2024-2025 competition is closed. 2025-2026 competition will open on April 2, 2024

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Current U.S. Student

United States citizens who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are eligible to apply.If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a U.S. college or university, you will apply through that institution, even if you are not currently a resident there. Find the Fulbright Program Adviser on your campus.

U.S. Citizen but not a Student

If you are a U.S. citizen, will hold a bachelor’s degree by the award start date, and do not have a Ph.D. degree, then you are eligible to apply. Non-enrolled applicants should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Candidates with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

The Getting Started page will provide information on eligibility and next steps.

Artist

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program welcomes applications in the creative and performing arts. Arts candidates for the U.S. Student Program should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Artists with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Creative & Performing Arts projects fall under the Study/Research grant category and are available in all countries where Study/Research grants are offered.

FPA

U.S. Professor/Administrator

If you are a U.S. citizen and a professor or administrator at a U.S. institution and are interested in applying for a Fulbright Scholar Award, you will need to apply through fulbrightscholars.org.

To support your students in applying for a U.S. Student Program award, please connect with the Fulbright Program Adviser at your institution.

Non U.S. Citizens

If you are a non-U.S. citizen interested in applying for a Fulbright Award to the United States, you will need to apply through the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your home country. Find out more information on the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program or Fulbright Foreign Student Program.

Additional Materials For Music And Arts For Germany


Important:
For applicants in Music and Arts to Germany.

In addition to submitting Supplemental Materials, all semi-finalists in the field of music, fine arts and performing arts for Germany must submit separate materials, as described below.
You will have to upload your additional musical recordings/work samples to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) media database. You will receive a link directly via the DAAD portal to upload your work samples after you have been selected as a semi-finalist from IIE. For questions specifically regarding these additional materials and requirements, please contact the Fulbright Commission at americanprograms@fulbright.de.


General

Applicants must have completed at least a bachelor's degree by the time of arrival in Germany. Scholarships for performing arts or music candidates are offered for one academic year and only at “Staatliche Musikhochschulen” (universities of performing arts or music). Placements at private institutions or with private teachers cannot be considered.

 

Application requirements

Field of Music

The required sound recordings must meet the following requirements:

  1. The sound recording must contain complete pieces/works of a high degree of difficulty.  Please make sure that each individual movement is saved and designated as a separate file.

  2. At the time of application, all recordings must be no older than one year and they must be of both excellent sound and technical quality. In case you are using recording devices with automatic volume control (e.g. digicam, zoom, etc.), please deactivate this function. If it is not possible to assess the applicant’s artistic quality because of the low technical quality of the recording, the applicant will be excluded from the application procedure.

    Please upload files in the following formats:  
    Audio files: mp3, wav, video files: mp4.
    Each file must be labelled with the following information:
    applicant's name_personal ref. No* _instrument_composers name_title of the work_no of movement (followed by the file extension)
    (e.g. Ramos_98754556_piano_mozart_KV595_Satz3.wav).

    *Personal Reference Number will be provided when access is granted to the DAAD Portal.
  1. All uploaded work samples must listed on a form (Information About the Audio/Video Files), which must be uploaded as a PDF document both together with the application documents in the DAAD Portal and with the work samples in the media database.

    Please note that your application can only be processed if the above-mentioned formal requirements regarding the completeness and length of the sound recordings are met.

Failure to meet these requirements may lead to the applicant’s exclusion from the application procedure. New recordings must be submitted with re-applications.

Instrumentalists from the field of Serious Music must submit complete works (not just individual movements) from at least three different style eras of essential relevance to the discipline and study plan in question. One of the works should be from the field of New Music (after 1950) (this does not apply to instrumentalists from the field of Early Music).

Instrumentalists from the field of Jazz should present at least three pieces of different character or tempi (e.g., a ballad or a quick piece). The exact times of solo performances by applicants should be specified. Larger bands are advised to submit one track with a smaller line-up (duo, trio).

Applicants for the subject of Chamber Music or Song Accompaniment must submit at least one work for their solo instrument in addition to the three required works in the subjects of Chamber Music or Song Accompaniment.
In addition to the three required ensemble works, members of ensembles or duos or must also present at least one work to demonstrate their soloist playing.

Drummers are required to present a program that reflects the greatest possible variety of styles. It is desired that different instrumental categories (e.g., variation of set-up, mallets, use of alternative drums such as multi-percussion, square drum, etc.) be considered. The pieces should come from different composers. It is also possible to submit a work from the duo chamber music repertoire.

Singers are requested to prepare a comparably differentiated program made up of three style eras that cover the fields of Opera, Song, or Concerto.
The total recording time must be at least 20 minutes for singers and at least 30 minutes for instrumentalists.

Special conditions apply to applicants from the following fields:
Composition

You must submit your own compositions in the form of scores (PDF format) and sound recordings. Three scores with different instrumentations are desired. The compositions must not be older than three years. The scores must bear the date of completion. Please also submit a list of works.

Conductors (orchestral and choral)

Expected is a video recording with own conducting from more recent times, showing both a rehearsal work and a performance, if possible, with the conductor facing the camera. The conducted works should come from various representative stylistic periods (e.g. Baroque, Classic, Opera, Modern etc.) and should correspond to the study project. The chosen literature must correspond to the type of study (choir or orchestra conducting). In addition, a recording with own instrumental playing is required. The conducting performance should not be less than 15 minutes.

Field of Fine Art, Design/Visual Communication and Film

For work samples in the field of fine art, design/visual communication and film, the following applies:

a) Painters, Sculptors and Designers:

The work samples may be submitted in the following formats:

  1. As individual images (jpg) or as portfolio in one file (PDF).
  2. Pictures must be submitted in jpg format.
  3. If possible, all pictures should be saved in ONE folder. The folder should be marked with the NAME of the artist.
  4. If necessary (e.g. if many different techniques are used), ONE level of subfolders can be created, with every subfolder named accordingly (e.g. photos, graphics, sketches, etc.). Please do not create multiple levels of subfolders.
  5. A file containing a list of the individual works must be enclosed. The list should contain the following information: name of work, type of work, size of work, year of origin, contributors if applicable.
    Example: Close Encounters, Oil on Canvas, 30x40 cm, 2019, together with Monika Mustermann
  6. Sculptural work should be shown from different perspectives, and proportions should be apparent.

b) Filmmakers:

Films, videos, and animations:

Each applicant is allowed 8 minutes of film time. If films are longer, appropriate excerpts can be presented. Short films from up to 8 minutes running time can be submitted in their full length. A longer duration cannot be considered.

Showreels and movie trailers are not desired!

It must be clear whether the film itself is a work of art or whether the film documents an artistic piece of work (e.g. aspatial installation, performance, etc.)

  • Video - mpeg, mpg, mp4, mov, avi, wmv, m4v, vob (up to 1 GB each) may be submitted.
  • Each work should be marked with the following: title, name of the artist, length, year. If the file contains several films, these should be marked as follows: name of artist, number of films, total length of all films.
  • If several people have contributed to a film, all participants and their role or task must be stated in the closing credits, and if necessary, in the catalogue of works, especially the role played by the applicant (director, cameraman, etc.).

For all applicants:

  • Links to online storage locations will not be accepted as work samples.
  • Please do not upload any work samples, portfolios, or any other works to the DAAD portal.
  • Please note that your works of art will be presented to the Selection Committee using a HD projector.

 

Performing Artists

In the Fields of the Performing Arts, the following requirements apply to the work samples that must be uploaded to the DAAD database.

Drama: Applicants should present themselves (in German), explain the reasons for their application and their plans in Germany (approx. 5 minutes). This should be followed by two role extracts each lasting between 5 and 10 minutes, one of which may be in English.

Theatre Directing/Theatre Dramaturgy: Self-presentation as described above for drama applicants; the file should then document the applicant's own projects and may be accompanied by additional written material.

Dance: Applicants should present themselves (in German or English), explain the reasons for their application and their plans in Germany (approx. 5 minutes). This should be followed by two dance performances (approx. 10 minutes): classical (warm-up training), modern (applicant's own piece).

Choreography: Self-presentation as described above for dance applicants; this should be followed by the applicant's own choreography lasting approx. 15 minutes.

Musical: Self-presentation as described above for dance applicants. This should be followed by a singing and dance performance of two pieces from the literature of musical theatre (approx. 10 minutes).

Please note: Sound and image media must be playable on systems commonly used in Germany. Recordings with technical faults (lighting/sound quality) cannot be considered.

For All Categories

For all applicants:

  • Links to online storage locations will not be accepted as work samples.
  • Please do not upload any work samples, portfolios or any other works to the DAAD portal.
  • Please note that your works of art will be presented to the Selection Committee using a HD projector.

Important: The Selection Committee's assessment and grading of work depends to a significant extent on the manner in which it is presented. Even the best works of art can lose their validity if badly presented.