Fulbright Scholarship India : Give Wings To Your Dreams

It was started in 1946 and is funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. The program offers around 8,000 grants per year, out of which approximately half the number of grants are awarded to international students. Since its inception, around 3,70,000 “Fulbrighters” have participated in this program.

It is an exchange program run by the U.S. in over 155 countries across the world. India is among those countries where the two governments have established Independent Fulbright Commissions to manage the program. The scholarship is aimed at encouraging creativity, innovation, and knowledge to resolve challenges in public health, environmental issues, education, food security, and other domains.

Fulbright scholarship offers a range of programs to the U.S. as well as non-U.S. scholars and institutions. The programs provide grants to deserving Indian graduates who intend to further study in the U.S. Under the flagship award; there are various scholarships intended for specific aspirants. Students can apply for Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowship, Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral and Professional Research Fellowship, Fulbright-Nehru CII Fellowship and can also carry out post-doctoral research at U.S. universities and institutes with Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Grants.

The OLF (Outreach Lecturing Fund) sponsors U.S. campuses to host short-term speaking engagements for the Visiting Fulbright Scholars that are already in the U.S. Besides this; there are various enrichment programs for Visiting Scholars in different areas.

The program also offers the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program for teachers and students and Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for teachers. Additionally, it offers professional development programs for university administrators.

These fellowships are awarded to the most deserving Indian students aspiring to pursue their Master’s degree in the selected U.S. universities and colleges.

Eligibility:

You Should Be

• A highly motivated student.
• Should have demonstrated leadership qualities and community service.
• Should have completed an education equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 55% marks from a renowned Indian university. Thus, you should have a four-year bachelor’s degree or completed a Master’s degree after a three-year bachelor’s degree.
• Possess a minimum of three years of full-time professional work experience in the relevant field by the application deadline.
• Must not have registered for another U.S. degree program and must not have another degree from any U.S. university.

• Review the Applicant Instructions carefully.
• Refer to the Applicant’s Checklist before applying.
• Submit the online application.
• Complete and upload Applicant Annexure and Employer’s Endorsement Form on the online application.

These fellowships are designed for Indian scholars who are registered for a Ph.D. at an Indian institution. 
Eligibility Criteria 

• The applicant should be registered for a Ph.D. and should have conducted adequate research in their field, especially the identification of resources in India and the US. 
• The Ph.D. thesis submission should be at least three months after the end date of the Fulbright-Nehru grant. For example, if the end date of the grant is May 2021, the thesis submission date should not be earlier than August 2021. For this, the students will have to mention the Ph.D. registration date and expected submission date in the application form. 
• The grant will be allocated to scholars conducting research that is essential for their thesis. 
• A Letter of Recommendation specifically from the Ph.D. supervisor commenting on the research undertaken by the candidate and the need for the grant. 
• If the candidate is employed, it must follow carefully regarding the employer’s endorsement. 
• The grant is, particularly for Pre-doctoral level research. A scholar will not be considered for the grant if they already have a Ph.D. degree, or are in the final stage of their thesis submission. 
• The applicant must upload published or presented research papers on the application form. They can also submit extracts from their Master’s or MPhil dissertation. 

The supported fields include - 

• Agricultural sciences 
• Anthropology 
• Bioengineering
• Climate change sciences
• Computer science including, but not limited to cybersecurity, digital economy, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics.
• Economics 
• Education Policy and Planning 
• Energy studies
• History 
• International Law
• International Security and Strategic Studies
• Material science with an emphasis on environmental applications
• Mathematical sciences 
• Neurosciences
• Performing Arts
• Physical Sciences
• Public Health
• Public Policy
• Sociology 
• Urban and Regional Planning with an emphasis on smart cities and waste management
• Visual Arts
• Women’s and Gender Studies 

• Application due date for 2021 - 2022 session - July 15th, 2020
• Application review and short-listing by domain-specific experts - Early August 2020
• National interviews of shortlisted candidates - Late September 2020. The interview will happen in Delhi. 
• Notification by USIEF to the nominees about recommendation and candidate to appear for the test (TOEFL/GRE)  - End September 2020
• Fulbright Scholarship Board approval and placement of recommended candidate applications - November 2020
• Notification to the finalists by USIEF – March-April 2021
• Any required pre-academic training – July-August 2021
• Commencement of degree program - August - September 2021