Harvard Griffin GSAS students are encouraged to apply for the Fulbright US Student Program for study and/or research in over 140 countries worldwide with a focus on cultural exchange through direct interactions with members of the host community. The fellowship is offered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) on behalf of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Applying for the Fulbright US Student Program involves several steps in coordination with Harvard Griffin GSAS, which reviews applications submitted to the IIE, schedules interviews with applicants, and finally releases submitted applications to IIE for consideration. Consequently, Harvard Griffin GSAS campus deadlines are well before the Fulbright deadline in October. To register for the Fulbright US Student Program application process and join the applicants’ Canvas site, email Dr. Jeannette Miller at the beginning of the application cycle in May.
When deciding to apply, students should choose one of three options:
- Participate in the Fellowships & Writing Center feedback process (Deadline A) to receive three rounds of feedback. The intent form for an advising appointment must be submitted by June 20, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. (ET).
- Participate in the Fellowships & Writing Center feedback process (Deadline B) to receive one round of feedback. The intent form for an advising appointment must be submitted by August 5, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. (ET).
- Complete the application on their own and submit it to the Fulbright online application portal by the Harvard Griffin GSAS campus deadline of September 6, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. (ET).
See Application Process below for more information.
Eligibility and Preferred Qualifications
- Applicants must be enrolled in Harvard Griffin GSAS and be US citizens or nationals at the time of application. Please review the ineligibility section on the Fulbright website regarding the eligibility of dual citizens.
- Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent before the beginning date of the grant. Applicants may not hold a doctoral degree (except an MD or a JD) at the time of application.
- Applicants must meet the language requirements of the award to which they are applying and demonstrate sufficient competency to complete their project and adjust to life in the host country.
- In most countries, preference is given to candidates who have not resided or studied in the country to which they are applying for more than six months, not counting undergraduate study abroad. For most programs, applicants who have had extensive, recent previous foreign experience in the host country are at a competitive disadvantage but are still eligible to apply.
- Candidates who have received most of their undergraduate education at institutions in the US will receive preference. Foreign study during the junior year or other periods of undergraduate study that are integral parts of the curricula of American institutions will not be considered a disadvantage.
- Strong preference is given to students who have not previously held a Fulbright grant.
Tenure and Stipend
Most grants are awarded for programs of study or research over an academic year. Grantees are affiliated with institutions of higher learning in the host countries. In most cases, graduate students are engaged in independent research and are responsible for arranging their own institutional affiliations. For further details on institutional options, see the individual country summaries.
The stipend includes:
- roundtrip transportation to the host country
- funding for room, board, and incidental costs, based on the cost of living in the host country
- accident and sickness health benefits.
In some countries, grants may also include:
- book and research allowances*
- mid-term enrichment activities
- full or partial tuition
- language study programs
- pre-departure and in-country orientations.
*Grantees with projects requiring extensive research support, in-country travel, study materials, or equipment should explore additional funding from other sources to supplement the Fulbright funding.
Application Process
Enrolled Harvard Griffin GSAS students interested in being considered for the Fulbright US Student Program must submit a completed application to the Fulbright online application portal by the Harvard Griffin GSAS campus deadline of Friday, September 6, 2024. Students who meet the campus deadline will be invited for an interview in the second half of September. After the interview, Harvard Griffin GSAS will forward submitted applications to the IIE for consideration.
To apply, you should:
- Visit the IIE website to learn more about the Fulbright US Student Program and the countries to which you may apply.
- Attend a Fulbright information session (typically late May) and a Fulbright essay writing workshop (typically late June). Dates are advertised in the Fellowships & Writing Center newsletter.
- Email Dr. Jeannette Miller in late May to request access to the Fulbright Canvas site, which is how Harvard Griffin GSAS disseminates information and collects materials.
- Choose an application submission option and observe the appropriate deadlines.
- Participate in the Fellowships & Writing Center feedback process (Deadline A*) to receive three rounds of feedback on your Statement of Grant Purpose (SOP). Deadline A requires that you submit your intent form for an advising appointment by 9:00 a.m. (ET) on June 20, 2024, then the first draft of your SOP by 9:00 a.m. (ET) on July 11, 2024. You will receive three rounds of feedback on your SOP and two rounds of feedback on your Personal Statement (PS).
- Participate in the Fellowships & Writing Center feedback process (Deadline B*) to receive one round of feedback. Deadline B requires that you submit your intent form for an advising appointment by 9:00 a.m. (ET) on August 5, 2024, then the first draft of your SOP and your PS by 9:00 a.m. (ET) on August 19, 2024. You will receive one round of feedback on both essays.
- Complete the application on your own and submit it to the Fulbright online application portal by September 6, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. (ET).
*If you do not submit essays for deadline A or deadline B, you may still apply for the Fulbright through Harvard by meeting the campus deadline, but the FWC won’t offer you feedback on your materials.
Application Materials
The Fulbright application includes:
- completed application form, including short-answer questions
- a two-page, single-spaced Statement of Grant Purpose and a one-page, single-spaced Personal Statement
- three references to be uploaded by the referees
- one PDF containing transcripts from every institution you attended
- a letter of affiliation from the professor at your host institution whom you will work with
- for candidates applying to non-Anglophone countries, a Foreign Language Evaluation completed by a professional language teacher (or for less commonly taught languages, a professor who is fluent in the language) and a Language Self Evaluation Form.
Applicants in the creative and performing arts must submit samples of their work.
Human Subjects Research
Research projects that include an element of risk to human subjects must be reviewed by the Committee on the Use of Human Subjects, which is the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the University. Information about the committee, its definition of “risk,” its meeting schedules, and the committee application form can be found on the IRB website.
Selection Criteria
Applicants are judged by the quality and feasibility of the proposal. This takes into consideration:
- the level of the applicant’s training to do the project
- the resources of the host country or institution for doing the project
- the applicant’s academic or professional record
- the applicant’s personal qualifications, with special emphasis on maturity and adaptability to a different cultural environment and ability to represent the US abroad
- the language preparation
- the extent to which the candidate and the project will help to advance the Fulbright aim of promoting mutual understanding among nations through engagement in the host community, among other activities
- the requirements of the program in individual countries
- the desirability of achieving wide institutional and geographic distribution.
Selection and Notification
IIE’s National Screening Committee, consisting of specialists in fields spanning the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, makes recommendations to the supervising agencies abroad for applications for further review. Applicants will be notified of their status in the preliminary stage of the competition by late January. Final selection of grantees is made by the Board of Foreign Scholarships. Winners, alternates, and non-selects will be notified in the spring.
