Language:

Prior training in Bangla is highly recommended. Grantees without basic Bangla skills must incorporate study of Bangla into their research plan upon arrival in Bangladesh.

Grant period:

9 months. Fulbright grants begin in January.  Grantees must confirm their arrival date with Embassy Dhaka’s Public Affairs Section (PAS). Grantees should anticipate participating in a formal orientation program at the U.S. Embassy shortly after arrival. In case of availability of funding for Bangla Language Training, grantees may need to arrive two months prior to the Fulbright grant start date. 

Candidate profile :

Candidates at all degree levels will be considered. Candidates must demonstrate a solid foundation in their subject areas, the ability to work independently with minimum supervision, and the ability to adapt to conditions different from those in the United States.

Affiliation:

Candidates must secure affiliation with an appropriate Bangladeshi institution and submit supporting affiliation letters with their applications. All affiliations, however, MUST be approved by the PAS.  Also, frequently, grantees will be asked to engage as presenters or participants in programs organized by the American Center and its partner organizations.

Dependents:

The grant is increased by US$100 per month for one accompanying dependent; by US$200 per month for two or more accompanying dependents.

Specific considerations:

U.S. Embassy Dhaka will carefully review all Fulbright proposals for feasibility, particularly those focused in rural areas. Applicants must be flexible in response to changing conditions. Due to security concerns, study and research in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is not allowed.

Fulbright research students are required to make final presentations on their research projects.  This requirement is set by the Post and all grantees must adhere to this rule in order to fulfill their grant obligations. 

Language:

Prior training in Bangla is highly recommended. Grantees without basic Bangla skills must incorporate study of Bangla into their supplementary plan upon arrival in Bangladesh.

Grant period:

9 months. English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) will be teaching in their respective schools from January through September. ETAs may be required to attend Bangla language training for 2 months beginning in early November. As a condition of their grants, ETAs may also be required to attend a Pre-departure Orientation  in mid-June 2014.

Candidate profile :

Applications are welcome from articulate and flexible graduating seniors, recent graduates or Master’s students who demonstrate a high level of maturity and the initiative to teach English at the secondary or early university level. Candidates must be native English-speakers and without dependents. Candidates with degrees in English, Education or TEFL/Applied Linguistics are preferred, but candidates from all majors are welcome to apply. Some previous teaching/tutoring experience is preferred, but not required. Facilities in most Bangladesh educational institutions are modest; therefore, applicants must demonstrate flexibility and adaptability.

Nature of assignment:

ETAs will generally teach conversational English and some composition to secondary school students or early university-level students for approximately 16-20 hours per week. Additionally, significant class preparation time will be required and ETAs will be involved in other school-related activities.  Also, frequently, grantees will be asked to engage as presenters or participants in programs organized by the American Center and its partner organizations.

Housing:

In some instances, host institutions will provide housing.  However, it is primarily the responsibility of the grantee to find housing.

Placement:

Significant planning and research goes into each placement of an ETA with a host institution. These decisions are made based on the best information we have about the host institutions as well as the adaptability and language level of the ETAs.  Placements can be with any accredited institution anywhere in the country, and all final decisions regarding placement will be made by the American Center.

Website:

http://dhaka.usembassy.gov/programs_for_undergrad_grad_students.html

Location:

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Affiliation:

International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh
U.S. partners: Massachusetts General Hospital-Harvard University

Contacts:

• Dr. Edward T. Ryan
  etryan@partners.org
• Dr. Stephen Calderwood
  scalderwood@partners.org
• Dr. Firdausi Qadri
  fqadri@icddrb.org

Eligibility:

Applicants should preferably be candidates for a doctoral degree (Ph.D., M.D., Sc.D., or equivalent) and have previous wet-lab experience in the following areas: microbiology, immunology, and molecular biology. If in medical school, candidates should have completed their core clinical training. If in a Ph.D. or Sc.D. program, candidates should have completed their course work and their qualifying exams. Candidates should also possess a working knowledge of epidemiology, infectious diseases, biostatistics and data management.

Focus areas:

Protective immunity to human cholera in Bangladesh. This project continues an International Collaboration in Infectious Disease Research (ICIDR) between researchers at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Bangladesh and the Massachusetts General Hospital-Harvard University, Boston, examining gene and protein expression by V. cholerae during human infection, development of and duration of immune responses to these key proteins, including innate and adaptive responses, and the role of immunity to these key antigens in protection of household contacts from symptomatic cholera following exposure.

High throughput NAPPA-proteoimmunomics and Vibrio cholerae vaccine development. This project involves the use of high throughput proteomic platform technology to:  identify immune responses associated with protection against Vibrio cholerae in household contacts of patients with cholera in Bangladesh; evaluate the role of modifiers of those responses including other enteric infection; and,  focus on the development of an improved cholera vaccine.