2024-2025 competition is closed. 2025-2026 competition will open in April 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.

Bahrain

2 Open Study/Research Award

Accepted Degree Levels
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Grant Period
September Start
Grant Length
10 Months
Award Type
Open Study/Research
Award Profile

The Kingdom of Bahrain is an archipelago made up of 33 islands located in the Arabian Gulf. According to the e-government portal statistics, Bahrain’s population is currently approximately 1.2 million Bahrainis and residents.

The Fulbright Program in Bahrain began in 1995 and supports both U.S. and Bahraini scholars, students, and a small number of Bahraini Arabic language teaching assistants assigned to U.S. host institutions. The Fulbright Program is administered by the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Manama.

The U.S. Embassy Manama facilitates the affiliation process with local universities on behalf of U.S. students to conduct research in Bahrain. 

Grant Length
10 Months
Grant Period
September Start

Grant dates correspond with the academic year in Bahrain, September through June and subject to the approval of the U.S. Embassy in Manama.

Orientation
Pre-Departure and In-Country Orientation

All grantees are required to attend a Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) in the United States in the summer as a condition of their grants.

Grantees are also required to attend the security briefing provided by the U.S. Embassy upon arrival in-country. 

Candidate Profile

Applicants should be knowledgeable of world issues. They should be articulate, resourceful, tolerant, flexible, mature, as well as demonstrate initiative, leadership, and confidence.

Grantees will be required to work on their research projects with a local supervisor, and will be considered faculty at the local institution. The roles and responsibilities of grantees will be assigned by the academic department.

Eligibility
Dual citizens of this country are eligible
Residency in host country permitted in year prior to grant
Accepted Degree Levels
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Foreign Language Proficiency
Not Required

Although not required, an intermediate level of proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic or Classical Arabic (Fus-ha) may be helpful to conduct day to day activities. 

Fulbright Proposal Types
Independent Study/Research:
Yes
Graduate Degree Enrollment:
No
Affiliation
Independent Study/Research:
Letter recommended but not required at deadline

Applicants are encouraged to visit the websites of local universities to review the available academic programs, and request an invitation/affiliation letter. It is recommended to provide an affiliation letter, but not required. It is also recommended that applicants identify appropriate host institutions for their projects in their applications whether an affiliation letter is provided or not. However, the U.S. Embassy in Manama facilitates the final arrangements in placing grantees at the appropriate academic institutions. 

 

Affiliation Fees/Tuition
Affiliation Fees/Tuition not covered in grant benefits
Housing Arrangements

The host institution will not provide housing but host institution and/or the US Embassy’s Public Affairs Section will assist grantees in locating appropriate housing.

Dependents
Dependent financial support is available

Dependent financial support includes a modest increase in the monthly stipend. 

Special Opportunities

Projects in all disciplines are considered. Local host institutions in Bahrain often prefer those in business, economics, education, and the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields.

Fulbright Program Management Contact
FBstudent.MENA@iie.org
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
https://bh.usembassy.gov/
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Contact
Samar Hasan: HasanSAF@state.gov