Applying for a Fulbright Research/Study Grant

An overview of the Fulbright Program and insights from my experience successfully applying for a Fulbright student research/study grant:

Overview 

The Fulbright Program was founded in in 1946 by US Senator J. William Fulbright. Created in the wake of WWII, its impetus was to foster "mutual understanding" between citizens of the United States and other countries through international exchange. Of the program, Senator Fulbright said, "the Fulbright Program aims to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby increases the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship." The program is administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, a branch of the Department of State, and is funded by appropriations from Congress as well as donations from other participating governments, non-governmental organizations, and private donors. 

Individuals from the United States and abroad may apply to receive funding from the Fulbright Program to conduct independent graduate or advanced research, to instruct at the university level in their field of expertise, or to teach English at the elementary and secondary school levels. Grants are country-specific, and funding amounts as well as time commitments vary by grant. The Institute of International Education (IIE) is an applicant or grantee's first point of contact, and its website provides guidance on applying for and managing a Fulbright grant post award. 

My Experience: Tips on Applying for a Fulbright

I applied for and received a 2012-2013 Fulbright student study/research grant for Nicaragua. The following tips come from my experience (and observation of/conversation with  fellow grant recipients) applying as a university senior who will use my grant as a gap year before applying to graduate school. They may not be applicable for students applying for an English Teaching Assistantship, a professional applying to teach at the university level, or other types of grants.

1. Pick a Country, Know the Country

Fulbright grants for US-grantees are country specific, and your research proposal must show that you have enough knowledge of the country to be able to transition with relative ease and work there independently. IIE has details on the available grants and requirements for each country, which you should look at far in advance of applying. My best advice is to apply for a grant to a country to which you have already traveled or plan to travel before the application deadline if at all possible. Traveling to the country will give you a depth of knowledge that is simply not otherwise possible. It will also likely help improve your language skills and will show the committee that you have already invested time in this country and will know what to expect during your grant period.

Traveling to the country is not a requirement, of course. If you are not able to do so, then read, read, read. It is necessary to read scholarly articles in your field, of course, but another key is to keep up with current events by reading local newspapers, blogs from people on the ground or in your area, or websites that focus on your country (for instance, http://www.nicanet.org). It is important to be up on current events because demonstrating knowledge in this area show that you have more than a cursory interest in the country. Very likely you will learn about issues that are not covered in mainstream media, and intimate knowledge of current events, ongoing debates, and challenges in your country will give you a good hook (more in "think big" section).

It would also be helpful to talk with people who have traveled to your country, are from your country, or have done research there. They will be able to give you some background, guidance, and point you to the resources mentioned above.

2. Find a Mentor

Most universities should have a Fulbright Program Adviser (FPA) whose job it is to help students with the application process. I was especially fortunate in that I already knew the FPA at my university and had worked with him doing student organizing; he also happened to have had a Fulbright in Nicaragua, and was thus a natural mentor. It is unlikely that the stars will align like this for most people, but you can still find the help you need.  

For a mentor, find a professor who you are comfortable with and is willing to work with you over the course of the rather long and arduous application process. Ideally, you should work with someone who is in your field, is familiar with your country or at least region, and/or has had a Fulbright. Any professor can help you tighten your prose and strengthen your ideas, and I suggest sending later copies of your proposal to a few people - outside of my FPA I asked 2 others to read my later drafts and got very valuable feedback that significantly influenced my proposal. Like all grants, however, the Fulbright is looking for specific information written with a particular formula. Not all professors will be familiar with the format, so while their insight will be helpful, you should also get detailed input from someone familiar with the application process.

3. Find a Supportive Affiliation

At least one in-country affiliation is required for all countries (as far as I know - again, you should look at your country requirements). A local university will generally serve as a strong affiliation, but you may also be able to use a non-governmental organization, archives, government institution, etc. The latter types of affiliations serve mainly as good supplementary affiliations. Depending on the country, it can strengthen your application or even be required to have more than one institution if you are dealing with politically sensitive subjects. This was the case with my application to Nicaragua. I am affiliated with a branch of the most renowned national university, as well as an NGO called The Working World.

The Fulbright Program is reputable enough that most institutions will be happy to be able to say they are an affiliate of a grantee. While it is sufficient to have an institution that will simply sign off on your proposal, it is valuable to have one that will discuss your application with you and provide solid support when you arrive. I chose The Working World as an affiliate because I had worked with them as an intern in the past and I was comfortable with their model and team members. My time at the organization and the conversations I had with staff was very valuable in forming my research interests and writing my proposal – like traveling to the country, it gave me an otherwise inaccessible depth of knowledge. I was furthermore able to meet with a faculty member in my area at my affiliate university, and could mention him by name in my proposal. Another friend who is a finalist had two professors in her application with credentials in her area who had already endorsed her project.

4. Read Sample Proposals

As I mentioned, the formula for a Fulbright proposal is very specific, and you will not be successful unless you address each piece of information they are looking for, using a particular kind of language. On the IIE Fulbright site they give you a list of questions to answer in your Statement of Grant Purpose, but I found that reading and following the format of past applications to be far more helpful, both for the Personal Statement and Statement of Grant Purpose. I got two from my FPA, and also found some online, like these. Again, look to your mentor or FPA for formatting and ask them to help you cut superfluous information to make room for the essentials. The writing style may feel awkward, but it is more important for you fit the mold of a Fulbright Scholar than to express your individuality, especially in the Statement of Grant Purpose. The Personal Statement allows for more flexibility.

If you are a serious applicant and would like to take a look at my application documents I would be happy to share it with you. You can e-mail me at alanna.markle@gmail.com.

5. Think Big

Selling your research involves emphasizing that it is not only an important subject to you, but is also critical to the country. To draw your readers in, you need to create a strong hook early on that creates a sense of urgency around your project. This is where knowing current events and/or traveling to your country really comes in handy. If you can show that your research will shed new light on solving a critical issue the country is facing, your application will be taken more seriously. Again, this may feel awkward or overly confident, but confidence is key. Don't be afraid to develop a project that is ambitious. The hard part is winning the grant. Once you have it, you will be free to reshape your project as you see fit or scale it down.

One example of drawing on critical current events is the case of a grantee from my university who won a grant to Syria to study how extension agents were addressing the growing problem of wheat rust. At that point, Syria was on the verge of a famine as a result of the disease, and she was able to use this threat to emphasize the significant of her project. She won the grant, but was unable to go as a result of the Arab Spring, which some in turn attribute to issues of food insecurity partially as a result of poor agricultural yields. 

Finally, apply for other funding. If you want to do a big project you may need additional funding for research assistants, extending your stay, and other resources. I didn't go this route, but one of the current Fulbrighters in Nicaragua has done this, and plans to stay for several months longer than our 10 month grant period. The other argument for this approach is that you might not get the Fulbright, a highly competitive grant, so it's good to have a plan B if you're set on traveling. I’m by no means an expert in this area, but there should be sources at your university  IIE also has resources on other travelfunding opportunities.

6. Be Flexible, and Give Yourself Plenty of Time

Applying for a Fulbright is an arduous task that should not be taken lightly. It will require seemingly endless revision, and your original ideas/drafts may change significantly over time. The Statement of Grant purpose will be the most time consuming piece. It is 2 pages, single spaced, which challenges you to be very specific and deliberate in what you choose to include and exclude. Every sentence must be well written, well researched, and contribute to the larger document in a significant way. If you're working on the application over the course of several months, you may gain new knowledge that changes your perspective or the way you want to frame your research. It's a fluid process, and one of the biggest challenges can be going with the flow and being open to change.

Furthermore, you must be willing to accept criticism and incorporate it into your statements. Again, the idea is to win the grant, and grant writing is different than other types of writing in that it does not allow much space for creativity (albeit a little). While you shouldn't sell out your ideas, I believe it's important to be willing to defer to the judgment of the FPA and others with experience in winning grants.

In regards to timing, plan to basically spend the entire summer before you apply working on the application. The national deadline will be in October, but your institutional deadline may be earlier - be sure you are aware of both of these dates. I worked on my Statement of Grant Purpose starting in May, when I was in Nicaragua, and was still doing my final edits in the hours before it was due, nitpicking over things like word order and sentence structure.

In the end it has most certainly paid off, but I spent countless hours preparing what felt like, in the end, a relatively small application. The original drafts of my statements looked almost nothing like the final versions, which combined aspects of my research, experience in Nicaragua, local voices, and the input of professors and other mentors. I certainly could not have done it alone, and you don't have to either. What you do have to do, though, is give yourself and those assisting you time to produce a document of outstanding quality.