Fulbright Fellowship

Overview

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program expands perspectives through academic and professional advancement and cross-cultural dialogue. Fulbright creates connections in a complex and changing world. In partnership with more than 140 countries worldwide, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers unparalleled opportunities in all academic disciplines to passionate and accomplished graduating college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals from all backgrounds. Program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad.

Note: Do you plan on applying to Fulbright?  Please make sure to fill out this interest form by July 31st to be considered for an institutional endorsement. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: When selecting “US Institution Through Which Applying,” be sure to select “UC Irvine Graduate School.” If you select “UC Irvine,” rather than “UC Irvine Graduate School,” your application will be routed to the undergraduate fellowships office and will be delayed in reaching our reviewers. 

• Operates in approximately 140 countries worldwide. 
• Awards grants in nearly all fields and disciplines, including the humanities, sciences, professional fields, and creative and performing arts. 
• Allows for individually designed study/research or an English Teaching Assistantship. You can propose a project and/or study plan that will take place during one academic year in a country outside the U.S. 
• Provides support for study/research/teaching abroad, usually in a single country (see Country Summaries: http://us.fulbrightonline.org/program_regions_world.html). You can meet, work, live with, and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences. 
• Facilitates cultural exchange. Through direct interaction on an individual basis in the classroom, field, home, and in daily tasks, you can gain an appreciation of others’ viewpoints and beliefs, the way they do things, and the way they think. 
• Promotes mutual understanding. Through engagement in the community, you can interact with your hosts on a one-to-one basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity, and intellectual freedom.

The Fulbright Student Program supports graduate students doing research or teaching abroad.  You can apply independently or with an institutional endorsement from UCI. If you would like to pursue an institutional endorsement, you must adhere to the UCI internal process which is outline here. If you’d like to learn more about the program, join Dr. Kayleigh Anderson-Natale for an Information Session on April 11 from 12 – 1 PM. Register for Information Session here

Award Information

More information for grant-specific benefits, visit the Fulbright Student Program Award Benefits page.

In general, grants:

• Are one academic year in length—between 9 and 12 months.
• Correspond to the host country’s academic calendar.

Requirements for attendance at orientation programs, in the U.S. and/or overseas, are also contained in the Country Summaries.

TYPES OF FULBRIGHT U.S. STUDENT PROGRAM GRANTS

U.S. Student Fulbright Grants fall into three general categories:

1. Full Grants for Study/ Research

1. Full Grants for English Teaching Assistantships (ETA)

Special Programs: Additional awards are available in language study and digital storytelling. For more information, visit the Types of Grants page.

Important Dates

Important Dates

2026-27 Competition Deadline (non-institutional endorsement):  Tuesday October 7, 2025 at 5 pm Eastern Time

UCI Institutional Endorsement Timeline:

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligibility Criteria
  • Applicants must be citizens or nationals of the United States of America at the time of the application deadline. Permanent residents are not eligible. Please review the specific Award Description in relation to the eligibility of dual citizens.
  • Applicants must have a conferred bachelor’s degree or equivalent before the start of the grant period.
  • In the creative and performing arts, four years of professional training and/or experience meets the basic eligibility requirement. If you are an Arts applicant and do not hold a BA, please email fbstudent@iie.org with your professional experience and educational history to confirm eligibility before beginning an application.
  • Applicants must meet the language requirements of the award to which they are applying and demonstrate sufficient competency to complete their project and adjust to life in the host country.
  • Applicants may hold a J.D. at the time of application.
  • Doctors of Medicine may receive grants for advanced academic study, but not for internships or residencies. Scholars with an M.D. degree who have completed their formal postgraduate training and propose attachment to a hospital or clinic for the purpose of independent or collaborative research should apply to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Grants shall not authorize activity for which a license to practice medicine or nursing is required. The Fulbright Program cannot authorize proposals for medical research that involves clinical training, patient care or patient contact.

  Full information about eligibility can be found at the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website section on eligibility.

  Preferred Qualifications

  • In general, there is a program preference for those who have not previously held a Fulbright grant. For the 2026-2027 competition, 2025-2026, 2024-2025, and 2023-2024 grantees will be at a competitive disadvantage, but are still eligible to apply, provided they continue to meet all other eligibility requirements of the program and their chosen award.
  • Preference will be given to applicants whose higher education was undertaken primarily at educational institutions in the United States. Undergraduate study abroad experiences, either in the chosen host country or elsewhere, will not be considered a disadvantage.
  • Candidates who have not resided or studied in the country to which they are applying for more than six months, not counting undergraduate study abroad, are preferred. Duty abroad in the Armed Forces of the United States is not considered disqualifying within the meaning of this section.
  • Candidates who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States will be given preference, provided their qualifications are approximately equivalent to those of other candidates.
  • For most programs, applicants who have had extensive, recent previous experience in the host country are at a competitive disadvantage but are still eligible to apply.

Application Process

Students may choose to apply at large (independently) or go through the UCI internal process to gain an institutional endorsement of their application.  Applicants seeking an institutional endorsement must adhere to the UCI policies/deadlines and must also undergo a campus interview. The purpose of the campus interview is for applicants to receive feedback to strengthen their application materials.  This is NOT a competitive interview process and applicants are not rated and/or ranked.

Application Components

• Biographical Data
• Program Information
• Statement of Grant Purpose
• Affiliation Letter (country dependent for scholar/research applicants only)
• Fulfilling the Fulbright Mission: Short Answer Responses
  • Flexibility & Adaptability (2,000-character limit)
  • Community Engagement (2,000-character limit)
  • Impact of Fulbright Award (1,000-character limit)
• Foreign Language Forms (country and project dependent)
• Letters of Recommendation
• Transcripts
• IRB Approval (for projects involving human subjects)
• Portfolio (Creative and Performing Arts applicants only)

The Fulbright website provides explanations of the components of applications as well as application checklists.

Campus Interview (held virtually):

• The purpose of the campus interview is for applicants to receive feedback to strengthen their application materials.  This is NOT a competitive interview process and applicants are not rated and/or ranked.
• Interviews will be held by a faculty committee.
• Please dress professionally and come prepared to briefly and concretely describe your research project.
• Please take notes or record the interview so that you can use the feedback to improve your application before the final submission.

Stipulations

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What is the role of the UCI Fulbright Program Advisor? The Advisor answers questions regarding the administrative details of the Fulbright Award including the application process. The Advisor is also the person to whom you will submit your final application and required materials. The Advisor organizes and co-chairs the Campus Review Committee. UCI Fulbright Program Adviser for UCI is Dr. Kayleigh Anderson-Natale (kayleiga@uci.edu).
• How do I apply? Students must apply online at https://apply.iie.org/apply/. Once you hit the submit button, the UCI Fulbright Program Advisor will be able to view your application. Only your UCI Fulbright Program Advisor can submit your application to IIE.
• How do I make sure my proposal is feasible? There are several things to keep in mind when determining an appropriate Fulbright proposal:

• Is your proposal sufficiently defined to allow you to carry out your project within the given time frame and resources available?
• Do you possess the necessary skills and experience?
• Will you have access to relevant resources overseas?
• Do you possess the language skills necessary to carry out the project?
• Is your proposal relevant to the discipline?
• Have you clearly expressed the outcome of your proposal (what do you expect to gain, contribute to the field, host country, or U.S.)?
• Is it necessary for you to carry out your proposal only in the host country, or are sufficient resources available in the U.S.?
• Is your proposal unique, or is it something that has already been investigated many times?

• Do I need a formal affiliation even if I’m not planning to enroll in university classes? Yes, all students need to be affiliated with an educational or research institute, ministry, or other organization in the host country unless otherwise specified.
• How do I set up my overseas affiliation and mentor? In many countries it is up to you to find a mentor and/or a university or institution with which you would like to be affiliated. Even in those countries where affiliation is arranged for you, in most cases your application will only be strengthened by any steps that you take to affiliate yourself. Setting up an affiliation generally means finding a university where you will be able to take classes (usually as a special status non-degree seeking student) and/or use the library and other facilities. Note that in some countries you are required to gain formal university acceptance. In these cases it is up to the applicant to obtain application materials and follow the procedures of the host university.

Finding a mentor entails identifying a professor(s) in the host country who will be willing to support your research and will write a letter to that effect. Formal letters are recommended. The mentor letter is in addition to the three letters of recommendation which are required as part of the application. Your professors may be able to help you establish overseas contacts. When contacting potential mentors, you should explain that you are a Fulbright applicant and should provide a detailed description of your study/research proposal. You must also outline the type of support that you are requesting (e.g., access to libraries, professors, office space, equipment, etc.). It is very important to begin identifying both your affiliation and mentor at least three months in advance of the application deadline.

Your affiliation and mentor letters may or may not be one in the same. You may have up to three affiliations. If your affiliation/support letters are in a language other than English, you MUST attach an English language translation to the original.

• Can I apply for a grant in more than one country? Some regions accept multi-country proposals. Multi-country grants require a strong rationale. Approval from each country is required, and scholars must have affiliations in all countries. Typically, a minimum of 3 consecutive months is required in each country visited.
• If the UCI Campus Review Committee does not endorse my application, will it be forwarded to IIE for further consideration? Yes, the Campus Review Committee forwards all applications to IIE along with the committee’s comments.
• Can I have access to my campus rating? No, these ratings are confidential records and cannot be released.
• Will a Fulbright award allow me to obtain a degree overseas? Can I apply overseas credits earned towards a U.S. degree program upon my return? No, in the vast majority of cases. Grantees generally take courses on a not-for-credit, non-degree seeking basis. See individual country summaries for exceptions. It is the sole responsibility of the individual to arrange for the transfer of credit to UCI. Applicants should note that most overseas universities do not operate on the U.S. credit system.
• If I am awarded a grant may I defer it to another time? No, grants may not be deferred. Grants may only be used for the particular academic year they are awarded.
• Can I submit more than three letters of recommendation? No, a maximum of three recommendation letters should be submitted. However, you may wish to solicit more letters to avoid last minute submission. Letters of support from the host country may be submitted in addition to the three, but should be limited to those individuals or institutions with which you will actually be working.
• I am a native speaker of the language of the country to which I am applying. Do I need to submit the foreign language report form? Yes. This form must be completed for native speakers as well as for anyone who is proposing to study or do research in a language other than English.
• While I am doing research or studying abroad on a Fulbright Grant, do I need to register (enroll in units and pay fees)? Yes, you will need to submit an In Absentia petition, enroll in research units, and pay In Absentia fees.
• While I am teaching abroad on a Fulbright ETA Grant, do I need to register (enroll in units and pay fees)? We recommend petitioning for a Leave of Absence.

Contact

For more information contact: Kayleigh Anderson at kayleiga@uci.edu