Fulbright Grants for Study/Research*
| Initial Bowdoin Deadline: | September 23, 2009 (noon) |
| Campus Interview: | September 25 & 29 and October 1 & 2, 2009 |
| Final Bowdoin Deadline: | October 15, 2009 (noon) |
| Web site: | www.iie.org/fulbright |
| Campus Contact: | Cindy Stocks, Director of Student Fellowships and Research |
Description.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge and skills. U.S. Student Fulbright Study/Research grants are the traditional Fulbright awards and offer the greatest flexibility. Each year the Fulbright Program for Study/Research allows approximately 1,000 Americans to study or conduct research in any field in over 140 nations. The majority of grant awards are designed to conduct study and/or research in one country for an academic year. Applicants design their own programs, which may include university coursework, independent library or field research, professional training in the arts and other fields, and/or a combination of these or other projects. In most cases, applicants for Study/Research grants must secure an affiliation in the host country at the time of application. Proposals are evaluated based upon the extent to which the candidate and the project might help advance the program’s aim of mutual understanding between nations.
Benefits.
Fulbright Study/Research grants generally provide round trip transportation; book and research allowances; maintenance for the academic year, based on living costs in the host country; supplemental health and accident coverage; tuition, in some cases; and language or orientation courses, where appropriate.
Eligibility.
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens at the time of application.
- Applicants must hold a B.A. degree or the equivalent before the start of the grant.
- Applicants must be in good health. Grantees will be required to submit a satisfactory Medical Certificate of Health from a physician.
- Applicants must have sufficient proficiency in the written and spoken language of the host country to communicate with the people and to carry out the proposed study. This is especially important for projects in the social sciences and the humanities.
- Preference will be given to those applicants who have undertaken their higher education primarily at educational institutions in the U.S. Foreign study during junior year or other periods of undergraduate study that are integral parts of the American institutions will not be considered a disadvantage.
- Preference will be given to those applicants who have not resided or studied in the country to which they are applying for more than six months.
Bowdoin’s Internal Selection Process. Please note that the Fulbright application must be created online.
By the “Initial Bowdoin Deadline” (see above), please bring to the Office of Student Fellowships and Research six collated packets of the following materials:
- Printouts of the online forms. Complete and print out the following forms from the Fulbright online application. Click on the “Preview” button and then print the applicable forms (do not “Submit” your application):
- Forms 1 – 3 Basic Data
- Form 4 Student Record Form
- Form 5 Statement of Grant Purpose (one typed, single-spaced page)
- Form 6 Personal Statement (one typed, single-spaced page)
- Form 7 Language Background Report **
- Form 7A Critical Language Enhancement Award Supplementary Form **
- Unofficial transcript (print off of Bearings)
In addition to the above:
- If applicable, Form 8, the Foreign Language Evaluation. Applicants must enter their language evaluator’s name and email address into the online application well in advance of the deadline. This triggers the online system to send an email with instructions to the evaluator. The evaluator must 1) complete the form online; 2) print, sign, and place the form in a sealed envelope to be given to the applicant; and 3) electronically submit the form.
- Three letters of recommendation. Applicants must not enter recommenders’ names or email addresses into the online application at this time.
Bowdoin is required to rate all Bowdoin applicants (scale is from 1 - 4; 1 = exceptional, 4 = not recommended); this is accomplished through a brief interview. If all of the above materials are submitted on time, you will be scheduled for a campus interview. Once the interview is complete, it is your responsibility to continue revising and collecting your materials.
Early in October, the Office of Student Fellowships and Research will notify applicants when they should enter the names and email addresses of their three recommenders into the online application. This will trigger the online system to send an email with instructions to each recommender. The recommender must: 1) complete online Form 9A; 2) print and sign Form 9A; 3) place the signed original document in a sealed envelope to be given to the applicant; and 4) electronically submit the form.
Materials for Final Consideration. The U.S. Fulbright Program requires that applicants file the application online. In addition, applicants must print out the final PDF version of the online application, compile all application components and submit the complete application package to the Office of Student Fellowships and Research, which will forward it Fulbright. Therefore, by the “Final Bowdoin Deadline” applicants must:
- Electronically submit a completed, online Fulbright application
- Provide the Office of Student Fellowships and Research with an original and one copy of:
- Forms 1 – 3 Basic Data
- Form 4 Student Record Form
- Form 5 Statement of Grant Purpose (one typed, single-spaced page)
- Form 6 Personal Statement (one typed, single-spaced page)
- Form 7 Language Background Report **
- Form 7A Critical Language Enhancement Award Supplementary Form **
- Form 11 Creative and Performing Arts Supplementary form and Materials**
- Letters of Affiliation **
- Provide the Office of Student Fellowships and Research with one original of:
- Form 8 Foreign Language Evaluation ** (should have been submitted by the Initial Bowdoin Deadline)
- Form 9A/Letters of Recommentation (3). Form 9A is a coversheet that is generated when the reviewer prints an uploaded reference letter from the Online Application System. Each reviewer should provide the applicant with a signed printout of a completed Form 9A and an original signed copy of the letter of recommendation. A single copy of both documents should be placed in an envelope, with the reviewer's signature across the flap, and given to the applicant.
- Original transcripts from all institutions of higher education you have attended, including foreign institutions. Order these early as they are not typically processed quickly!
- The Office of Student Fellowships and Research will add Form 10, the Campus Committee Evaluation Form, to your electronically submitted application and to your hard copy. This will complete your application packet
Please note that applicants are responsible for all photocopying needed for the internal selection process and as required by the foundation.
*Information derived from www.iie.org/fulbright
**Include where applicable