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Fulbright Program for U.S. Students

U.S. Fulbright Applicant
Newsletter

Issue 3 | August 2006

Developing a Project
table of contents

 Program Updates

Number of applications started


4,040!

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Developing a Project

by Valerie Hymas, Program Manager, Europe, Eurasia, Central Asia

Developing a strong, feasible and compelling project proposal is the most important aspect of a successful Fulbright application. Your first step should be to familiarize yourself with the program summary for the country to which you wish to apply. The program design varies somewhat from country to country (i.e., some countries encourage applicants to incorporate coursework into a project, while others prefer independent research.) Click here to view the participating country summaries. Please ensure that your project design fits under the program guidelines for your host country.

It is essential that applicants have adequate formal training for the study that they wish to pursue and that their language skills be commensurate with the requirements of the project.
  • Graduating seniors generally will be expected to attend regular university lectures as part of their projects. They should describe the study programs they wish to follow in terms as specific as possible. They should not expect close academic supervision and should be prepared to supplement lectures with an independent research project.
  • Graduate students, as well as advanced degree candidates proposing research for theses and dissertations, will be expected to work independently without close supervision.
  • Ph.D. candidates should indicate when they expect to complete preliminary or comprehensive examinations and whether their project statements have been accepted or approved as dissertation proposals.
  • Creative and Performing Arts candidates should submit projects indicating their reasons for selecting a particular country, the form their work will take and the results they hope to obtain. For more information on preparing applications in these areas and any required supplementary materials, please click here.
Is the Project Feasible...
You must demonstrate that your project and your research strategy are feasible, including its time frame. In determining this you can ask yourself the following questions:
  • How will the culture and politics of the host country impact your work?
  • How do the resources of the host country support your project? Will you have access to the documents/equipment necessary for successful completion of you project?
  • If employing methodological techniques such as extensive interviewing and the use of questionnaires how will you get/locate your subjects? Have you received approval for your questionnaire from your project supervisor?
  • Have you received all of the necessary permissions from local authorities?
  • Is your language facility adequate? If not, how will you accomplish your work?
In other words, if there could be any question regarding the feasibility of your project or your background or ability to conduct the project, address the issue directly. Enrolled students are urged to consult professors in their major fields and their Fulbright Program Advisers about the feasibility of their proposed projects. At-large applicants should consult qualified persons in their fields.
Master's Degree Programs
Candidates considering earning a Master's degree must make sure that the country to which they are applying will accept such a project. Some countries do not recommend that applicants apply to do a degree program for a number of reasons. One may be because it is not possible to complete a Master's degree in one academic year. Another can be because the tuition fees that a Master's degree candidate would be charged would not be covered by the Fulbright grant. Applicants should review the country summaries to determine if there are any restrictions to applying to complete a degree program. If you apply for a degree program to a country that does not offer tuition as part of the Fulbright funding package, then these costs must be covered from an alternative source.

If your plan is to complete a Master's or other structured degree program, make sure that you apply for admission to the host university by their deadline. Do not wait for the Fulbright decision to come through or you may be too late to gain admission to your preferred university.
A Brief Note on Host Affiliation
More information on host affiliation will be available in an upcoming newsletter. Please keep an eye out for this issue. If you are applying for admission into a study/Master's program it is not necessary (although it is desirable) to submit the letter of admission with the application. You can submit the acceptance letter whenever you receive it, but an award offer would be contingent upon you receiving placement at a university. However, if you are not planning to matriculate at a university, then a support/affiliation letter should be included with your application. Any documentation of support that you can obtain from a potential host will help to make your application more competitive. The letter will also demonstrate that your project proposal is feasible, as it will show that you have in-country support.
Teaching Assistantship Applications
Students applying for teaching assistant positions are not expected to present extensive research plans. Rather, you should describe for the reviewers:

1.Why would you like to undertake a teaching assistant assignment.
2. What your qualifications are and what experiences you have had which relate to the overseas assignment.
3. How you expect to benefit from the assignment and what use you will make of the experience upon your return to the U.S.
4. What use you will make of your time outside the classroom. (Most TAs work no more than 20 hours per week.)
Writing the Project Proposal
The best project proposals begin with good ideas. Start by putting your ideas on paper, and list the goals and objectives of your project. Share your ideas with your Fulbright Program Adviser, your academic adviser and professional colleagues in your field. As you work on your project, consider the following questions and remember your audience. Avoid discipline-specific jargon. The individuals reading your proposal prefer you get to the point about the "who, what, when, where, why and how" of the project. In a direct and persuasive manner address the following:

1.With whom do you propose to work?
2.What do you propose to do? What is exciting, new or unique about your project? What contribution will the project make to the Fulbright objective of promoting cross-cultural interaction and mutual understanding?
3.When will you carry out your study or research? Include a timeline.
4.Where do you propose to conduct your study or research? Why is it important to go abroad to carry out your project?
5.Why do you want to do it? What is important or significant about the project?
6.How will you carry out your work? All students should discuss methodology and goals in their statements. How will it help further your academic or professional development?
7.What will be the outcome of your study/research?
A Bibliography
Since applicant's Statements cannot exceed two single-spaced pages, a formal bibliography is not necessary; however, if background data is provided it is appropriate to briefly cite sources, within the two pages.
Project Category for Applications in the Arts
Almost all creative/performing arts projects involve some kind of study or research as well as practical training. Therefore, you need to decide what the primary focus of your project is--academic research or a practical training in the arts. Keep in mind that creative/performing artists must also submit supplementary materials in addition to the written application. Therefore, if you do not feel that your work to date in the arts is of the best quality you may want to apply using an academic field of study to have your application reviewed in the best light possible.
Multi-Country Projects
A multi-country project is one project which must be carried out in more than one country. All countries must be within the same geographic world area. Applicants submitting multi-country proposals must have a very good justification for putting forward such a project. Keep in mind that you are doubling or tripling the work involved with securing host institution affiliation not to mention obtaining visas and finding housing, etc. Also, multi-country proposals that are recommended by screening committees must be approved by each of the relevant host countries before they can be granted. If one country says no then your project may no longer be feasible. Generally, you will be given the option to revise the proposal for the remaining countries that approve of your original project.
A Final Word...
Organize your statement carefully. Don't make reviewers search for information. We urge you to develop a lead paragraph with all of the salient details--the who, what, when, where, why and how--and to have several people read and critique your Statement including a faculty adviser, a faculty member outside your discipline, a fellow student, and/or a colleague. It would be ideal to have a host country academic/artist review your proposal for refinement and issues of host country sensitivity/security/feasibility.



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Being an American Ethnic Minority in Geneva, Switzerland

by Shureka Cannon, 2004-2005, Switzerland

Everyone carries a culture with them. I am American in terms of nationality but I am also an African-American woman. My skin color and sex both play a key role in how I view American history, government, and cultural traditions. When I leave the United States, these aspects of my being do not just disappear. I carry them with me always, even when I'm abroad.

From October 1, 2004-July 12, 2006, I studied and lived in Geneva, Switzerland. I enjoyed my stay there so much that I would consider living there permanently.

Shureka Cannon
Shureka Cannon, 2004-2005 (Truman State University, Romance Language and Literature, Switzerland)
My situation during those months was unique: I was an African-American student in Switzerland, which is already pretty rare. I had been speaking French for approximately ten years when I arrived in Geneva and had already studied for one semester in France in 2002. This combination of characteristics shaped how I acted and how I was treated in Geneva.

To be perfectly honest, the fact that I am African-American was not really an issue in Geneva. The fact that I was American played a much bigger role. Most of the people I encountered did not see me differently from white Americans. I was just American, period. My sub-culture did not come into question once people knew I was American. What was an issue was that people on the street did not know where I was from unless I told them. My French was at the level where most people could not detect an American accent. Judging solely on my physical appearance, people guessed that I was Brazilian. Once I spoke, they thought I was from one of the Francophone islands in the Caribbean. But no one guessed American. Once I told them that I was American, they were impressed, 1) because an American can speak French, 2) that an American was studying in Geneva and had no ties with the United Nations (which is headquartered in Geneva). For the most part, my ethnicity as an African-American was not important to them.

Occasionally, however, the question of my being an African-American did come up. I had a conversation with one of my housemates, who is from Madrid. She had heard about racial inequality and racism in the US and wanted to know more about them from my perspective. However, in my daily dealings, I do not feel as though I was treated in a negative fashion because of my skin color. On the contrary, when people knew I was American they treated me better than they treated others from elsewhere.

I can not be certain that Geneva is free from racism or discrimination. During my eight and a half months there, I personally did not experience any racism. However, this lack of experience does not mean that the problem does not exist. On the whole, Geneva is a great place to live, study and work. I encourage anyone who is considering studying or living in a Francophone nation to consider Geneva.


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My best Fulbright foot forward

by Josephine G. Dorado, 2003-2004, Netherlands

"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.

Josephine Dorado
Josephine G. Dorado, 2003-2004 (The New School, Undergraduate. Performance Art, Country, Netherlands)
With a passion for both technology and the arts, my interest is in the convergence of the two. Specifically, interactive art and networked performance - online collaborative performance among physically dispersed participants virtually linked in the space of the internet to make cultural connections via art and technology.

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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Fulbright Critical Language Enhancement Award


The Fulbright Critical Language Enhancement Award, sponsored by the Department of State through the Fulbright Program, is open to students who have been awarded a Fulbright U.S. student grant and intend to use one of the eligible languages in their Fulbright project. Application for a Critical Language Enhancement Award is made in conjunction with the Fulbright Program application.

The purpose of the Critical Language Enhancement Award is to cultivate language learning prior to and during the Fulbright grant period and beyond. Ultimately, critical language enhancement awardees will achieve a high level of proficiency in a targeted language and will go on to careers or further study which will incorporate the use of this and/or related languages.

In 2007-08, up to 150 Critical Language Enhancement Awards will be available for grantees to pursue in-country training for up to six months prior to beginning their Fulbright project.

The Critical Language Enhancement Award is part of the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI), designed to dramatically increase the number of Americans learning critical need foreign languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hindi, Farsi, and others through new and expanded programs from kindergarten through university and into the workforce. Foreign language skills are essential to engaging foreign governments and peoples, especially in critical world regions, to encourage reform, promote understanding and convey respect for other cultures. The NSLI initiative is a coordinated federal government effort that includes the Department of State, Department of Education, Department of Defense, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Languages
The languages available for the Critical Language Enhancement Award: Arabic, Azeri, Bengali, Chinese (Mandarin only), Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Korean, Marathi, Pashto, Punjabi, Russian, Tajik, Turkish, Urdu, and Uzbek.
Specifications
  • All candidates must already have the minimum level of language capability to carry out their Fulbright Full grant projects, or to be able to do so following their period of concentrated language study. Candidates should convincingly demonstrate how language study will enhance their ability to carry out their primary Fulbright research project.
  • Critical Language Enhancement Award applicants must demonstrate a commitment to developing their language skills through current study, during their Full grant tenure, and in their future career and/or educational plans.
  • The minimum length of the Critical Language Enhancement Award is three (3) months in the host country or country where the language is spoken. The maximum length is six (6) months.
  • In selecting a country and language of interest, it is important to note that the language of study is of more relevance than the venue of the Fulbright Full grant. For example, if a student's Fulbright project involves working with the Turkish community in Germany and Turkish language ability is needed, that student will be eligible to apply for a Critical Language Enhancement Award.
  • The Critical Language Enhancement Award grant period of study must take place before the start of the Fulbright Full grant, usually beginning in the summer. Exception: Candidates whose Full grant projects focus primarily on language acquisition may apply, but in these cases the Critical Language Enhancement Award grant period will follow completion of the full tenure of the primary grant.
Please note: Critical Language Enhancement Award applicants selected for a Fulbright Full grant will NOT automatically be selected for the language grant. Applicants must, therefore, demonstrate that they will be able to carry out the Fulbright Full grant project even if they do not receive the Critical Language Enhancement Award. Awards will be issued based on recommendations made by selection committees and Fulbright Commissions or U.S. Embassies in the receiving countries.

The Critical Language Enhancement Award is not available for:
  • Language study in the United States, or
  • Training programs in countries where there is not a U.S. Student Fulbright Program.
Application Requirements
In applying for the Critical Language Enhancement Award, the following must be addressed in the application.
  • The intention to apply for language enhancement must be indicated on the first page of the application.
  • In the project proposal, discuss how language will be utilized in carrying out the project and the role that knowledge of the language may take in your future plans.
  • The foreign language evaluator should mention how you and your project would benefit from the additional language training.
  • In the Language Background Report, outline steps you have taken or are taking to learn the language.
  • Applicants should investigate training possibilities in an appropriate country and mention these in the Language Background Report. Keep in mind that final placement will be at the discretion of the Fulbright Program.
Program Description
Before beginning the Fulbright Full grant, critical language enhancement awardees will study the language full-time for up to six (6) months in either the host country of the Fulbright Full grant project or another appropriate country. The requirements of the enhancement awards include pre- and post-testing of the prospective awardee's knowledge of the language, as well as a clearly defined commitment to continuing study in the language after the six-month training period, i.e., during their Fulbright Full grant period and beyond. This can be in formal course work, tutoring, or structured independent study.

Applicants must be prepared, if selected, to begin language training abroad as early as June 2007. While students may suggest their own language training programs, final approval – and possible reassignment – will be the responsibility of the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in the receiving country. In the Language Background Report (Form 8A), you may describe in more detail the institution in which you would like to pursue language study.

To summarize, the language training will:
  • Take place in a country where the language is used, usually, but not necessarily, the grantee's host country.
  • Be up to six months of intensive study before beginning the Fulbright Full grant project, followed by study concurrent with the grant period and beyond.
  • Lead the awardee toward a high level of proficiency in the language studied.
Additional Language Training Opportunity
Additional overseas language study opportunities are offered under the National Security Language Initiative, including Intensive Summer Language Institutes. Please note that it will not be possible to receive both a Critical Language Enhancement Award and a scholarship for an Intensive Summer Language Institute in the same year.

The Intensive Summer Language Institutes are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and were administered by the Council for American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) in Summer 2006. Please visit http://caorc.org/language for additional information.

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Video focus: Alain McNamara, Executive Director, Jordanian-American Commission for Educational Exchange (JACEE) aka The Binational Fulbright Commission (BFC) in Jordan


Alan McNamara
Alain McNamara, Executive Director, Jordanian-American Commission for Educational Exchange (JACEE) aka The Binational Fulbright Commission (BFC) in Jordan
In the video featuring Alain McNamara, Executive Director, Jordanian-American Commission for Educational Exchange (JACEE), we've asked Alain to: (1) describe what Fulbright is like in Jordan; (2) explain the application and selection process; and (3) to offer advice to future applicants. The link below features Alain sharing some practical advice based on his own experiences. We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with the application process by reviewing several of the student videos available on some country pages throughout our website.

http://us.fulbrightonline.org/program_country.html?id=57


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Send Us Your Question


If you have thoroughly reviewed the U.S. Student website and have not found the answer to your question, click here to send us your question. You will receive a reply via email from one of our Program Managers.

http://us.fulbrightonline.org/thinking_submit.html

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Applicant Newsletter Archive


Browse through our archive of previous Applicant Newsletters here:

Issue 1 | June 2006
Focus on: Tips for Getting Started and Choosing a Host Country

Issue 2 | July 2006
Establishing a Host Affiliation


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