Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program Competition for the 2020 – 2021 Academic Year is Now Open
10 August 2019
Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program Competition for the 2020 – 2021 Academic Year is Now Open
EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE
The Application for the Fulbright Scholar Program (Post-Doctoral) in the United States (NON-DEGREE)
DEADLINE: November 1, 2019
This is a joint program of the U.S. Department of State and the Government of Kosovo.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Government, designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Since its inception, more than 370,000 participants, chosen for their leadership potential, have participated in the Fulbright Program to exchange ideas, observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions, and embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world’s inhabitants.
The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by former Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The Fulbright Program is administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State.
The Program awards approximately 8,000 new grants annually and operates in over 160 countries worldwide.
Nature of grants
Grant benefits vary according to the provisions of the program of each participating country. All Fulbright grants include limited accident and medical insurance, airfare, and maintenance grants provided by the Department of State. Grants are generally awarded for three to six months at a university in the United States. A grant may be revoked, terminated, or suspended. Grounds for revocation or termination include, but are not limited to (1) violation of any law of the United States or the home country; (2) any act likely to give offense to the United States; (3) failure to observe satisfactory academic or professional standards; (4) physical or mental incapacitation; (5) engaging in any unauthorized income-producing activity; (6) failure to comply with the grant’s terms and conditions; and (7) material misrepresentation made by any grantee in the application form or grant document. A grant may be suspended if (1) the grantee ceases to carry out the project or academic program during the grant period, or (2) the grantee leaves the United States for more than two weeks without authorization of the American Embassy in Kosovo or IIE.
Preference is given to candidates without recent experience in the United States. Recipients of Fulbright Scholarships within the past five years will not be considered.
Persons holding permanent residence in the United States are not eligible to apply for Fulbright grants to the United States. Persons who are citizens of both Kosovo and the United States are also ineligible. Employees of the U.S. Embassy and their immediate family members are ineligible.
Fulbright grantees enter the United States on an exchange visitor (J-1) visa under a Department of State program, which requires them to return to their home countries for a minimum of two years at the end of the grant period.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Doctoral Degree or Ph.D. Candidates
- Teaching or research experience at a Kosovo university (more than 3 years recommended)
- Proficiency in English appropriate to the proposed research project to be carried out in the United States
- A detailed statement of proposed activity for research at a U.S. institution
- Kosovo citizenship and employment in Kosovo
Not eligible:
- Individuals with no research or university teaching experience
- Individuals with recent U.S. experience (more than 6 months within the last 5 years)
- Individuals who have attended undergraduate or graduate school in the U.S. for one academic year or more during the seven years prior to November 1, 2019
- Individuals with dual U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident (green card) status
- Recipients of Fulbright Scholarships within the past 5 years
Financial Provisions
The Fulbright Fellowship provides tuition, monthly maintenance allowance, a book and supplies allowance, and round-trip international travel to the host institution. The Fulbright Grant is not renewable.
Application and review process
All submitted documents must be in English and submitted through the online system.
Documents emailed to the Public Affairs Office may not be considered valid.
A complete application includes:
- Completed online application form
- A detailed statement of proposed activity
- A detailed curriculum vitae
- At least three references
- A photocopy of valid Kosovo passport
- Translated photocopies of diplomas (university, Master’s and doctoral degree) and other certificates received
- A letter from employer confirming employment
- A letter of invitation or appointment from U.S. institution
Please scan all the above-mentioned documents and attach them to your online application.
Application Guidelines
Complete the application form carefully after reading “Instructions for Completing the Application” on step 1 of the application. Make sure the reference reports are submitted promptly. Applicants must submit three references. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that reference reports are submitted by the deadline so that references accompany the application throughout the entire review process. References should be from persons qualified to evaluate your professional work and proposal. At least one of the references should be from a specialist outside your university. References should provide evidence of a scholar’s reputation within his/her discipline and must be written in English. The Reference Report Form in the application packet suggests qualifications that the reference writer should address. Submit detailed curriculum vitae. The curriculum vitae should describe academic credentials and relevant, recent achievements.
When composing curriculum vitae, it is important to include:
- education (universities attended, degrees held)
- positions held
- courses taught and other services provided to students and the home institution
- publications
- other relevant professional activities, such as workshops, seminars and consultations
- membership and activities in professional associations
- professional honors, awards and fellowships (relevant honors and awards)
- community service.
The application asks for similar information but provides limited space for answers. In the curriculum vitae, the applicant should expand upon these topics to provide a more complete presentation of his/her accomplishments.
Preparing the Project Statement
The project statement is the most important aspect of preparing the Fulbright application. Scholars with the most compelling, theoretically sound, well-written, feasible proposals are generally recommended for awards. Sometimes those with outstanding professional achievements assume that a brief, general project statement will be sufficient. But in order to ensure full consideration of your proposal, your – project, the strategy for completing it, and its envisioned outcome, should be thoroughly explained.
Factors to address in the project statement
To ensure that the selection committee will be capable of evaluating a candidate’s competitiveness for an award, a complete statement will include the following:
- Clearly define your objectives and the methodology you will employ. Indicate whether you will use interviews, library or archival research, or laboratory experiments to accomplish your project.
- Place your project in academic or professional context by referring to leading works by others on the topic if that information is available. Explain the significance of the project for the field and your own professional development. Indicate how you will disseminate the results of your research both in the United States and in your home country.
- Explain why residence in the United States is necessary for accomplishment of the project. Comment, if applicable, on the adequacy or inadequacy of research facilities and library resources in your own country and on the need to use specific collections in the United States.
- Describe arrangements you have made, for affiliation or collaboration. Secure a letter of invitation from a U.S. host institution testifying to the merits and feasibility of the proposal. Scholars who have studied previously in the United States should avoid seeking affiliation at their U.S. alma mater because candidates are encouraged to expand their contacts within the U.S. academic community.
- Discuss how your project can be completed within the time period you have available.
- Describe your competence in English if you are not a native speaker. Proficiency in English is required for research awards in the United States.
- Indicate how you will disseminate the results of your research both in the United States and in your home country.
Arrangements for affiliation with a host institution
One of the most important requirements of the Fulbright Scholar Program is a formal affiliation at a U.S. university or research institution. When determining which institutions to contact, do not limit yourself to only the most well-known U.S. universities. Many U.S. universities may not have an international reputation, but they often have the most appropriate facilities for scholars to conduct research. We have observed that scholars placed in these smaller and less well-known institutions often are given greater attention than their colleagues who are affiliated with more well-known universities.
Duration of grants: Fulbright scholar grants are awarded for three to six months beginning in August or September 2020, or winter/spring 2021.Applications:
Application forms can be found at https://apply.iie.org/fvsp2020
The deadline for receipt of applications is November 1, 2019.
For additional information, please contact:
Remzije Potoku
Cultural Affairs Assistant – Education
Public Affairs Office
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: +383 38 5959 3749
