About
The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program offers more than 380 awards in more than 120 countries for U.S. citizens to teach, conduct research, and carry out professional projects around the world. Opportunities are available for university faculty and administrators as well as for professionals. While the majority of awards support a single round-trip to one country, Fulbright increasingly offers flexible awards and multi-country opportunities. The Institute of International Education (IIE) administers this program on behalf of the U.S. State Department.
Award Dates and Duration
In-country dates for most grants range from one semester (4-5 months) to one academic year (9-10 months) in length, but some grants may be as short as 2 months or as long as 12 months. An increasing number of grants have a Flex option, which allows for multiple short (1-3 month) segments over 24 months.
Application Deadline
Application for the 2027-28 award cycle is currently open and is due September 15, 2026, 5pm EST.
Application Submission
Applicants must apply directly to IIE using their online application system.
Eligibility Criteria
- U.S. citizenship (permanent residents not eligible)
- PhD or appropriate equivalent professional or terminal degree (including a master’s degree in some fields).
- Non-academic applicants need recognized professional standing and substantial professional accomplishments.
- Must have relevant academic teaching experience for teaching awards.
- Some countries require sufficient foreign-language competence.
- Some countries require a letter of support from a host institution based in the country for which you are applying.
Support from UW Global
UW Global is here to provide help with identifying awards, informational overviews for individual awards, brainstorming sessions, editorial assistance, and general advice on how to tailor your project idea.
- To request an advising appointment, please email sarakatz@uw.edu.
Online Resources
Fulbright provides many useful resources on their website.
- Detailed criteria and descriptions of each component of the application. Read this carefully before embarking on your application.
- The Fulbright award directory can help you identify people in your field and at the UW who have recently won these awards.
- Register for an upcoming Fulbright webinar – some of these are targeted around specific awards, some are broad office hours, and others provide practical assistance such as writing workshops.
- Watch archived recorded webinars.