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Fulbright Application Resources

The Fulbright is a nationally competitive program, so it's important to utilize as many resources available to applicants to succeed. This page contains a few tips, recommendations and insights on how to best prepare compelling and competitive applications to make your Fulbright aspirations a reality.

 

1. Start Early

From the announcement of the catalog of awards to arriving in-country, the Fulbright lifecycle is about 18 months. For anyone considering a Fulbright, it's important that you think ahead and plan accordingly. This is especially important for awards that require an invitation letter from a foreign institution and letters of recommendation. It is highly recommended that you contact institutions and referees as early as possible so you have all the application requirements ready in time for the deadline.
 
Additionally, contact your Academic Personnel Analyst or HR representative early to start the conversation about leave options that you could use during your award period. 
 
For more information, review the Getting Started checklist on the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program website. 

2. Review the Awards Carefully

Applicants can only apply to one award per application cycle. In each award card, there are four sections:
  • Award Details
  • Award Requirements
  • Award Benefits
  • Country/ Area Overview
It is essential that you review all four sections thoroughly to ensure you are eligible and that you select the award that is the best match for you. If you are having difficulty choosing, here are a few suggestions that can assist in deciding on an award:
 
  • All-Discipline vs Discipline-Specific: Many applicants struggle with which award to pursue if they qualify for multiple awards. Fulbright offers awards that are "all discipline," "multiple discipline," and some awards are specific to one discipline. Generally speaking, there are more awards allocated for the all disciplines awards than for multiple or single discipline awards. Applicants may think that the likelihood of receiving an all disciplines award is higher because there are more awards available. However, if there is an award that has fewer recipients but is a much better fit for you and your project, it's advised to select that award compared to an all disciplines award. There may be fewer recipients, but because the eligibility requirements are higher, the number of applicants could also be lower. You may even be the only one who applies to that award for that application cycle!
  • Identifying Strategic Priorities: If you have a proposal for a teaching or research project, but do not have a specific country in mind, please note that many Fulbright Commissions and U.S. Embassies have strategic priorities for Fulbright awards. These priorities are typically set by the country's government, and they are an additional level of criteria that are based on skills deficits that exist in the country's population. If you are debating which country to choose, watch Fulbright IIE webinars or reach out to Fulbright Commissions and Fulbright contacts at U.S. Embassies to see if certain countries or regions have strategic priorities that match your skillset. Not only could this make your application more competitive, but it could also mean your project could have a more significant impact in the country you select. 
  • Under-subscribed Countries: Some countries have lower application numbers than others. If you are debating between countries, or your project isn't specific to a particular country, watch Fulbright IIE webinars or reach out to Fulbright Commissions and Fulbright contacts at U.S. Embassies to see if any countries are considered under-subscribed. This can also help you narrow the list of which award to pursue. 

3. Take Advantage of Fulbright Resources

Unlike other nationally competitive scholarships, the Fulbright Program is uniquely transparent. Seventy (70) percent of applicants have direct contact with an IIE staff member or an in-country Fulbright officer. There are a multitude of resources that are designed to support you throughout your application process.
 
  • UC San Diego Fulbright Scholar Liaison: The Fulbright Scholar Liaison's primary goal is to advise and support applicants. The Liaison can provide up-to-date information on Fulbright awards, provide guidance on selecting an award, review statements of grant and personal statements, and connect applicants with potential institutions for invitation letters. Contact UC San Diego's Fulbright Scholar Liaison to arrange a meeting at any point in the application process. 
  • Attend/ Watch Webinars and Presentations: IIE offers many webinars throughout the application cycle for prospective applicants to hear directly from Fulbright administrators on award types, strategic priorities, and previous award recipients. Review the webinars archive and attend an in-person or virtual presentation to get advice and guidance straight from the source. 
  • Connect with Alumni- The Fulbright's sense of community is strong, and many alumni volunteer to support applicants to advance the Fulbright mission. The Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors program is a nationwide network of former Fulbright awardees who want to help others achieve their goals of receiving a Fulbright. You can also review the Fulbright Scholar Directory or the UC San Diego Fulbright Alumni registry to find individuals within your field of study, your institution, or who pursued a Fulbright in your country of choice for additional mentorship. Finally, San Diego has an active Fulbright Association that is comprised of Fulbright Foreign and U.S. alumni that call San Diego home! These alumni are eager to connect with Fulbright applicants for mentorship and guidance throughout the process. Sign up for the San Diego Fulbright Association's mailing list to connect and learn about events and activities taking place in the greater San Diego area. 
  • Email IIE Staff- Each award in the catalog of awards contains contact details of an IIE staff member. The name, phone, email and title can be found on the left-hand navigation menu of each award. If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact the staff member. IIE staff want you to apply for a Fulbright and want you to be successful, so they are there to answer questions and provide support to all applicants. Additionally, IIE staff hold office hours in which you can drop-in advising to have your questions addressed in real-time. 

4. Prepare Your Application Materials

When you are ready to start drafting your statements and preparing your application, take advantage of these resources to create a high-quality, competitive application:
 
  • Review Project Statement Examples- The Fulbright Scholar Program provides detailed instructions on how applicants should compose and format the project statements. In the application portal, there is more guidance on character and word limits; here are some general guidelines:

    • Project Statement: This usually has a word limit of around 3,500 words, but it can vary by program. Some programs might specify a character limit instead. The project statement should be 3-5 pages with 1" margins, single-spaced and in 12-point font. 

    • Personal Statement: This often has a limit of 1-2 pages, which translates to roughly 500-1,000 words depending on formatting.

    • Bibliography (if required): There may be a specific page limit, typically 1-2 pages.

    • CV/Resume: The limit is usually around 6 pages, but this can vary depending on the country or program.

    • Other Essays/Statements: Some applications may include additional essays or short answers with specific word or character limits, often around 250-500 words.

  • Review Process Criteria- The Fulbright Scholar Program review and selection process is a multi-phase process in which your application is reviewed by IIE staff, subject matter experts in your field of study, and in-country officials at Fulbright Commissions or U.S. Embassies. These individuals will review each application individually and assess the credentials of the applicant, the quality of the project, and the deliverables of the project. The criteria is publicly available on the Review Process for U.S. Scholars guide. As you develop your project and prepare your applications, use this as a framework to make sure you successfully address all the criteria listed. 
  • Why Fulbright?- Fulbright was established in 1946, the year following the Second World War, with the goal to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the U.S. and those around the world. At its core, Fulbright is a cultural and academic exchange program designed to foster peer-to-peer connections and advance the U.S.'s reputation and position in the world through soft diplomacy. This is very important to keep in mind when considering a program. There are many grantmaking institutions around the world that could fund your project, but why is Fulbright the best one for you? The Fulbright mission and vision should be evident in your application so any reviewer can easily understand why you chose Fulbright for your project. 
  • Emphasize Impact- Though each reviewer is assessing a Fulbright application for slightly different criteria, the question of impact is critical at every stage. Reviewers are looking for for applicants who address impact holistically: impact on the applicant, impact on their institution, impact in their discipline, and impact in the country, region or community of the award. A successful application must clearly state the project's prospective or concrete impact.

Additional Fulbright Resources: