THE AFFILIATION

For Study/Research Grants, affiliation with an educational institution or other sponsoring entity in the host country is required, even if the grantee is engaged primarily or solely in research or artistic activity or does not plan to enroll in regular classes. All grantees must have a host country affiliation.

• English Teaching Assistants will be placed by the supervising agency in the host country and should not try to arrange their own placements
  
• Applicants for study or research awards will, in most cases, be responsible for arranging their own host country affiliations and for providing documentation of the affiliation with the application, if possible
  
• Types of affiliations vary, but may include universities, libraries, laboratories, NGOs, museums, and others as approved by the supervising agency in the host country

WHO NEEDS AN AFFILIATION?

All grantees will have an affiliation in the host country.  

Some countries will obtain affiliation for Fulbrighters, while others leave the responsibility for securing host affiliation entirely up to the grantee. Others will work somewhere in between, expecting the grantee to identify a host affiliation and make initial contact, but will then help to formalize the affiliation after the grant is awarded. Make sure you know what is expected of you as an applicant by reviewing the Country Summary thoroughly.

Countries differ in the kinds of host affiliations that are acceptable. Examples of affiliations include universities, laboratories, libraries, non-governmental organizations, and so on. In some cases, particularly in the arts, the affiliation may be a person such as a writer, musician, or artist or an arts organization or foundation. Pay special attention to the requirement in some countries to attend/affiliate with an academic institution.

If you are not planning to matriculate at a university but intend to audit/enroll in courses at a local university, then a support/ affiliation letter should be included with your application. This letter will indicate that you have identified an appropriate institution to support your study/research goals. Any documentation of support that you can obtain from a potential host will help to make your application more competitive. The letter will also demonstrate that your project is feasible in terms of in-country support.

IDENTIFYING A POTENTIAL AFFILIATION

IIE cannot provide a list of institutions that acted as hosts to previous Fulbrighters. Past Fulbrighters have used a number of methods to contact hosts and solicit support for their projects. The main way is to use the contacts and advisers that you already have. Ask if one of your current professors can help to put you into contact with an appropriate person, university, or organization overseas.
If your proposal contains a strong research component, you must have host country contacts that can support your research, provide you access to your resources, and/or supervise or advise you during the grant period. It is the applicant’s responsibility to identify, contact, and secure a letter of support from potential affiliations, whether they are individuals, organizations, academic departments, or other entities.

Some potential avenues to help you identify an affiliation include:

• International students or faculty on your campus
  
• Visiting Fulbright Professors in the U.S. or U.S. Fulbright Scholars who had grants to your host country. Directories are available at http://www.cies.org/vs_scholars/vs_dir.htm
  
• Internet searches of faculty at potential host institutions with your interests, or organizations in the host country that work with issues related to your topic.

Do not hesitate to contact professors from other universities both in the U.S. and in your prospective country, especially if your proposal fits to the professor’s expertise. They may also be able to refer you to others with expertise or interest in your topic.

Committed research and perseverance will go a long way in establishing a host affiliation. Once you find a possible host, make contact by sending an introductory letter or email. Keep in mind that many schools are closed during the summer months, so you should begin early. Remember, however, that IIE does not accept any support materials or letters via email or fax, and that means sufficient lead time must be allowed to receive hard copy responses, with original signatures.

Please note that only rarely will grantees be permitted to enroll in the graduate programs of U.S. universities abroad or to have as their primary affiliation a U.S.-based institution or organization located in the host country. The objectives of the Fulbright Program are best served by attendance at or affiliation with a host country institution or organization.

LETTERS OF AFFILIATION

The most competitive candidates will include documentation of contacts with potential host affiliations with the application. This could be of a letter of invitation from the host institution/organization/individual indicating research support or allowing access to facilities to the applicant; or, it could be a letter indicating that the admitting institution provides courses in the applicant's areas of study. IIE refers to these letters synonymously as: letters of support, letters of affiliation, letters of invitation and/or letters of admission.

There are no specific requirements for the letter of support from the host institution. Every affiliation relationship will be different depending upon the candidate’s project. In general, letters of affiliation on institutional letterhead sent with the application are preferred. The letters should state how the supervisor/host institution will help the applicant to facilitate the project (i.e., what resources will be offered, what kind of supervision will be given, etc.). Some applicants propose to do independent research, so these letters of support are more crucial to establishing the feasibility of a project. Other applicants propose study projects, so letters of support are really a complement to the overall application, but attest to its feasibility. Therefore, you should try to get a letter of support that is as detailed as possible. Ultimately, it is up to your host affiliation as to the level/kind of support that they are willing to offer you.

In the U.S., we have become accustomed to rapid response, especially in electronic communication. Many cultures do not have this expectation, and many people do not enjoy the reliable connectivity or easy access to the Internet that we do. Therefore, be advised that you may not receive a response to your inquiries as quickly as you might hope. Applicants are advised to begin their search for an affiliation as early as possible.

Letters of affiliation can be submitted to IIE via regular mail after the deadline. Although we will make every effort to do so, we cannot guarantee that letters submitted separate from the full application will be successfully married with the application in time for committee review. Also, IIE cannot confirm receipt of any documents. Please do not call or email us to ask if your letter of affiliation was received. We recommend that you send your materials using a method that will provide return receipt.

Please note that IIE will not accept letters of affiliation, recommendations, or foreign language reports sent via email or fax.