STUDY/RESEARCH GRANT PROJECTS

Developing the Statement of Grant Purpose 

Print these instructions and keep for reference as you work on your Statement of Grant Purpose.

If you are applying for a traditional Study/Research Fulbright grant, this section provides helpful hints on preparing the Statement of Grant Purpose in both academic fields and in the Creative and Performing Arts. If you are applying for an English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) grant, click here.

Developing a strong, feasible and compelling project is the most important aspect of a successful Fulbright application. Your first step should be to familiarize yourself with the program summary for the country to which you wish to apply. The program design varies somewhat from country to country; some countries encourage applicants to incorporate coursework into a project, while others prefer independent research.  Please ensure that your project design fits the program guidelines for your host country. Click here to view the Country Summaries.

It is important that you have adequate formal training for the study that you wish to pursue and that your language skills be commensurate with the requirements of the project.

• Will generally be expected to attend regular university lectures
  
• Should be prepared to supplement lectures with an independent study or research project
  
• Should describe the study/research programs they wish to follow in terms as specific as possible
  
• Should develop plans that can be completed in one academic year in one country.
  
• Should not expect close academic supervision.

Advanced degree candidates proposing research for theses or dissertations, including recent master’s degree graduates and those just beginning graduate study:

• Will be expected to work independently without close supervision
  
• Should develop plans that can be completed in not less than six months nor more than one academic year in one country
  
• Should determine whether their research will require human subjects review/approval from their home (U.S.) universities.  If so, you must indicate in your Statement whether it has already been obtained or the steps you are taking to obtain it
  
• Ph.D. candidates should indicate when they expect to complete preliminary or comprehensive examinations, and whether their projects have been accepted or approved as dissertation proposals.

Candidates in the creative and performing arts (all degree levels):

• Should submit projects indicating their reasons for selecting a particular country, the form their work will take and the results they hope to obtain
  
• Should develop plans that can be completed in not less than six months nor more than one academic year in one country
  
• Present supplementary work samples demonstrating their ability and/or skill in their field.

Writing or Creative and Performing Arts:  General information provided below applies to candidates in the arts.  Additional information specific to preparing an application in the arts is provided in the next section Preparing an Application in Writing or Creative and Performing Arts.

AS YOU BEGIN:

The best proposals begin with good ideas. Start by putting your ideas on paper, and list the goals and objectives of your project. Share your ideas with your Fulbright Program Adviser, your academic adviser and professional colleagues in your field. As you work on your proposal, consider the following questions and remember your audience. Avoid discipline-specific jargon. The individuals reading your proposal prefer you get to the point about the "who, what, when, where, why and how" of the project. In a direct and persuasive manner, address the following:

• With whom do you propose to work?
  
• What do you propose to do? What is exciting, new or unique about your project? What contribution will the project make to the Fulbright objective of promoting cross-cultural interaction and mutual understanding?
  
• When will you carry out your study or research? Include a timeline.
  
• Where do you propose to conduct your study or research? Why is it important to go abroad to carry out your project?
  
• Why do you want to do it? What is important or significant about the project?
• How will you carry out your work? All students should discuss methodology and goals in their statements.
  
• How will your project help further your academic or professional development?
  
• Your project statement should contain a clear commitment to and description of how you will engage with the host country community.

ADVANCED DEGREES ABROAD:

Candidates considering earning a graduate degree abroad should:

• Make sure that the country to which you are applying will accept such a project.  Some countries do not recommend that applicants apply to do a degree program. For example, it is often not possible to complete a degree in one academic year and questions about the feasibility for completion of the degree could affect the selection decision.   In addition, the tuition fees that a degree candidate would be charged would not be covered by the Fulbright grant, unless specifically stated in the country summary.
• Make sure that you apply for admission to the host university by their deadline. Do not wait for the Fulbright decision or you may be too late to gain admission to your preferred university.
• If possible, include a letter of admission with the application; although, it is not required at the time of the Fulbright application. You can submit the acceptance letter whenever you receive it.   But if your proposal is based on admission to a university or graduate program, a Fulbright award offer would be contingent upon your receiving placement at a university.

Applicants should review the country summaries to determine if there are any restrictions to applying to complete a degree program. If you apply for a degree program to a country that does not offer tuition as part of the Fulbright funding package, then these costs must be covered from an alternative source.

IS THE PROJECT FEASIBLE?

You must also demonstrate that the project research strategy is feasible, including its time frame. Provide answers to the following:

• How will the culture and politics of the host country impact your work?
  
• How do the resources of the host country support your project?
  
• If employing such research methods as extensive interviewing and the use of questionnaires, how will you locate your subjects?
  
• Is your language facility adequate? If not, how will you accomplish your work?
  
• What are your plans for improving you language skills, if they are not adequate at the time of application?

If there could be any question regarding the feasibility of your project or your background or ability to conduct the project, address the issue directly in your statement. Enrolled students are urged to consult professors in their major fields and their FPAs about the feasibility of their proposed projects. At-Large applicants should consult qualified persons in their fields.

Please note:  Applicants should be aware if the host country has specific visa or research clearance requirements.  This will be noted in the Country Summary.   If required visas and/ or research clearance(s) are denied by the candidate’s host country, reassignment to a new country is normally not an option.

MULTI-COUNTRY PROJECTS

Currently only the Western Hemisphere and Eurasia allow grant proposals to include a multi-country project, keep in mind the following in preparing your Statement of Grant Purpose.  See World Region Summaries for a list of the countries allowing multi-country proposals.

• A multi-country project is one project which must be carried out in more than one country.
  
• All countries must be within the same geographic world region.
  
• Applicants submitting multi-country proposals must have a very good justification for putting forward such a project.
  
• Candidates are required to secure host institution affiliation, as well as obtaining visas and finding housing, etc., in each country
  
• Multi-country proposals that are recommended by screening committees must be approved by each of the relevant host countries before they can be granted.
• If one country rejects your application then your project may no longer be feasible. In some cases, you may be given the option to revise the proposal for the remaining countries if they approve of your original project.

A FINAL WORD

Organize your Statement carefully. Don't make reviewers search for information. We urge you to have several people read and critique your Statement, including a faculty adviser, a faculty member outside your discipline, a fellow student, and/or a colleague.

Please adhere to the following format items:

• Statement length is limited to a maximum of two typed, single-spaced pages. Longer statements will not be presented to screening committees.
  
• Do not include any bibliographies, publications, citations, etc. except those that will fit in the two-page limit.
  
• To ensure a smooth upload and readability, use 1” margins all around and Times Roman 12 pt. font.
  
• At the top of each page of your Word document on each page type the following, so that it appears in the PDF version of your hard copy application. Do not place this information in a header; it will not upload.
  
•  On line 1,  type STATEMENT OF GRANT PURPOSE
  
• On line 2, Place your Name, Country of Application, and Field of Study
  
• On line 3, type Project Title as it appears on Page 3 (Form 2) of the application (on the first page of the Statement only)