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.

Brazil

30 Open Study/Research Award

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

Proposals to conduct research and/or study in Brazil, either independently or as part of the candidate's current graduate program, will be considered. Affiliation with an academic 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 Brazil Fulbright Program's mandate, which is to enhance mutual understanding between the United States and Brazil.  

Applicants who will have received a Ph.D. by December 31, 2024 should apply to the Fulbright Scholar Program, see https://fulbrightscholars.org/

Grant Length
9 Months
Grant Period
February Start

Grant Length: 9 months, from February to November.

Candidates must plan to attend the mandatory arrival orientation and begin their assignments in Brazil in February 2025. Alternate start dates will not be considered, except for graduate students whose program will start in Fall 2025. Should that be your case, please contact the Fulbright Commission immediately after your final selection is confirmed.  

Orientation
In-Country Orientation

Mandatory

Four days in February upon arrival in Brazil and before students are headed to their grant sites.

Candidate Profile

The following attributes are very important in the selection of Finalists for this award: presenting a strong, well-defined project proposal; demonstrating a solid working relationship with a proposed affiliate in the application; clearly outlining plans for engagement with the host community; and expressing the relevance of the proposed grant activities to the applicants’ plans.

Proficiency in Portuguese is considered somewhat important in the selection of finalists; while it enhances the strength of an applicant, weak or lacking Portuguese skills will not harm an applicant’s chances of being offered an award.

 

 

Eligibility
Dual citizens of this country are NOT eligible
Residency in host country NOT permitted in year prior to grant
Indicate how many months is considered residency:
3 Months

Exceptions can be granted for short-term residency in the host country for formal language learning and for no more than three months in the 12 months prior to the start of the grant.

Accepted Degree Levels
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Foreign Language Proficiency
Required - Intermediate

Consider the information below if your research will rely on connections from outside your host institution:

Level: Intermediate Portuguese - 2 years of college-level study or equivalent prior to commencing the grant OR Advanced Spanish - 3 years of college-level study in Spanish or the equivalent prior to commencing the grant, plus an additional study of Portuguese at the time of application.

Additional Information: Some Portuguese language skills are necessary, not only for the development of the proposed project but also in order to settle in easily and communicate on a daily basis. Applicants should discuss plans for language study between the time of application and the commencement of the grant via the Language Self Evaluation. A Foreign Language Evaluation by a college-level Portuguese language instructor is required.

In the case of Advanced Spanish language skills applicants who have begun the study of Portuguese at the time of application, a Foreign Language Evaluation by a college-level language instructor in both Spanish and Portuguese is required.

Fulbright Proposal Types
Independent Study/Research:
Yes
Graduate Degree Enrollment:
No
Affiliation
Independent Study/Research:
Letter required for independent study or research at deadline

All applications must include a letter of affiliation. All candidates should state their host institution preferences in the application form. 

All candidates must have an affiliation with an academic institution or research institute. Additional affiliations with non-profit organizations, archives, or governmental agencies are acceptable and may be desirable depending on the nature of the candidate's proposal. Final selection by the Commission is subject to confirmation of an affiliation. If necessary, the Commission will assist applicants in confirming a possible host institution affiliation or recommending alternate ones. 

Graduating seniors and recent graduates must register as auditing students in at least one class per semester, preferably two, at the academic or research institution of affiliation. Registering for classes does not count for credit and does not entail paying tuition fees. Please approach your potential host professor or academic adviser about registering for their classes or others of your interest. 

Candidates should not wait until near the application deadline to contact the Brazilian institution of their choice to obtain a letter of invitation. If that will be the first time communicating with a potential Brazilian host, be aware that receiving a response can take longer than expected. 

The letter of invitation can include the following:

- Indication that courses related to the applicant's interests will be available during the grant period (for graduating seniors and recent graduates only).

- Confirmation of the Brazilian institution's interest in hosting the candidate.

- Confirmation that the candidate will have access to the institution's facilities and services.

- Information about project feasibility regarding language skills, research clearance, and any further relevant information. Please see the Research Clearance section below for more details.

- Information on how the proposed project can impact ongoing activities in the Brazilian host institution. 

- Information about a possible collaboration with or support from other organizations that are part of the host affiliate network.

The above list aims to help the applicant with the conversations with a potential affiliate. The Commission does not require all the suggested items to be in the letter. While they can be helpful in the selection process, the lack of them will not damage the application.

Letters can be in Portuguese or English. If the letter is in Portuguese, the applicant must include an English translation and the original letter with the application. 

Research Clearance Instructions:

Candidates must discuss with their intended Brazilian affiliation how to apply for research clearance if their project plans contemplate, but are not limited to:

- Research with human participants

- Research in protected areas

- Research involving secondary use of data

Please note that in some cases, obtaining research clearance may take a minimum of ten months. For this reason, and to host institution affiliates sufficient time to make the necessary arrangements, Finalists should contact them as soon as they are notified of their selection.  

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

The grantee is responsible for finding housing and making their own arrangements. The Fulbright Commission can offer a list of alumni who might provide helpful information about specific host cities.

Dependents
Dependent financial support is NOT available
Specific Considerations

Projects are encouraged in all parts of Brazil, not just in the main population centers. Specifically, priority will be given to applicants who locate their projects outside the urban areas of Sao Paulo, Salvador, and Rio de Janeiro.  Be aware that competition for these urban areas is greater because of a proportionally more significant number of applications. Applications from all degree levels and in all fields of study are welcome. 

The Fulbright Commission in Brazil offers virtual office hours. If you are an At-Large candidate, don't hesitate to reach out to us.

This award is co-sponsored by CAPES, the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education.

Fulbright Program Management Contact
FBstudent.WHA@iie.org
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
https://fulbright.org.br/awards-for-us-citizens/study-research-grant/
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Contact
Fulbright Commission Program Officer : christiane@fulbright.org.br
Additional Online Resources
CAPES: http://www.capes.gov.br