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.

Tanzania


Open Study/Research Award

Accepted Degree Levels
  • Doctoral
Grant Period
Flexible Start
Grant Length
6-9 Months
Award Type
Open Study/Research
Award Profile

Proposals to conduct research and/or study in Tanzania, as part of the candidate's current graduate program, will be considered. Affiliation with a higher education institution is central to this type of project, as is the presentation of a well-thought-out research plan.  All applicants are required to demonstrate the relevance of their projects to the Tanzania Fulbright Program's mandate, which is to enhance mutual understanding between the United States and Tanzania.  

Grant Length
6-9 Months
Grant Period
Flexible Start

Fulbright grants will begin between September 2024 and March 2025, subject to the approval of the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam.

Orientation
Pre-Departure Orientation

As a condition of their grants, all grantees may be required to participate in a Pre-Departure Orientation during the summer of 2024.

Candidate Profile

The Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania is seeking applicants who demonstrate:

  • Rigor in scholarly enquiry and academic excellence
  • Strong reasons for wishing to pursue the proposed project in Tanzania
  • A desire to gain a better understanding of the peoples and cultures of their host country
  • Commitment to the community through volunteer and extra-curricular activities
  • Flexibility and dynamism necessary for active involvement in the host country
Eligibility
Residency in host country permitted in year prior to grant
Dual citizens of this country are eligible

Candidates must be enrolled in a doctoral program at the time their grant period begins. 

Degree Level of Applicant
  • Doctoral
Foreign Language Proficiency
Recommended - Intermediate

Additional Information: Swahili language proficiency is not a requirement in the selection process. However, applicants should include plans for studying the language if selected, since Swahili language abilities will greatly enhance the Fulbright experience and will promote deeper engagement with the host community. Other indigenous languages may be useful or necessary for certain projects, especially outside of urban areas.

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

The role of the affiliation in the U.S. Student Program is to provide ongoing and substantive oversight and support for the grantee's project. Grantees will be required to have affiliations with accredited academic or research institutions in Tanzania. Therefore, applicants must initiate contact with the host institution of preference and obtain a formal letter of invitation or affiliation. In addition to indicating the nature of the affiliation between the applicant and the host institution (e.g., auditing classes, access to facilities or resources, collaboration with an ongoing project, etc.), the letter should state that a host contact will be available during the grant year to mentor the applicant and/or supervise the applicant's work on the proposed project. It is the applicant’s responsibility to secure affiliation with a higher education institution. It is not possible for a grantee to obtain research clearance from the Commission of Science and Technology (COSTECH) if the grantee does not have affiliation with a local higher education institution. Affiliation is also needed for obtaining the long-term visa and residency permit required of foreign researchers in Tanzania. 

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

It is the Fulbright grantee's responsibility to inquire and confirm about affiliation fees with their selected host institution.

Dependents
Dependent financial support is available
Housing Arrangements

The host institution will not provide housing but may assist grantees in locating nearby and appropriate housing. Grantees are also welcome to arrange their own private housing.

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

Information on visas and residency permits is available on the Tanzania immigration website. The Tanzania Commision for Science and Technology (COSTECH) issues research permits. It is important to note that a long-term stay visa and residency permits will not be approved for students who do not have a research permit. Detailed information on the research permit application is available here.

After arrival in Tanzania, field researchers should allow for a flexible schedule for a month to process COSTECH and immigration documents in case additional documents are needed, or other clearances are required, depending on the research topic. Again, students must work closely with their host institutions to assist them in processing these documents. For example, researchers in forestry, wildlife, medicine, or those with projects involving minors, patients, or animals, may need additional clearances from other agencies. Researchers are advised to apply for clearance early and ask COSTECH whether there is a possibility they will require other clearances. 

Research Clearance and Residence Permit for Zanzibar

Research in Zanzibar requires clearance from the Office of the Chief Minister in Zanzibar, P. O. Box 239 Zanzibar, Tanzania. The application letter should describe the proposed research and formally request permission to carry out the project.  It is also wise to send a courtesy copy of the application letter to the Assistant Minister, Ministry of State Planning, P.O. Box 874, Zanzibar, Tanzania. 

Recently, some Fulbrighters have alternatively received clearance through the Zanzibar Division of Archives, Museums and Antiquities when they had relevant research interests with that institution.  It can be reached at +255 (0)24 2230342 or via email. Obtaining clearance can be a lengthy process, so candidates should begin the application for research clearance simultaneously with the application for a grant—but should not pay any fees (except application fees) until if/when they are formally offered Fulbright grants.

In addition, a mainland residence permit is not valid in Zanzibar.  Researchers on this island must therefore get a residence permit in Zanzibar (which is, however, also valid on the mainland).

Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Contact
Jackson Oganga: OgangaJM@state.gov
General Inquiries : drs_exchanges@state.gov
Rehema Kalinga: kalingarj@state.gov