ministries, research institutes, archives, museums, etc.,) that are based in the host country. Affiliations may also be possible with the local African office of a multi-national organization, as long as its personnel are primarily from the host country—and not Americans and other expatriates. This is a point candidates should ask to have emphasized in their letters of affiliation.Language ConsiderationsEven though English, French and Portuguese are the official languages of nearly all of the countries with Fulbright programs, applicants nevertheless should carefully think through the requirements and objectives of their projects, and how far knowledge of these languages alone will take them. Since many African languages are not commonly taught in the U.S., prior knowledge of them generally is not required at the time of application (although it may be recommended in some cases.) However, applicants with projects that require 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 knowledge of it at the time of application. At minimum, they 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, in most cases, will not cover fully these costs.Multi-country ApplicationsMulti-country applications are possible for all countries in the region with a U.S. Student Fulbright program, except South Africa. However, candidates considering submitting such an application need to keep in mind that:
Focus on South AfricaSouth Africa remains the most popular - and thus competitive - country in the region. Roughly 90-100 applications have been received for South Africa in each of the past 5 years, and of these only about 7-12 have been offered grants annually. Its popularity can be attributed to several factors, including: the quality of its higher educational system and research centers, the fact that English may be sufficient for some projects, and the country’s solid track record of awarding grants to projects in a diverse range of disciplines—academic as well as artistic. 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 instead, such as Botswana, Namibia, and Swaziland.Candidates interested in South Africa should bear in mind that they must submit letters of invitation/affiliation from their prospective host institutions with their applications. Therefore, they should make every effort to begin communicating with their South African contacts as early as possible to assure that they receive these letters by the appropriate deadline date. One final point to consider is that the Fulbright program in South Africa is very interested in promoting geographic diversity in terms of where Fulbrighters are located in that country. A large percentage of applicants for South Africa are interested in the Western Cape region where there are clearly excellent educational institutions. However, unless it is absolutely imperative that you be located in the Western Cape, we strongly encourage you to consider projects that can be carried out in other provinces/cities of the country. |
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Preparing an Application in the Creative, Performing or Visual Artsby Walter JacksonThe Fulbright Program encourages applications for study or training in the creative, performing and visual arts. Applications in all fields are welcome to all countries. Candidates should be thoroughly familiar with the Individual Country Summary and the requirements for the country to which they wish to apply, located on fulbrightonline.org or in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program brochure. Proposals in the arts should focus on formal training and/or independent study in specific disciplines and applicants should, in their project statements, indicate the reasons for choosing a particular country, the nature of the study and the form the work will take, whether the project will involve formal study at an institution, working with a supervisor or independent study. In their project statements, applicants should relate their current training to the study they plan to undertake abroad, the expected results of the study or training and the contribution the foreign experience will have on their future professional development. Applicants must indicate host country affiliations and, where possible, provide letters of support from the individual or institution with whom or where they plan to carry out their study. While sources of support/affiliation are specific to the country of application, they may also include organizations such as museums, music groups, galleries, etc. Candidates in the arts should be aware that their applications and supplementary materials will be reviewed by a discipline-specific committee of experts. Care should be taken when identifying the appropriate field of study in the application. It should be germane to the focus of the proposed project. The discipline-specific committees in the creative, performing and visual arts include: Architecture; Creative Writing; Dance & Performance Art; Design; Filmmaking; Music Composition & Conducting; Photography; Piano; Organ & Harpsichord; Theater, including Acting, Directing and Costume/Set Design; Ethnomusicology; Sculpture & Installation Art; Painting & Printmaking; String Instruments, including Cello, Double Bass, Guitar, Harp, Lute, Viola, Sitar and Violin; Voice; Wind Instruments, including Bassoon, Clarinet, Euphonium, Flute, French Horn, Oboe, Percussion, Piccolo, Recorder, Saxophone, Trombone, Trumpet and Tuba. The members of the discipline-specific screening committees in the arts can be working professionals, working/teaching professionals or full-time arts faculty at academic institutions or teachers at art and music conservatories in the U.S. They will be reviewing applications and supplementary materials in their respective fields to all countries of the world. The supplementary materials should support the proposed study. In submitting supplementary materials in support of the application, please refer to your discipline in the "Instructions for Submitting Materials in the Creative and Performing Arts" for specifications on the materials required. Materials not specifically requested will not be reviewed. While the quality of the supplementary material submitted in support of the written application is extremely important, candidates in the arts should be aware that members of the screening committees will also be extremely interested in the applicant's training and preparation to carry out the proposed project. Therefore, previous formal study, training or experience is important. Projects should focus on practical training or performance studies. Candidates should outline a study for which their previous study background compliments and supports the proposed project and will add to their professional training and development. Applicants whose projects emphasize academic research over practical training should apply in the academic field appropriate to the nature of the project (e.g., Architectural History, Art History, Film Studies, Theater Studies, etc.) and not submit supplementary material. |
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Competition Statistics and Fulbright At-A-Glance Pages
Download the 'Fulbright At-A-Glance Africa' PDF here |
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Video focus: Julian Simcock from Babson College
http://us.fulbrightonline.org/program_country.html?id=97 |
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PowerPoint Presentation: How to Enter your Campus Deadline Dates on fulbrightonline.org
Posting your campus application deadline will remind students who've been away from campus for the summer, to focus on the application process now, and be better prepared by the time they return to school in the fall. To confirm your ID or password, please contact Walter Jackson in USP at wjackson@iie.org. |
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My best Fulbright foot forwardby Josephine Dorado"You know, you should apply for a Fulbright." With that one statement, my friend Elizabeth firmly planted a seed in my head. She had received a Fulbright to study dance in Amsterdam and we were discussing the innovative nature of the dance and electronic art scene there. "Just apply for it," as if it was a simple solution to an easy question. I pondered over it. On the one hand, it would be dreamy to go to Amsterdam on a Fulbright and immerse myself in the dance technology and electronic arts scene there. On the other hand, if I got it, it would mean that I would have to give up my cushy technical training and consulting job in New York and fly solo in unfamiliar territory…plus, the deadline was an alarming two weeks away. There are very few things in life that clear my mind like skydiving does. The first commandment of skydiving is, "Be brave." - life philosophy in a nutshell. I went for a jump that week and flew with wide, open eyes over the horizon - the endless 360° expanse stretching out below me, and I thought, there's my answer. I locked myself away for two weeks and worked feverishly on mounds of paperwork: transcripts, essays, letters of recommendation. As an applicant in the arts, I also had to get my portfolio in order. I compiled and edited video of past performances, showed it to my university's panel, re-edited the footage based on their feedback. My goal: get that Fulbright to Amsterdam so I could do what I loved, unfettered.
Once I decided to go for it, everything seemed to fall into place. I was offered an artist residency at the Waag Society for Old and New Media, located in an old castle in the heart of Amsterdam. They provided me with an atelier, technical resources, and access to a multimedia streaming theater, which was on the top floor and, in days past, was inspiration from which Rembrandt had painted "The Anatomy Lecture of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp." I proposed to develop a show involving networked performance between artists in New York and Amsterdam. That idea became "son(net) subterfuge" which was a project between artists in Amsterdam, New York, and Helsinki. Performers took one of Shakespeare's sonnets and remixed it as a sound, video, or dance piece. The resulting pieces were then streamed and projected during a live performance that happened simultaneously in each city, allowing for real-time online collaboration and trans-cultural interpretations of classic literature. Another opportunity to perform surfaced and I did a second show called "Viroid Flophouse," an exploration of playable art in an online gaming environment which incorporated dance, motion tracking, streaming, and performance - created collaboratively by my team at the Waag Society for Old and New Media and Arizona State University. Living abroad was an eye-opening experience - a wonderful gift I wanted to pass on to others. This year I decided to create a series of networked performance events that connects kids in different countries. Kids Connect is the result, launching this summer with the help of some very talented colleagues. Kids Connect is a series of workshops for young people in multiple locations. The goal is to teach them to connect and work together, in person and remotely, with audio/visual and Internet technologies. Teens in each city are taught theatrical and technology-related skills, facilitated by media and theater artists. Then they use those skills to create a performance that occurs both live in theaters and online simultaneously in the virtual world of Second Life, an international gathering place that facilitates collaboration, learning, and creating. It's been a challenge making this project happen, but one that I believe in and would happily take on again…putting my best Fulbright foot forward and closing with the last commandment of skydiving: "Be joyous." |
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