- 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.
- These fellowships are for one to two years.
- Support for a J-1 visa.
- Round trip air travel of economy class from home city to host institution in the U.S.
- Tuition and fees funding, living and related costs.
- Sickness and accident coverage as per the guidelines of the U.S. Government.
- The program might not cover all tuition and fees costs and you might require other resources to support it.
- Dependents are not supported by the program.
- 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.
- The application due date for the 2021-22 awards is May 15th, 2020.
- Application review and short-listing by domain-specific experts - End-June 2020
- National interviews of shortlisted candidates – Mid-August2020. It will take place in New Delhi.
- Notification by USIEF to the nominees about recommendation and candidate to appear for the test (TOEFL/GRE) – End August 2020.
- Fulbright Scholarship Board approval and placement of recommended candidate applications – October 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
- 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.
- It will provide support for J-1visa.
- A monthly stipend
- Round-trip economy class travel
- Applicable allowances and modest affiliation fees, if any.
- Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges as per the US Government guidelines.
- 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
- Applications must be submitted online.
- Read the Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research (FNDR) application instructions carefully before filling the application form.
- Please refer to the FNDR application checklist for the documents and particulars to be submitted.
- In addition to the application form, applicants will also have to complete and upload
- FNDR Applicant Annexure
- FNDR Employer’s Endorsement form
- 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
- During one competition cycle, you can apply for only one category of Fulbright-Nehru fellowships.
- Beware of plagiarism in your application as it can result in disqualification.
- Applications are to be submitted online unless specified otherwise.
- Respect the timelines. Late applications are not accepted.
- The program does not allow extensions and transfer of visa sponsorship.
Updated on: 19 Apr 2021
Scholarships play a vital part in fulfilling an applicant’s ambitions by supporting their dream of attaining higher education abroad. The Fulbright Scholarship is one such program that helps Indian students to study in the United States of America. This article helps you get acquainted with this program and all the relevant details. 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. Fill This Form And Get In Touch With An Expert 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. You Should Be The program offers the following benefits - The supported domains include Environmental Studies/Science, Arts and Cultural Management and Museum Studies, Higher Education Administration, Public Health/Administration, International Legal Studies, Gender/Women’s Studies and Regional and Urban Planning. The subspecialties of Environmental Studies and Science consist of environmental engineering, environmental toxicology, environmental policy analysis, natural resource management, environmental law, pollution prevention and many more. These fellowships are designed for Indian scholars who are registered for a Ph.D. at an Indian institution. These fellowships are for six to nine months. The grant will provide the following benefits - Apart from these benefits, the scholars will also have opportunities to audit non-degree programs, gain practical work experience, and conduct research. There are no allowances for dependents. The supported fields include - The scholar will be affiliated with one of the US host institutions for his/her grant. It is prudent to research and identify the institution scholars want to be affiliated with and contact the potential host institutions in advance. If the host institution has sent a letter of invitation, it should be added to the application form. Institute of International Education (IIE), New York takes care of the placement of successful candidates by applying to four different institutes on behalf of the aspirants after considering the applicant’s preference for the institutions along with his/her competitiveness. Fulbright Scholarship India Programs facilitate the deserving candidates to fulfill their educational dreams by supporting their higher studies in esteemed U.S. universities. GyanDhan, India’s first and unique education financing platform maintains a scholarship bank that offers you access to a range of scholarships at your fingertips. You can select the criteria and decide your best fit from the list of options. Besides this, the website also allows you to check your loan eligibility and assists you in availing an education loan. For more information, request a callback.Table of Content
What is the Fulbright Scholarship?
Looking For Lowest Rate Abroad Education Loan?
Who is Eligible for this Scholarship?
What are Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships?
Eligibility:
Fellowship Duration
Scholarship Value
What is not covered?
Which Domains are Supported?
How to Apply?
Application Timelines
What are Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships?
Eligibility Criteria
What is the duration of the fellowship?
What is the scholarship value?
What are the eligible fields for the grant?
Affiliations/Placement
How to apply?
What is the application timeline?
Placement
Things to Remember
First published date: 25 Jan 2019

About author
Aishwarya Bhatt
A bookworm who transforms into a web-usability evangelist, when her favorite blend of coffee is flowing in her veins. Happiest in a bookstore and when she is painting with words on paper!
