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Fulbright Program Adviser
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Applying to the Near East/North Africa and in the Arts
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Considerations and Trends for Students Interested in Applying to the Near East/North Africaby Jermaine Jones, Program Manager, Africa and the Middle EastMulti-country Applications Multi-country applications are no longer accepted for this region. This means candidates can now only submit applications involving projects to be carried out in a single country. Tunisia While the program in Tunisia remains open, a number of conditions recently set by the Tunisian government suggest that it may not be possible to place any U.S. Fulbright students there during 2010-2011. Potential applicants are advised to seriously consider applying to an alternate country. Regional Overview The four Fulbright Commission countries in the region - Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Morocco - continue to attract the most applicants. Applicant interest in the region's remaining countries - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Syria and the United Arab Emirates - has also been relatively healthy in recent years. Syria has been especially popular and accounted for 43% of the applicant pool to the region’s non-Commission countries last year. Each of these countries is open to candidates at all degree levels and unless otherwise indicated in their specific country summaries: all are also willing to consider a wide range of project topics and fields of study. Applications are not currently being accepted for Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, the West Bank and Yemen. Candidates for all countries in the region are encouraged to apply for the Critical Language Enhancement Awards for additional Arabic study and should consider how these opportunities could improve their projects and overall Fulbright experiences. The requirements of the grant include pre- and post-testing of the Fulbrighter's knowledge of the language as well as a clearly defined commitment to continuing Arabic language study for the entire grant period and beyond. For most countries in the region, candidates who have made it past the first round of selection and are ultimately offered grants will have their institutional affiliations arranged by the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in their host country. Nevertheless, applicants are strongly encouraged to be pro-active in securing good in-country contacts early in the application process. While many Commissions and U.S. Embassies reserve the right to place Fulbrighters at an institution they deem appropriate, it would behoove applicants to secure letters of affiliation from their prospective host institutions, as national screening committees like to see proof of confirmed affiliations included with applications. At a minimum, candidates should indicate the institution with which they would like to affiliate - and why - in their applications. Fulbright English
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Preparing an Application in the Creative, Performing or Visual Artsby Walter Jackson, Program Manager, Fulbright U.S. Student ProgramThe Fulbright U.S. Student Program encourages applications for study or training in the creative, performing and visual arts. Applications in all fields in over 150 Fulbright countries are welcome. Candidates should be thoroughly familiar with the Individual Country Summary and requirements for the country they wish to apply to. Proposals in the arts should focus on formal training and/or independent study in specific disciplines. Applicants should indicate the following in their project statements: the reasons for choosing a particular country, the nature of their study, the form their work will take and whether it involves formal study at an institution, with an individual or an 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 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 country specific, 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. Special 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, and Violin; Voice; Percussion; Wind Instruments, including Bassoon, Clarinet, Euphonium, Flute, French Horn, Oboe, 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 for all Fulbright countries. 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. |
Resources for Promoting the Fulbright U.S. Student Programby Tony Claudino, Director, Fulbright Student Program OutreachBelow are several resources you can use to let your students know about the Fulbright Program: Fulbright U.S. Student Program Applicant Blog Applicants to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program are encouraged to visit regularly the new Fulbright U.S. Student Program Applicant Blog. It can currently be found on us.fulbrightonline.org under MULTIMEDIA. The blog features tips and advice on applying to Fulbright, student testimonials, a calendar with upcoming campus visits, a link for enrolled students to find their Fulbright campus adviser and links to resources, such as podcasts and YouTube videos. New content will be posted at least bi-weekly, if not more often. http://usfulbrightstudent.blogspot.com/ E-Newsletters We are currently producing two newsletters each month: Fulbright Grantee Newsletter: http://newsletter.fulbrightonline.org/newsletter/index.php?id=150 FPA Newsletter: Each issue will cover tips on how to assist U.S. Student Fulbright Program candidates and offers resources and best practices on how to promote the program. http://newsletter.fulbrightonline.org/newsletter/index.php?id=147 Podcasts (available on iTunes)Four types of podcasts are currently available: My Fulbright Life: Interviews with current Fulbrighters talking about their projects and experiences overseas. Applicant Podcast: Interviews with IIE Program Managers and others on how to complete a successful Fulbright application. Fulbright Alumni Roundtables: Interviews with Fulbright U.S. Student Program alumni grouped by world region or type of grant discussing their experiences in applying and being overseas. Fulbright Guidance Sessions: Presentations with Q&A sessions on applying to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Webinars The webinars provide an online forum for Fulbright U.S. Student Program alumni to discuss their experiences with applicants. IIE Program Managers moderate the discussions followed by question and answer sessions. Study or research and ETA applicants are encouraged to attend the session related to their proposed country of application. Check the us.fulbrightonline.org home page for dates and times. YouTube The Fulbright Program has a YouTube page where you can view videos of students and Fulbright staff members talking about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Encourage your students to join the Official Fulbright Group on Facebook to learn more about the Fulbright Program and connect with others. Check the group page regularly for news, events, resources and upcoming webinar information. The
Fulbright U.S. Student Program is now on
Twitter! Students can receive updates at: https://twitter.com/FulbrightPrgrm.
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