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Fulbright Grant

Types of Fulbright Grants

In general, there are two types of Fulbright grants:

  • A Fulbright Full Grant, which funds one academic year of overseas study and/or research in one country
  • An English Teaching Assistantship (ETA), which funds one academic year of teaching English in one country

Details on both of these types of grants follows. Additionally, Fulbright offers several specialized grants, including Travel-Only Grants (which are usually given to graduate students, and only for Italy, Germany, and Hungary), Fulbright/mtvU Awards, Critical Language Enhancement Awards, Fulbright Business Grants (Mexico, Spain, and the Netherlands), Fulbright Journalism Grants (Germany and UK), and Country-Specific Awards to Australia (CSIRO), Ireland (Irish Language), Italy (Slow Foods and Deaf Studies), Mexico (Graduate Degree and Public Policy); and the Netherlands (Water Management)

Full Grants

Link to Fulbright's official page on Academic Full Grants

Academic or Full Grants allow students to undertake a year of study, research, and/or professional training at an academic institution in a different country. For graduating seniors, it is strongly recommended that your plan relies heavily on coursework. While this coursework may be supplemented by other experiences (internships, archival research, fieldwork, labwork, independent study, etc.), at least 50% of your time should be spent in the classroom, and it is perfectly acceptable to have a project proposal consisting solely of coursework. Indeed, many countries offer one-year taught Master's programs that may be completed on a Fulbright. Full grant applicants should plan to obtain a letter of affiliation from someone at their host institution who will oversee and guide their fellowship year. Details of the grant duration, preferred topics, preferred candidates, affiliation requirements, grant benefits, language requirements, housing, additional stipends for dependents, visa requirements, etc. are all determined on a country-by-country basis. Potential applicants should review the Country Summaries on the Fulbright website to learn more about each individual country.

English Teaching Assistantships

Link to Fulbright's official page on English Teaching Assistantships

English Teaching Assistantships (ETAs) are currently available in dozens of countries across all world regions (see link above to Fulbright website for a complete list and more details). Depending on the country, ETAs may teach in elementary or secondary schools, universities, or language centers. They are usually placed outside of capital cities, and sometimes live with host families. In some countries, ETAs may also pursue individual study and research in addition to their teaching duties. ETA candidates are rated by decision-making committees in six areas:

  • Academic merit/achievement
  • Quality of the written essays
  • Personal qualities
  • Language abilities (if required)
  • Teaching / tutoring / education experience
  • Other factors, such as community engagement, limited experience in host country, etc.)

Eligibility

This is a brief outline of the eligibility criteria for the Fulbright; all candidates should review the full list of eligibility criteria on the Fulbright website to ensure that they are eligible for the grant for which they are applying. Applicants must:

  • Be U.S. citizens at the time of application. Permanent residents are not eligible.
  • Hold a B.A. degree or the equivalent before the start of the grant.
  • Be in good health.

Benefits

Fulbright benefits are based on the cost of living in the host country, and vary by country. In general, though, Fulbright grant benefits (both Full Grants and ETAs) include:

  • Round-trip transportation to the host country
  • Maintenance for the academic year, based on living costs in the host country
  • Limited Health Benefits

In addition, Full Grants may include (see relevant Country Summary for details):

  • Book and research allowances (The allowance provides some funding for research, books, and/or supplies. Grantees with projects that require extensive research support, in-country travel, study materials, or equipment should explore additional funding from other sources to supplement the Fulbright funding.)
  • Mid-term enrichment activities in many countries or world regions
  • Full or partial tuition
  • Language study programs
  • Pre-departure and in-country orientation

For more details on Fulbright benefits, please see the Fulbright benefits webpage.

Campus Contact:

Debra Clemans, clemansd@pdx.edu (503) 725-5859 - http://oia.pdx.edu/awards/

 

Fulbright Grant Recipients for 2012-2013:

 

Mandy Elder – Mexico, Researcher – Young women’s educational experiences

Mandy, a native of Roseburg, Oregon, majored in Child and Family Studies and Spanish Language in 2012. She’s a McNair Scholar who conducted undergraduate research in Oaxaca, Mexico on cultural barriers to education for women and it’s impacts on families. She will return to Mexico as a Fulbrighter to continue her research on young women’s educational experiences, with a focus on the transition to college. In the future she plans to obtain a graduate degree and continue working on the gaps in educational attainment for marginalized population.

 

Olivia Kulander – Indonesia, Researcher – Biogeography and acoustics of the eastern tarsier

Olivia is a master’s student, studying under Dr. Luis Ruedas in PSU’s biology department. After receiving her B.A in anthropology from Reed College, she worked as a photographer and bicycled across Asia – where the sheer diversity of wildlife and the scale of habitat destruction motivated her decision to study biology and conservation. Olivia will be studying the biogeography and acoustics of the eastern tarsier (a tiny, nocturnal primate that resembles a gremlin) in Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia.

 

Andrea Gorman – Serbia, English Teaching Assistant

Andrea earned a BA in Social Science and minored in International Studies in June 2012. While attending Portland State, she studied abroad in Spain, taught English in South Korea, and volunteered with microfinance projects in Mexico. She worked as Undergraduate Mentor for the University Studies department. While working for the department, she co-founded the FRINQ Legacy Garden, a program that promotes undergraduate leadership through food, art, and sustainability. She has been awarded a Fulbright to work as an English Teaching Assistant at the State University of Novi Pazar in Novi Pazar, Serbia. While living in Serbia, Gorman will pursue a storytelling and photography project that aims to depict the humanity of the Serbian people.

 

Rebecca Haley – Spain, English Teaching Assistant

Becky graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish in Spring 2012. She will teach for a bilingual high school in Madrid during her Fulbright year. She will also organize a pen-pal exchange with a Portland high school and lead a Model UN club in Spain. In her spare time, she plans to put her nursing assistant experience to good use by volunteering in a Spanish medical clinic. She has worked for Portland-area schools as a Spanish and ESL tutor and her plans include completing a Master’s degree and becoming a middle or high school teacher.

 

Cyan Solis-Sichel – Ecuador, English Teaching Assistant

Cyan is a native of Portland and a PSU graduate of 2009 majoring in Social Science with a double minor in Spanish and Civic Leadership, and a Certificate in Chicano/Latino Studies. During her time at PSU, she became involved with the Latino community through various volunteer opportunities. Since graduating, she has worked as an academic social worker with Latino youth in Portland Public Schools. Her love for travel and determination to understand and see cultures that are different from her own have led her to Asia and Latin America. Her project will include volunteering with organizations that serve disadvantaged youth in the host country.