Ecuador
Region: The Western Hemisphere
There are two types of Fulbright grants to Ecuador.
8 FULBRIGHT FULL GRANTS
Language Proficiency in spoken and written Spanish is required at the time of application.
Academic year Traditionally, August/October through June/July in the Highland Region; May through early March in the Coastal Region. Grantees are advised to consult with the Fulbright Commission in Ecuador regarding specific universities and/or check the university web page.
Grant period 10 months. Grantees not enrolled in an academic program should plan to arrive by late September.
Candidate profile Candidates at all degree levels will be considered. The Commission recommends that recent graduates take courses at a university in the country, based on prior consultation/arrangement with the Commission. All grantees are required to participate in an annual orientation session and to do presentations to the community at-large of their achievements in their research. The Fulbright Commission is particularly interested in well-qualified students in the social sciences and humanities, physical sciences, and the arts. Ecuador, a multiethnic country, is also among the five most bio-diverse countries in the world and offers innumerable opportunities for research and study in all fields.
Affiliation The Commission recommends that candidates seek formal institutional affiliation with a university, a research institution, or a non-profit organization. Candidates must initiate contacts with the host institution/organization prior to submitting the application and include documentation of such contacts and any replies. With lead time, the Commission will assist grantees in recommending possible host institution affiliations. Enrollment requires a letter from the Commission; enrolled students must complete coursework. U.S. grantees may enroll for courses at Ecuadorian universities. Please review their websites for information on fields of study and courses.
Tuition Tuition costs are not covered by the Fulbright grant. Some universities have granted tuition waivers on a case-by-case basis with a letter from the Fulbright Commission in Ecuador. Students entering degree programs should make provisions to cover tuition costs.
Security concerns Research clearance for security reasons may be needed for some areas of the country (near the Colombian border). Applications will be reviewed accordingly.
Permits for research Archaeological sites and many wildlife reserves require entrance permits for research and submission of a mandatory final report to the institution granting the permit. These should be requested several months in advance by the grantee. Consult with the Commission regarding specific places.
Projects in the Galapagos Islands Temporary residence permits are required and must be obtained through the institution of affiliation. There are no additional allowances to cover the entrance fee to the National Park, nor costs for residence permits or research permits.
Dependents The basic amount of the Fulbright grant is increased by approximately 12% (or about $100 per month) for one accompanying dependent only
Website www.fulbright.org.ec 3 FULBRIGHT ENGLISH TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS Language Proficiency in Spanish is strongly recommended. Successful candidates must be articulate English-speakers with native fluency.
Grant period 10 months. Grant dates will correspond to the academic year in Ecuador, mid-September 2010 to mid/late-July 2011. The grant period starts with an orientation organized by the Fulbright Commission. Attendance at the orientation program is required of all English Teaching Assistants (ETAs).
Candidate profile Applications are welcome from graduating seniors and Master’s level graduate students with an interest in working in an educational environment. Candidates with degrees in English, Spanish, education, or TEFL/applied linguistics with some experience teaching or tutoring are preferred. Other fields will be seriously considered if combined with teaching experience and/or coursework in pedagogy. NOTE: Because this is a student program, candidates with more than three years teaching experience or a Master’s degree in TESOL at the time of application may be considered overqualified and not eligible for this program.
Nature of placement Grantees will be assigned to teaching assistantship positions at Ecuadorian Universities that train ESL teachers in the provinces. In order to graduate as ESL teachers, students attend a four / five year undergraduate programs. Placements are not available in Quito. ETAs will be assigned as language-training assistants, but will not be responsible for teaching entire courses. Responsibilities may include giving presentations on different topics related to the United States and it’s culture, preparing classroom activities, and/or encouraging students to communicate in English. The Fulbright Commission will match the grantee with the appropriate host institution. Details of assignments will be subject to communication between the Fulbright Commission and the host institution and based on the academic profile of the selected candidate and the host institution’s needs.
Supplementary Project English Teaching assistant responsibilities will be up to 20 hours per week; therefore, grantees are expected to engage in other activities related to their personal, career, and/or educational interests. Applicants should consider a project that they intend to pursue if awarded the grant. Applicants should keep in mind that these activities should be flexible respective to geographic location, since they will not know where they will be placed. For example, grantees may pursue a course of study, conduct research into topics or issues relative to Ecuador, engage in specific volunteer activities, or a combination of these. In the Statement of Grant Purpose, applicants should briefly describe their project plan and may address some or all of the following: (1) why the activities are appropriate to Ecuador; (2) skills, talents or other qualifications that they bring to the project plan; (3) how they view this plan as contributing to their professional or educational development; and, (4) if and how the plan contributes to the Fulbright goals of mutual understanding and host community engagement. Remember that the primary activity for ETAs is in the classroom and not carrying out the project. The Commission will discuss project alternatives with the grantee when the placement is made. Applicants with strong project proposals may wish to consider the full grant program. Applicants should review the section on ETAs on the website for information on how to develop a Statement of grant Purpose for a teaching assistantship application.
Dependents No dependent allowance is available.
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