Getting a late start? Read on!

Howdy! It's already September (or maybe even October) as you read this, and you would like to know, Is it too late for me to apply for a Fulbright Study/Research grant? There is no perfect answer. If it's early September... then maybe. There are constraints and special considerations, but it's still possible to put together a good application. If it's late September or even early October, it's probably functionally too late. Even if you can develop a good proposal quickly, you may have run out of time to get "Letters of Affiliation" and recommendations.

If you're up for a crash course, this page should answer many of your immediate questions.

1. There is a lot to say about the Fulbright program! We recommend that you watch this recorded information session as an introduction.

2. Hey, it's 2025, and the world is messy. Lots of improper and unprecedented things happened in the most recent selection process, and it's not an exaggeration to say that the administration seems intent on killing the program. However, the Fulbright program has a complicated administrative and funding structure, and it's hard to imagine killing the program outright. For example, doing so would require breaking treaties with 49 countries. Because of the current uncertanties, we are generally recommending that you apply to "commission" countries--that is, countries that have their own Fulbright commissions--since those countries' programs are seen as generally less vulnerable. About 80% of all Fulbright grants are for commission countries, so you were probably going to apply to one of those countries anyhow.

3. Be an active citizen. Write or call your representatives and let them know you value this program. In particular, Fulbright insiders have been encouraging applicants to send selfies with their applications visible as a quick and easy reminder that constituents from your state benefit from the Fulbright program. Frankly, we would love your active support of the Fulbright program whether you ever actually click submit on an application or not.

4. Review the eligibility criteria at http://us.fulbrightonline.org/about/eligibility to ensure that you're truly eligible. And be sure to pay attention to factors that will make you ineligible.

5. Research experience, foreign language skills, and strong support from faculty are the simplest indicators of likely success that we look for in potential applicants.

6. As the name implies, there are broadly two different things you can do with a "Study/Research" grant: study at the graduate level at a foreign university, or conduct independent research. Because the October 7 national competition deadline is rapidly approaching, designing a strong research project from scratch at this time looks super challenging--but there is precedent for applying successfully without much lead time. In general, the people who can pull it off are those who have already developed a research plan, such as an ABD doctoral candidate. Meanwhile, there seems to be an uptick in interest in study grants this year, possibly because people want to apply but don't want to commit to unnecessary effort if the government pulls the rug out from under the Fulbright program. And it seems much more plausible to apply for a study grant on an abbreviated timeline. A list of countries that allow graduate study can be found here: https://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/types-of-awards/study-research.

7. Applicants for Study grants do not generally need letters of affiliation and do not generally need documentation of admission to a graduate program by the Fulbright deadline.

8. Applicants for Research grants are almost always expected to submit one or more letters of affilation with their applications. The Fulbright magic words are "validity and feasibility." Affiliations are evidence of feasibility, as they document things such as in-country academic support and access to resources. Truly, if you're applying for a research grant and you're just now starting, affiliations are what should keep you up at night.

9. We do not know if there will again be an "unprecedented intervention" in the selection process, so frankly we need you to fly under the radar and avoid terms and topics that might be held against you (gender, climate, migration, race, diversity, etc.) This is not always going to be easy. But for example, rather than studying migration in Europe (presumably a no-no) how about studying EU cross-border healthcare policy which is kind of about migration without saying the word. Or how about bog restoration as a defense strategy (leaving out how they are great carbon sinks)? It's a Fulbright truism that what you propose and what you end up doing are rarely the same thing; the main thing at the moment is to get past the three-headed dog.

10. Statistics should not be the only consideration, but as you are picking a country it may be clarifying to understand what odds you are up against. Here is a general discussion of Fulbright statistics and here is a link to the area of the Fulbright website where you can search for statistics.

11. Each participating country has its own page on the Fulbright website. It contains important clues about what that country is looking for in applicants. Read and re-read the country page.

12. Trying to figure out if you're applying to a "commission" country? On a given country page, scroll down to the bottom where it says "Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Contact." If the URL ends in .mx, .de, .tw, or any other country abbreviation, then that's a commission country. If the URL ends in .gov, it is not, and the program is funded by the State Department.

13. Is it a bad idea to apply to a country where the Fulbright program is administered through an embassy? Very hard to say. There doesn't seem to be any reason why the State Department couldn't defund those programs. But if everybody is having that anxiety and steering away, then this might also be a statistically favorable year to apply to an embassy country. We just don't know. We only know that the commission countries have their own money and seem less vulnerable.

14. Create an on-line application account. Visit the Fulbright website (http://us.fulbrightonline.org/) and navigate to Applicants > Fulbright Online Application to create an on-line application account.

15. There is step-by-step guidance on completing the application on this Canvas site, starting here. The Abstract/Summary of Proposal is the first thing the judges see so take writing your abstract seriously. Make sure your Statement of Grant Purpose addresses all of the prompts. The short essays now come after the Statement of Grant Purpose. Collectively they are sort of like a personal statement, and they are really the only place in your application where you can paint a picture of yourself. Use the space they give you thoughtfully and intentionally.

16. If you need a language evaluation request that evaluation as soon as possible.

17. You will need three recommendations. Conventional thinking is that the best recommendations are analytical of your application (rather than endorsements of what a wonderful person you are). For this reason it is very important that your recommenders understand what you are proposing. The more you involve your faculty in your process, the better.

18. Will I get a campus interview? No. Because you got a late start, there's not really time left for that. (Don't lose sleep over this. Nationally, about a third of applicants don't interview.)

19. Can I get help from the Office of Merit Awards? Can I meet with an advisor? Yes, within reason. We want to support you, but other applicants who started sooner are essentially ahead of you in line.

20. Should I apply "at-large"? Nooooooo. We want you indicate on your application that you are applying through AU. Students who apply "at-large" are statistically less likely to receive awards.

21. I have some other questions! Email meritawards@american.edu and we'll sort it out.

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