Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright Program received its name from Senator J. William Fulbright, who, in 1945, introduced a bill in the U.S. Congress to use surplus war property to fund the “promotion of international good will through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture, and science.”  Loyal to the Fulbright mission, the U.S. Student Program seeks to foster cross-cultural exchange and understanding through grants for Study/Research Projects or English Teaching Assistantships in over 140 countries.

Established in 2011, the Fulbright-Fogarty Award in Public Health is a partnership between the Fulbright Program and the Fogarty International Center of the U.S. National Institutes of Health to expand research in public health, with particular emphasis on areas with limited resources. Current graduate students in the health sciences are eligible to apply.

The Critical Language Enhancement Award supplements the Study/Research Grants by providing 3-6 months of intensive language study in designated languages.

For more information regarding the types of student grants, please visit this webpage.

The Study/Research Projects and English Teaching Assistantships target rising undergraduate seniors and recent graduates with less than 5 years of experience or formal study in the area in which they are applying.  Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree by the commencement of the grant period.

The Fulbright-Fogarty Awards seek current graduate students in the health sciences.

Visit the Fulbright Eligibility webpage for a complete list of eligibility requirements.

Applicants compose their application package during the late spring and summer prior to one’s senior year.  However, students should begin the process of identifying the type of grant and geographical location as early as possible as some grant programs require letters of endorsement from the host country.  The deadline is early October of every year.

Applications are submitted online through the Embark website.

Interested students should contact FMU’s Fulbright Program Adviser, Dr. Wendy Caldwell (wcaldwell@fmarion.edu), to discuss the competition and application process.  The following are important steps to narrow your focus:

• Consult the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website to determine the grant type that best fits your goals.
• Review the Country Summaries and narrow the list to three countries.
• Talk with your professors.
• Set up an Embark Registration profile HERE
• Participate in the free Webinars and Information Sessions provided by the Institute of International Education HERE
• Plan early.
• Pay attention to deadlines. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

For more information about the Fulbright Program at Francis Marion, contact Fulbright Program Advisor Dr. Wendy Caldwell.