Deadline: December 1 (at noon CET)
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. Via the program, competitively-selected American citizens including students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists, and artists may receive scholarships or grants to study, conduct research, teach, or exercise their talents abroad; and citizens of other countries may qualify to do the same in the United States.
The program was founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946 and is considered to be one of the most widely recognized and prestigious scholarships in the world.[1] The program provides approximately 8,000 grants annually, comprising roughly 1,600 to U.S. students, 1,200 to U.S. scholars, 4,000 to foreign students, 900 to foreign visiting scholars, and several hundred to teachers and professionals.[2]
The Fulbright Program is administered by cooperating organizations such as the Institute of International Education and operates in over 160 countries around the world. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State sponsors the Fulbright Program and receives funding from the United States Congress via annual appropriation bills. Additional direct and in-kind support comes from partner governments, foundations, corporations, and host institutions both in and outside the U.S. In 49 countries, a bi-national Fulbright Commission administers and oversees the Fulbright Program. In countries that have an active program but no Fulbright Commission, the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy oversees the Fulbright Program. More than 370,000 people have participated in the program since it began; 62 Fulbright alumni have won Nobel Prizes; 88 have won Pulitzer Prizes.
As part of the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program, the Fulbright-NATO Security Studies Award aims to foster awareness and understanding of NATO and to increase the level of debate on peace, security, and defense related issues. This award funds post-doctoral researchers, professors and professionals to conduct research and/or lecture at a U.S. institution for a period of three months in fields of study with a connection to NATO, including but not limited to cybersecurity, military history, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, peace and security, security studies, and transatlantic studies. Applicants must present a letter of affiliation from an accredited university or non-profit research institution and must demonstrate in their Project Statement that their proposed research/course is relevant to NATO.
Benefits
- Scholarship of 9,000 euro for 3 months
- J-1 visa sponsorship
- Pre-departure support
- Travel stipend of 2,000 euro
- Health benefit plan
- In-country programming
- Prestigious title and access to alumni network
Eligibility
- Citizenship in a NATO member country (excluding the U.S.)
- Proficiency in English
- Minimum of a doctoral degree (PhD) or other terminal degree
- Academic excellence or outstanding personal or professional background
All these documents must be included in your application by December 1. Please note that we do not require supplemental forms such as a letter from your home institution or official test results (e.g. TOEFL).
How to apply
The application period to apply for this grant is between September 15 and December 1, 2023 for a research and/or lecturing stay starting in the academic year of 2024-2025. Note that the 3-month program must take place from September 1, 2024 to November 30, 2024!
Every applicant needs to complete an online application in English by noon (Central European Time) on December 1 including the required documents. No papers should be mailed to our office and it is not required for applicants to contact us before starting their application. Incomplete applications will not be considered for an award. When creating an online account to start a new application, preferably use a personal email address instead of a temporary work or school address.
IMPORTANT!
When filling out the initial fields of the online application in the ‘Preliminary Questions’ section, applicants MUST select ‘NATO’ as the Program Country. This indicates that you are applying for a Fulbright-NATO award and ensures that your application is sent to our office and not to a different Fulbright Commission. In the ‘Country Information’ section you also need to specify that you are applying for the Fulbright-NATO Security Studies Award. We strongly encourage you to send us an email after submitting your application to make sure that our office has received your application.
Required documents
- Americanized CV
- 3-5 page single-spaced Project Statement (please ensure to demonstrate relevancy to NATO!)
- 1-3 page Bibliography of References relevant to the proposed research
- Diploma of most recent degree including transcripts with completed coursework. (certified translation in English unless the original documents are in Dutch, French or German)
- Three letters of recommendation (uploaded directly into online application by chosen recommenders)
- Letter of affiliation from a U.S. host institution; this letter should contain the institution’s letterhead, mention the exact dates (or academic term), the objective of your research stay as well as any facilities you will have access to during your grant
Keep in mind that the primary goal of this award is to foster awareness and understanding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and to increase the level of debate on peace, security, and defense related issues at institutions of higher education in the United States and Europe. Research and/or lecturing proposals should have a strong connection to NATO, including but not limited to cybersecurity, military history, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, peace and security, security studies, and transatlantic studies.
Candidates are responsible for arranging affiliation on their own with an accredited U.S. university or non-profit research institution (e.g. research institutions or facilities, think tanks). The most competitive applicants for Fulbright awards demonstrate ambassadorial qualities and a genuine interest in cultural exchange. It is important for candidates to be able to articulate a clear, creative, and feasible plan for their time in the United States and to explain why right now is the right time to pursue this plan and how their grant will ultimately help them achieve their personal and professional goals in the future. The Commission is looking for candidates who will have a multiplier effect within their communities and who wish to ultimately return to their home country to share their newfound knowledge and experience after their grant has ended.
Note that U.S. citizens are not eligible to apply for this award and instead should look for opportunities via the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.
