The 2025-2026 application is now closed. The 2026-2027 competition will open in Spring 2025.

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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.

Cameroon


Open Study/Research Award

Accepted Degree Levels
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Grant Period
September Start
Grant Length
6-9 Months
Award Type
Open Study/Research
Award Profile

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program in Cameroon aims to strengthen educational and cultural relationships between the United States and Cameroon. 

Applications in all fields of study will be considered, but preference is given to researchers in economic development, the humanities, natural resource management, natural and technical sciences, public health and political science.

Grant Length
6-9 Months
Grant Period
September Start

Fulbright grants will begin in September 2025. The U.S. Embassy in Yaounde will not consider applicants who wish to arrive in the middle of an academic year (i.e., at the beginning of the Spring semester).

Orientation
Pre-Departure Orientation

As a condition of their grants, all grantees will be required to participate in a Pre-Departure Orientation during the summer of 2025.

Candidate Profile

U.S. Fulbright students should be flexible, professional, and prepared to work in challenging environments with living standards that are not as high as those in the U.S.

What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?

Cameroon is a lively Central African nation that is renowned for its geographical, religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity. Affectionately known as “Africa in Miniature,” Cameroon includes all the continent's major geographic landscapes including white beaches in the south, mountains in the west, tropical rainforests in the Congo basin, savannah grasslands further north and sparse deserts in the far north. The Community Liaison Office at Post offers a welcome package for Fulbrighters that includes guidelines on places to visit and leisure activities. 

Eligibility
Residency in host country permitted in year prior to grant
Dual citizens of this country are NOT eligible

U.S. citizens are eligible to apply. Participants must have a minimum of a Bachelors' degree.

Degree Level of Applicant
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Foreign Language Proficiency
Recommended - Intermediate

Additional Information:

English and French are the official languages of Cameroon. Almost 250 ethnic groups, speaking more than 80 major languages, co-exist in Cameroon. Pidgin is another lingua franca commonly used in all ten administrative regions. Although Cameroon is officially bilingual, French speakers outnumber English speakers by a 4-to-1 ratio.

There are eight predominately French-speaking and two predominately English-speaking regions and the acceptance of one language over the other differs from region to region. A working knowledge of the French language is required for candidates planning to live in one of the predominately French speaking regions of the country.

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

It is strongly recommended that applicants identify appropriate host institutions for their projects and that they include affiliation letters with their Fulbright applications.

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

Typically, universities and research institutions do not charge affiliation fees for Fulbrighters.

Award Benefits
  • A stipend broadly based on the cost of living in the host country. These funds may be used by the grantee to support housing, meals, and incidental costs during the grant period.
  • International travel benefits
  • Accident & sickness health benefits
  • 24/7 mental health support line for urgent and non-urgent situations
  • 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status within the federal government
Stipend Amount

This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.

2,900 monthly stipend amount in
$ [US Dollar]
One-Time Allowances

This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.

3,550 in
$ [US Dollar]
  • Excess baggage fees
  • Research/Materials allowance
  • Settling in allowance
Estimated Cost of Living

Consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country.

Average monthly rent for a furnished apartment with a generator, water tank, and 24-hour security, ranges from 500,000FCFA (approximately $850 USD) to 700,000FCFA (approximately $1200 USD).

Transportation via taxi (not shared) ranges from 2500FCFA ($4) to 5000FCFA ($8) per trip.

Grantees can expect to spend between 200,000FCFA ($330) and 300,000FCFA ($500) a month on groceries.

Dependents
Dependent financial support is available

The U.S. Fulbright Student may bring dependents on the program. Students with accompanying dependents (i.e. spouses and/or children who will be with them for at least 80% of the grant term) receive modest adjustments in living allowances. Student grantees receive no travel allowances for dependents or education allowances to defray tuition costs for accompanying dependent children. ECA’s Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges provides basic health and accident benefits and medical evacuation coverage for the grantee only. Grantees must arrange separately for dependent medical and emergency medical evacuation insurance prior to the commencement of their grant.

Housing Arrangements

It is the host institution's responsibility to assist the grantee in securing housing. In the event that the host institution is unable to identify suitable housing for the grantee, the Embassy will provide assistance. 

Fulbright Program Management Contact
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
Research Clearance

Research permits, issued through the Ministry of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation (MINRESI), are required in Cameroon.  Researchers must have institutional affiliations in Cameroon and should indicate in their applications the names and academic titles of the individuals and institutions with whom they will work before research permits are issued.  MINRESI requires that researchers work with a Cameroonian or local scholar. This local scholar must have a PhD in order to serve as the academic advisor.

Applicants should contact their host institution or the Embassy about applying for a research permit, providing the area of research and timeline. A permit may be renewed, and for each renewal, the research team must present a preliminary report of activities. The U.S. Embassy may work with Fulbright grantees to secure research permits, if the need arises.

Other and more specific permits are issued by the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife for research in forests, and the Ministry of Public Health for ethical clearance and access to state healthcare institutions.

Security Considerations

Due to ongoing security concerns, travel to the Northwest, Southwest, North and Far North regions of the country is discouraged. Candidates interested in doing research in these regions should check this website periodically for updates, and contact the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde for additional details.

Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Contact
Jessica Kontchou: KontchouJ@state.gov
Mathias Tientcheu: TientcheuMX@state.gov