Fulbright Program Information on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

12476-MC

Fulbright Scholar Award

South and Central Asia Regional Research Program

Multiple Countries/Areas

Bhutan
India
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyz Republic
Maldives, Republic of
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Tajikistan
Uzbekistan
Multi-country

South and Central Asia

Global/Multi-country

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Award Details

Award Activity

The South and Central Asia Regional Research Program provides support for multicountry research. Research projects may be of historical or contemporary focus, comparative or regional in scope and may be conducted in two or three countries in the region: Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Projects involving collaboration with host country colleagues and institutions are particularly encouraged. Applicants may incorporate other activities as time permits, such as conducting guest lectures and faculty and curriculum development.

In Uzbekistan, scholars are required to offer lectures at a host institution in addition to their research project. Contact the Public Affairs Section ad the U.S. Embassy for more information.

Scholars selected for this award will be required to:

Conduct a research project of the applicant’s choosing

Award Length

Three to nine months

Award Dates

Grants may begin any time after July 2022. Grants must be completed by September 30, 2023. Award activity must be undertaken in a single period of residence abroad.

Locations

Any appropriate institution in each of the selected countries.

Flex Option

Discipline Type

Applications are sought in all disciplines

Special Features

South and Central Asia Fulbright Regional Travel Grant

During their grant period, Fulbright Scholars in the South and Central Asia (SCA) region may apply for a regional travel grant to engage in a variety of activities at academic institutions or nonprofit organizations in eligible SCA countries (India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Nepal, Republic of the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). Activities that U.S Scholars may engage in include: faculty and student lectures, graduate or faculty seminars, conferences, curriculum development, public lectures, panel presentations, needs assessment, or some combination thereof. Scholars in the arts may be invited to give master classes or recitals, participate in exhibitions or workshops, or consult with cultural institutions. This grant will cover travel to and from the destination and lodging may be offered by the hosting institution. Scholars may only apply for this grant once in country on their Fulbright grant. As funds are limited, scholars are limited to one such travel grant.

Before traveling to another country on a Regional Travel Grant, it is important to confirm trip details with the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section or Fulbright Commission in that country.

Please note: The 2022-23 Fulbright Regional Travel Program will be dependent on global travel conditions. More information will be provided prior to grant departure.

South and Central Asia Fulbright Midyear Conference

With funding provided by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the U.S.-India Educational Foundation (the Fulbright Commission in India) invites eligible Fulbright Scholars in the South and Central Asia region to attend the annual South and Central Asia Fulbright Midyear Conference in India in 2023 (usually held in February or March). The conference is an opportunity for current Fulbright U.S. Scholars who are on their Fulbright grants in the SCA region at the time of the conference to gather to discuss each other’s work and educational exchange issues and to invite suggestions for the future development and enhancement of the Fulbright Program. Financial assistance to attend the conference is provided as an additional Fulbright grant benefit.

Please note: The 2022-23 South and Central Asia Fulbright Midyear Conference will be dependent on global travel conditions. More information will be provided prior to grant departure.

Award Requirements

Application Requirements

Applicants are encouraged to register qualified language evaluator, such as a language instructor or a translator, to conduct the external assessment in the application. Being a native speaker alone does not qualify an individual to conduct the assessment.

Applicants who are native speakers do not need to complete an external evaluation.

Invitation Requirement

A letter of invitation is preferred.

Invitation Requirement Additional Information

Requirements vary by country. Carefully review instructions for each country.

• Bhutan: Invitation letters are preferred. An invitation letter may help facilitate placement at that institution but is not a guarantee of final placement. The Government of Bhutan will decide and approve all final affiliations in consultation with the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, with preference given for projects outside the capital city of Thimphu.

• India: Invitation letters are preferred. Scholars are encouraged to make contact with a potential host institution but an invitation letter is not required. Affiliations with think tanks, non-governmental organizations, and research centers in the respective areas of specialization will be considered. The United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) will finalize all affiliations but applicants may indicate a preference.

• Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan: Invitation letters are preferred. Consult Fulbright contacts at the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section of the host country on appropriate host institutions for each country before seeking an invitation letter. Refer to each country’s U.S. Scholar Fulbright Award description for contact information.

• Maldives: Invitations letters are preferred. Applicants are encouraged to initiate contact with prospective hosts and local academics during the application process and discuss the parameters of the research they are proposing. Prior contact and communication between the applicant and the host ensure greater buy-in and grantee success once in country.

• Nepal: Invitation letters are preferred. Candidates must make the effort to obtain them from a Nepali scholar or affiliate institution indicating willingness to collaborate or provide support for the proposed project. However, should the candidate encounter difficulty in obtaining the letter, the Commission can still consider the application. Please contact Reshu Aryal Dhungana, Executive Director (reshu@fulbrightnepal.org.np) or Rakchhya Maharjan, Senior Program Officer (rakchhya@fulbrightnepal.org.np) of Fulbright Commission in Nepal, for affiliation-related questions.

• Pakistan: Invitation letters are preferred. Consult the Fulbright commission on host institution affiliation before seeking an invitation letter. Awards are restricted to Islamabad, Karachi, and possibly Lahore. Applications for other cities or regions of Pakistan will not be considered. The Fulbright commission in Pakistan will finalize all affiliations.

• Sri Lanka: Invitation letters are preferred. Scholars are encouraged to contact a potential host institution and the United States-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission (US-SLFC) can facilitate the process if applicants indicate a preference. US-SLFC will finalize all affiliations.

• Uzbekistan: Invitation letters are required. Consult Fulbright contacts at the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent in the Public Affairs Section for guidance on this process. Refer to Uzbekistan’s U.S. Scholar Fulbright Award description for contact information.

Language Proficiency Requirements

Recommended

Additional Language Requirement

Appropriate language proficiency is needed for successful completion of the project. All applicants must submit the Language Proficiency Report: Self-Evaluation, describing all languages used to conduct research, except English.

If the applicant intends to use a language other than English to conduct their research, they must also submit the Language Proficiency Report: External Evaluation.

Applicants who are native speakers only need to complete the Language Proficiency Report: Self-Evaluation; they do not need to complete an external evaluation. For applicants without local language proficiency, feasibility of conducting the project must be described clearly in the project statement.

Additional Information

Additional Comments

Project statement must include a detailed description of proposed research, including justification for each country to be visited, duration and dates in each country, host institutions and planned site(s) to be visited.

Central Asia: Obtaining visas is a challenge. Scholars should be flexible regarding proposed travel between countries. Adjustments may be necessary in order to minimize complications and comply with host country visa regulations and limitations on entering and exiting multiple countries.

Bangladesh: The U.S. Scholar Program to Bangladesh is temporarily suspended for the 2021-2022 academic year. The U.S. Department of State continues to closely monitor the security situation in Bangladesh.

Bhutan: All scholar applications for research projects in Bhutan require official host government approval. Selection of the SCARR award does not guarantee host government approval.

Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan does not participate in the SCARR program but scholars may apply to visit through the Regional Travel Program.

In addition to being a prestigious academic exchange program, the Fulbright Program is designed to expand and strengthen relationships between the people of the United States and citizens of other nations and to promote international understanding and cooperation. To support this mission, Fulbright Scholars will be asked to give public talks, mentor students, and otherwise engage with the host community, in addition to their primary activities‎.

Helpful Links

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs

U.S. Embassies

For more information on applying, including alumni perspectives, please view our webinars.

Email the South and Central Asia Team with questions about applying.

Stipend & Benefits

Researcher Monthly Stipend and Allowances

$3,470-$14,550

Estimated Travel and Relocation Allowance

$3,850-$20,370

Estimated Book and Research Allowance

$3,400 - $5,255 research allowance.

Dependent Tuition Allowance

Up to $6,000 per child (up to two) or $12,000 per family for accompanying dependent children in grades K-12 is reimbursed for one semester, upon submission of receipts. Up to $12,000 per child (up to two) or $24,000 per family for accompanying dependent children in grades K-12 is reimbursed for two semesters, upon submission of receipts. Amount may be adjusted for shorter grant periods. Reimbursement is based on actual cost of tuition and fees only or homeschooling materials.

Special Award Benefits

For Pakistan, grantees are required to live in housing approved by the Fulbright Commission in Pakistan in consultation with the U.S. Embassy's Regional Security Office, and dependents are not permitted to accompany grantees.

Please refer to the figures above for an estimate of total monthly Fulbright award benefits. Benefits may include a monthly base stipend, living and housing allowances, and additional one-time allowances. Benefits may vary based on a scholar's current academic rank (or professional equivalent), the city of placement, the type of award (teaching, teaching/research, or research), and the number of and duration of stay of accompanying dependents. Research-only grantees receive a standard stipend that is not adjusted for academic rank. In most cases, dependent benefits will not be provided to Flex grantees, or to grantees pursuing grants less than four months (or a semester) in length.

Final grant amounts will be determined prior to the start of the academic year and are subject to the availability of funds. The United States Department of State reserves the right to alter, without notice, participating countries, number of awards and allowances.

Country/Area Overview

Summary

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program to Bhutan offers approximately one teaching grant. See also research opportunities under the South and Central Asia Regional Research Program.

Overview

Bhutan is an isolated mountain kingdom located between India and China. In 2005, the fourth King of Bhutan announced that the country would change from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy, and the country held its first democratic elections in 2008. Having opened to foreign visitors for the first time in the 1970s, Bhutan welcomed its first Fulbright Scholar in 2009. The country is undergoing vast changes as it develops as a democracy, and through its attempt to change from a donor-based economy to one that is self-sufficient, Bhutan offers scholars an unparalleled opportunity to contribute to the Bhutanese people.

Higher education is administered by The Royal University of Bhutan (founded only in 2003), which is comprised of 11 different colleges and institutes. The academic year of the Royal University of Bhutan is divided into two semesters: mid-July to mid-December and February to June. Each semester is made up of a minimum of 15 weeks of teaching.

As Bhutan is still developing its civil service and university system, flexibility, patience and good humor are essential qualities for a successful Bhutan-based Fulbright experience. Placement information is often withheld until right before the program, and initial weeks at the universities can be difficult as many staff do not fully understand the Fulbright Program.

Application Deadline

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Activity Type

Research

Research includes activities involving scientific research, qualitative research, quantitative research, and practice-based research, including artistic research. Research can take place in locations such as the laboratory, the field, the archives, or an artist residency. It can be experimental, clinical, or applied. It can include examining policies, systems, theories, methods, interactions, and works of art and music, with the objective to evaluate or develop new knowledge or works. Quantifiable (tangible) outcomes can include publications (books, journal articles, scripts, etc.), conference presentations, artistic and musical compositions, exhibitions, performances, films, and patents.

Degree Requirements

Ph.D. (or other terminal degree) not required

Career Profile

Early Career Academics

Awards are open to those who have been working in the capacity of a teacher or scholar for no more than seven years.

Mid-Career Academics

Awards are open to those who have been working in the capacity of a teacher or scholar for more than seven, and less than 13, years.

Senior Academics

Awards are open to those who have been working in the capacity of a teacher or scholar for more than 13 years.

Number of Recipients

Approximately 2

Program Staff

Michelle Bolourchi

Outreach and Recruitment Specialist

Phone:

202-326-7753

Email:

southcentralasia@iie.org

Join an Office Hour

Related Awards

12376-BT

Multiple Disciplines

Bhutan

Teach one or more undergraduate courses per semester in area of specialization. Undertake student advising and advise on curriculum and materials development. Occasional lectures at other institutions may be requested.

While this is a teaching award, some research may be allowed during...