Fulbright US Student Programs

• Last year’s competition saw over 11,000 applications.
• We anticipate that the Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health WILL be available for the 2026-27 competition; however, it is generally updated in the summer.
• 1,800+ awards expected for the 2025-26 competition:  800+ Study/Research grants to ~140 countries and 1,000+ ETAs to ~75 countries. (These number represent a decrease in the number of about 300 awards from the previous competitions.
• Still NO Fulbright program in the People’s Republic of China, including Hong Kong and Macau. The Malaysia ETA remains suspended.
• “Undersubscribed” means that the award is less competitive than other competitions and more applications are desired.

• ETA Programs (by region)
• Field-Specific Awards and Graduate Degrees

• Malaysia, China, and India ETAs remain suspended
• More Study/Research applications are needed in the arts — Fulbright could offer more awards if there were more qualified candidates!
• ETA applicants: demonstrate a SINCERE interest in teaching and in the host country — gap-year projects not wanted
• Taiwan has added two new graduate programs: 1 MS in Biodiversity and 5 Master’s Degree Program Awards in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language.
• Many programs want rural Americans to go to rural regions
• Under-subscribed Programs
  • Study/Research: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand (fifth year in a row) ; graduate degrees in S. Korea and Taiwan (two new programs)
  • ETA: Indonesia, Mongolia (fourth year in a row), Timor-Leste (third year), Papua New Guinea

• Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine programs remain suspended
• Continued interest in media literacy and combatting disinformation in the region
• Under-subscribed ETA Programs: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Moldova
• Under-subscribed S/R Programs: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovak Republic

• University (study) applications and requirements vary; students should read award descriptions closely
• New awards: NAF-Fulbright/Heersink Family Foundation Fellowship in Global Health; NAF-Fulbright G. Polder and Ch. Strapper Fellowship in Dutch and Netherlandish Art; Fulbright/Northumbria University Award in Art & Design
• Undersubscribed S/R programs: Doctoral awards in Greece, France, Finland, Iceland, and Ireland.

• ETA program to India remains suspended for 2025-2026 (but not the S/R program)
• Continued growth in the number of ETA awards to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan
• Undersubscribed: Study/research awards in all the countries
• General focus on English teaching, disinformation, and media literacy in central Asia
• Candidates must exemplify maturity & flexibility and have realistic expectations
• Foreign language proficiency recommended (but not required) in several Central Asian countries

• Grantees should be culturally sensitive, flexible, adaptive, patient, and self-sufficient
• Most countries within the region require government and/or research clearances that may need additional documents and time (particularly Oman and Egypt)
• The most competitive awards remain: Jordan, Morocco, and Israel
• Undersubscribed: Saudi Arabia ETA; Bahrain study/research (for the third year); Kuwait S/Rs (for the fourth year);
• New award: Egypt Arabic Language Study at CAASIC

• Regional quota – no specific, pre-determined number of awards per country
• Study/research applicants should read the award descriptions carefully as the degree level requirements and affiliation letter guidelines vary by country
• Applicants must exemplify adaptability, patience, and maturity
• Undersubscribed programs:
  • Study/research: Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Zimbabwe
  • ETA: Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Zimbabwe

• Canada seeks applicants doing cutting-edge research
• Undersubscribed ETA: Honduras and Paraguay (perennially)
• Undersubscribed S/R: Bolivia, Chile Science Initiative Award, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Paraguay,  COMEXUS Public Policy Initiative, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay

Offered sporadically, this fellowship is in partnership with the Fogarty International Center of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). It seeks to promote the expansion of research in public health and clinical research in resource-limited settings.

Applicants must be currently enrolled in medical school (having completed M3) or in a doctoral graduate program (with master’s-level requirements and post-qualifying exams) with an interest in global health. Besides the MD and PhD, eligible doctoral degrees include, but are not limited to: DMD, DC, DO, DVM, OD, DPM, ScD, EngD, DrPH, DNSc, DPT, PharmD, ND, DSW, PsyD, JD, and Doctorate of Philosophy in Nursing. Health-professional students who wish to interrupt their studies for a year or more to engage in full-time research training before completing their formal training programs are also eligible.

Eligible countries for the 2025-2026 competition: Ecuador*, Ethiopia, Ghana, Jamaica, Malawi, Nepal, ,  Peru, Nepal, Thailand*, Uganda, and Vietnam. (*=new) An applicant applies for the S/R in one of those countries, proposes their own research to conduct within the mentored framework of the Fogarty host.

• Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowship in Public Health

This Award makes additional funding and resources available to enhance the reach and impact of your Fulbright experience.

Fulbright applicants go through the normal process for a “research” award and check a box in the application for NatGeo. Their Statement of Grant Purpose should not be framed in terms of “I need the NatGeo.” Do not gear the SGP toward NatGeo; however, storytelling and scalability might be mentioned. Semi-finalists will be invited to submit additional materials in late January / early February 2025.

Proposals should propose an in-depth examination of a globally relevant issue as an add-on to your Fulbright Open Study/Research project. NatGeo focus areas are: Ocean, Land, Wildlife, Human History & Cultures, and Human Ingenuity, with funding opportunities in the fields of conservation, research, storytelling, education, and technology. Competitive applicants will either be:

• Researchers, educators, conservationists, or technologists who require additional funds to broaden or deepen their Fulbright project;
• Researchers, educators, conservationists, or technologists interested in building a science communication component into their proposed Fulbright project. If so, they should develop a clearly outlined plan delineating their intended audience and method of communication, providing an easily accessible portfolio showcasing previous communication work; or
• Storytellers (artists, journalists, photographers, writers, filmmakers, and other storytellers) who require additional funds to broaden or deepen their Fulbright project.

Successful Fulbright-National Geographic applicants, in addition to receiving standard Fulbright US Study/Research Award benefits and additional grant funds, will join the National Geographic Society’s global community of Explorers and gain access to resources such as training opportunities, regional Explorer events, and dedicated staff support. As a recipient of this award, you will have the chance to work with National Geographic Society staff to present your work through speaking opportunities and pitch stories for potential media coverage. The National Geographic Society expects to select up to five awardees.

The National Geographic Society uses the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. The Fulbright-National Geographic Award seeks individuals leveraging science, technology, and storytelling to help protect species-at-risk, better understand human history and culture, conserve our planet’s land and oceans, and build a more sustainable future. Applicants with a talent for and interest in storytelling are of particular interest.

• NatGeo

CLEA is going through a transition period.

• CLEA info

• Need quick information about potential host countries? Try the CIA Handbook.
• Tips on writing personal statements.
• Finding the right type of award.
• Top 5 blog posts from Fulbright recipients (2020)