- August 22, 2023
- 12:18 pm
What is a Fulbright Scholarship?
Fulbright fellowships are one of the most coveted, prestigious and competitive scholarships for educational exchange programs between the United States and other countries.
The Fulbright scholarship covers tuition costs, travel expenses, and living expenses. Students and professionals from over 155 countries worldwide are eligible for the Fulbright fellowship.
Fulbright Fellowships Available for Indian Citizens
Fulbright scholarship for Indian citizens include the:
- Fulbright Nehru Scholarship
- Fulbright Kalam Climate Fellowship
- Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program
- Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Program
- Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program
- Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program
- Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers
These Fulbright Fellowships include:
- Student Awards: For pursuing either a master’s degree in a U.S. university or visiting a U.S. university as a student researcher in the field of study specified in the scholarship eligibility and requirements.
- Scholar and teacher awards: Professionals, teachers and academics can either teach or conduct research in a U.S. university.
- Professional Development Program: These are for university administrators aimed at developing leadership and specialised skills.
Important:
- Applicants can apply for only one Fulbright Nehru Scholarship category during one application cycle.
- Applicants cannot apply for the Fulbright Nehru Scholarship and the Fulbright Kalam Scholarship in the same academic year.
Fulbright Nehru Scholarship
The Fulbright Nehru Scholarship is awarded to masters, doctoral and postdoctoral students with excellent academic records.
Here is a brief overview of the Fulbright Nehru Scholarship for each, masters, doctoral and postdoctoral, program
Fulbright Nehru Master’s Fellowship:
The Fulbright Nehru scholarship for masters is awarded to deserving Indian students to pursue a master’s degree at select universities in the U.S.
The areas of study covered under the Fulbright Nehru Master’s Scholarship include:
- Economics
- Women’s Studies/Gender Studies.
- Journalism and Mass Communication
- Environmental Science/Studies
- Urban and Regional Planning
- Higher Education Administration
- International Affairs
- International Legal Studies
- Arts and Culture Management (including Heritage Conservation and Museum Studies)
- Public Administration
- Public Health
General Requirements for the Fulbright Scholarship India:
- The fellowship is granted to Indian citizens who can undertake the responsibility of providing a holistic and fair picture of the Indian culture and civilisation, helping to foster genuine friendship and professional connections between the people of USA and India.
- The applicant, even though being an Indian citizen, should not have an active permanent resident status of any foreign country.
- The applicant must not be residing in the United State during the recruitment process for the fellowship and during the placement cycle.
- The applicant should demonstrate a good proficiency in English to be able to study in or carry out research in the United States and adjust to life there.
- Candidates should have an excellent academic and/or professional record.
- If the applicant is employed, he or she must be eligible for leave.
- The applicant must inform USIEF of any plans to travel abroad for fellowships or conferences during the application cycle.
- The applicant must not be applying for a green card or holding permanent residence in the U.S.
- The applicant must sign an undertaking ensuring to return to India on completion of the fellowship.
Eligibility Requirements for the Fulbright Scholarship India:
- The applicant must have completed an equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a recognised Indian university with minimum 55%, i.e., a four years bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree completed. If the bachelor’s degree is less than 4 years, the applicant should have completed a full time post graduate diploma from a recognised Indian institution.
- An applicant is not eligible for the Fulbright scholarship India if he or she has another degree from a U.S. university or is pursuing a degree from a U.S. university.
- The applicant must have a minimum paid work experience of 3 years which is relevant to the field of study he or she is applying for during the fellowship.
- The applicant should have contributed to the community through community service and should show leadership qualities.
- If employed, the employer must clearly indicate that leave will be granted to the applicant during the fellowship period if selected for the same.
Grant Benefits of the Fulbright Scholarship India:
- J1 visa support
- Round-trip economy class air travel from home city to host institution in the U.S.
- Funds for tuition and fees
- Living expenses and related costs
- Medical coverage as per the U.S. government guidelines
* For dependents of the fellow, no financial support will be provided in the Fulbright Nehru Scholarship.*
How to apply for the Fulbright Nehru Master’s Fellowship?
To apply for the Fulbright Nehru scholarships, applicants need to submit applications online at
Timeline and the Placement Process:
May 17, 2023 | Application Deadline |
End June 2023 | Review of applications |
End July 2023 | Applicants are notified about the review outcome by USIEF |
End August 2023 | Interviews of short-listed candidates conducted |
End August 2023 | Notification to principal and alternate nominees by USIEF. Nominees take tests such as TOEFL and GRE and other required exams |
October 2023 | Applications of USIEF recommended candidates are forwarded to the U.S. for J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) approval and placement |
March/April 2024 | Notification to the finalists about the FFSB approval by USIEF |
May/June 2024 | Pre-Departure Orientation |
July/August 2024 | Pre-academic training in the U.S., if required |
August/September 2024 | Beginning of Degree program |
Fulbright Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship:
The areas of study covered under the Fulbright Nehru Doctoral Research Scholarship include:
- Agricultural Sciences
- Anthropology
- Bioengineering
- Chemistry
- Computer Science (including cyber security, digital economy, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data analytics)
- Materials Science (with emphasis on environmental applications
- Neurosciences
- Mathematical Sciences
- Earth Sciences
- Physics
- Energy Studies
- Public Policy
- Sociology
- Political Science (including, International Security and Strategic Studies)
- History
- Education Policy and Planning
- Language/Literature/Linguistics
- Psychology
- Women’s and Gender Studies
- Performing Arts
- Visual Arts
- Public Health (including, pandemic preparedness and comprehensive surveillance (genomic surveillance, sewage surveillance, sero-surveillance))
- Urban and Regional Planning (with emphasis on smart cities and waste management)
Time Duration of the Fulbright Nehru Doctoral Research Scholarship:
This fellowship is awarded for six to eight months to Indian citizens pursuing PhD at a registered Indian institution.
General Requirements for the Fulbright Scholarship India:
The general requirements for the Fulbright Nehru Scholarship for Doctoral Research are the same as those for the master’s fellowship. Click here to find out the General Requirements for the Fulbright Scholarship India.
Eligibility Requirements for the Fulbright Scholarship India:
- The Fulbright-Nehru scholarship is awarded for pre-doctoral level research, which implies that applicants with a PhD degree or those in the final stages of their PhD thesis submission are not eligible for this fellowship.
- The applicant should be registered for a PhD program at an Indian institution.
- One of the recommendation letters on the online application form should be from the PhD supervisor highlighting the research work done by the applicant so far, the applicant’s need for scholarship and should indicate applicant’s PhD registration date and topic.
- On the online application form, the applicant has to submit his or her original published or presented papers or extracts, not exceeding 20 pages, from the Master’s/M.Phil thesis.
- The aim of the grant is to help PhD students conduct research for their thesis or dissertations. Hence, it is required that the expected PhD thesis submission date should be a minimum of three months after the time duration of the fellowship grant is completed.
- In the application annexure, the applicant has to mention the PhD registration date and the expected PhD thesis submission date.
- If employed, the employer must clearly indicate that leave will be granted to the applicant during the fellowship period if selected for the same.
Grant Benefits of the Fulbright Nehru Scholarship for Doctoral Research:
- J1 visa
- Medical coverage as per the U.S. government guidelines
- Monthly stipend
- Round-trip air travel in economy class
- Allowances and affiliation fees, if any
- Selected scholars have the opportunity to audit non-degree courses, conduct research and also gain practical work experience in the U.S.
*The fellowship does not provide grant for dependents of the applicant.*
How to apply for the Fulbright Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship?
Applicants need to submit an online application for the Fulbright Nehru Doctoral Research Scholarship at
Timeline and the Placement Process:
July 17, 2023 | Application deadline |
End August 2023 | Review of applications |
End September 2023 | Applicants are informed about the review outcome by USIEF |
Mid-October 2023 | Interviews of short-listed candidates |
End October 2023 | Principal and alternate nominees are notified by the USIEF. Nominees take TOEFL. |
December 2023 | Applications of recommended candidates to the U.S. for J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) are forwarded by USIEF for approval and placement |
March/April 2024 | Finalists are notified by the USIEF about the FFSB approval |
May/June 2024 | Pre-Departure Orientation |
July/August 2024 | Pre-academic training in the U.S. (if required) |
August/September 2024 | Beginning of the Program
|
Fulbright Nehru Postdoctoral Research Fellowship:
Overview:
The Fulbright Nehru Postdoctoral Research Fellowship is granted to Indian faculties and researchers who are currently in the early stages of their research careers in India.
Through this scholarship, the postdoctoral fellows have access to the best resources to carry out research in their area of study and interest. The aim of the scholarship is to help the postdoctoral fellows build long-term holistic and professional relationships with U.S. faculty and institutions.
Time Duration of the Fulbright Nehru Postdoctoral Research Scholarship:
The time duration of this fellowship is between eight to 24 months.
While submitting the online application, the applicant will have to mention the time duration for completing the proposed project in the U.S.
He or she has to be careful while determining the grant. This is because if the applicant is selected for a grant, it will be provided for the time duration mentioned while submitting the application. This time duration cannot be changed.
The areas of study covered under the Fulbright Nehru Postdoctoral Research Scholarship include:
- Agricultural Sciences;
- Anthropology;
- Bioengineering;
- Chemistry;
- Computer Science (including cyber security, digital economy, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data analytics);
- Materials Science (with emphasis on environmental applications);
- Neurosciences;
- Mathematical Sciences;
- Earth Sciences;
- Physics;
- Energy Studies;
- Public Policy;
- Sociology;
- Political Science (including, International Security and Strategic Studies);
- History;
- Economics;
- Education Policy and Planning;
- Language/Literature/Linguistics;
- Psychology;
- Women’s and Gender Studies;
- Performing Arts;
- Visual Arts;
- Public Health (including, pandemic preparedness and comprehensive surveillance (genomic surveillance, sewage surveillance, sero-surveillance));
- Urban and Regional Planning (with emphasis on smart cities and waste management);
General Requirements for the Fulbright Scholarship India:
The general prerequisites for the Fulbright Nehru Scholarship for Postdoctoral Research are the same as those for the master’s and the doctoral fellowship. Click here to find out the General Requirements for the Fulbright Scholarship India.
Eligibility Requirements for the Fulbright Scholarship India:
- The applicant should have completed his or her PhD or a D.M. degree within the past four years of applying. While submitting the online application, the applicant will have to upload his or her PhD or D.M. degree certificate or provisional PhD certificate.
- An excellent academic and professional record is strongly recommended to be awarded this scholarship.
- The applicant should also have a publication in a reputed journal. She or he will have to upload an extract, not exceeding 30 pages, from a recent noteworthy publication of his or hers.
- If employed, the employer must clearly indicate that leave will be granted to the applicant during the fellowship period if selected for the same.
The applicants are required to get endorsement from the appropriate administrative authority on the FNPostdoc Letter of Support from Home Institution.
Even if the applicant is working on a project funded by the government, they are still required to get endorsements from their affiliated institutions in India.
Grant Benefits of the Fulbright Nehru Scholarship for Postdoctoral Research:
- J1 visa
- Medical coverage as per the U.S. government guidelines
- Monthly stipend
- Round-trip air travel in economy class
- Adequate setting-in allowance
- If there is availability of funds, applicants might get allowances and international travelling costs covered for one eligible accompanying dependent with a guarantee in the U.S. for at least 80 percent of the applicant’s grant period as a fellow.
How to apply for the Fulbright Nehru Postdoctoral Research Fellowship?
Applicants need to submit an online application for the Fulbright Nehru Postdoctoral Research Scholarship at
Timeline and the Placement Process:
July 17, 2023 | Application deadline |
End August 2023 | Review of applications |
End September 2023 | Applicants are informed about the review outcome by USIEF |
Mid-October 2023 | Interviews of short-listed candidates |
End October 2023 | Principal and alternate nominees are notified by the USIEF. Nominees take TOEFL. |
December 2023 | Applications of recommended candidates to the U.S. for J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) are forwarded by USIEF for approval and placement |
March/April 2024 | Finalists are notified by the USIEF about the FFSB approval |
May/June 2024 | Pre-Departure Orientation |
July/August 2024 | Pre-academic training in the U.S. (if required) |
August/September 2024 | Beginning of the Program
|
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