Current U.S. Student

United States citizens who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are eligible to apply. All applicants enrolled in U.S institutions must apply through their home campuses. Find the Fulbright Program Adviser on your campus.

If you are an undergraduate student, you are eligible to apply in the fall of your senior year.  If you are a graduate student, you are eligible as long as you will not have a PhD degree by the application deadline.

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.

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Fulbright-mtvU Award Application Components

 

All applicants must complete and submit their application via the Embark Fulbright Online Application. This is where you enter data, upload documents, and register your reference writers and foreign language evaluator. The following items comprise the components of the Fulbright-mtvU application:

Biographical Data

The first pages of the application ask for basic personal information, such as name, contact information, birth date, etc.  Applicants must provide details of academic background, occupational experience, extracurricular activities, publications, and previous foreign experience. Here, also, applicants must include a project title and an abstract of the Statement of Grant Purpose, along with a brief explanation of future plans upon completion of the award and return to the U.S.  You must indicate that you are applying for the “Fulbright-mtvU Award” as a Special Opportunity Program.

Statement of Grant Purpose

This 2-page document outlines the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of what you are proposing for your Fulbright year. Developing a strong, feasible and compelling project is the most important aspect of a successful Fulbright application. The first step is to familiarize yourself with the program summary for the host country. The program design will vary somewhat, depending upon the country and your field of study. The proposal should indicate a clear commitment to and description of how you will engage with the host country community.

Fulbright-mtvU candidates propose projects focused on an aspect of international contemporary or popular music as a cultural force for expression. Preference will be given to creative projects that are conveyed in a dynamic fashion and are accompanied by a viable outreach plan.

Format: Single spaced, 12 point Times New Roman, 1 inch margins.

Affiliation Letter

A majority of Fulbrighters undertaking study/research awards will affiliate with universities, although in some countries it is possible to affiliate with other types of organizations such as conservatories or other arts organizations. The affiliation letter should come from the institution/individual in the host country with whom you are proposing to work. Affiliation requirements vary by country so before starting the application you should note the specific requirements for the proposed host country. It should be written in or translated to English, printed on official letterhead and should be signed by the author. Email correspondence is not acceptable.

Personal Statement

This 1-page narrative is designed to give the reviewers a picture of you as an individual. It is an opportunity to tell the committee more about the trajectory that you have followed and what plans you have for the future. Whereas the Statement of Grant Purpose focuses on what you will be doing in the host country, the Personal Statement concentrates on how your background has influenced your development and how that relates to the Fulbright opportunity.

The statement can deal with your personal history, family background, intellectual development, and the educational, professional, or cultural opportunities to which you have or have not been exposed; explain their impact. This should not be a reiteration of facts already listed in the Biographical Data sections or an elaboration of the Statement of Grant Purpose.

Format: single spaced, 12 point Times New Roman, 1 inch margins.

Foreign Language Forms
  • Language requirements vary by country, so before starting the application you should note the specific requirements of your proposed host country. You must possess the necessary language skills to successfully complete the project you are proposing.
  • For programs where language skills are Strongly Recommended, you must submit both a Language Self Evaluation and a Foreign Language Evaluation Form, which is completed by a professional language teacher. Submission of both forms is mandatory, even if you have advanced skills or native-speaker ability. Failure to submit the forms may affect your eligibility.
  • For programs where language skills are Recommended or Not Required, if you possess some language skills you should submit both a Language Self Evaluation and a Foreign Language Evaluation Form. It will be advantageous to have your language ability documented. Remember, even if a country indicates that English will be sufficient for carrying out the proposed project, for purposes of Community Engagement, at least a basic level of language skill should be obtained prior to leaving the United States for the host country.
  • For programs in countries where English is one of the national languages, you do not need to submit any foreign language forms unless a foreign language is required for your project.
References

You must submit three reference letters as part of the application. The authors should be the three individuals who can best speak to your ability to carry out the project being proposed; they should discuss your intellectual and professional preparation, and your ability to represent the U.S. abroad. You should provide the reference writer with a copy of your Statement of Grant Purpose before requesting the reference letter. The reference letter should NOT simply be a character reference, as this will be of no value in assessing your ability to complete the proposed project. All references must be written in English.  If the original reference letter is written in a language other than English there must be an official English translation.  Because the reference letter is confidential the translation cannot be done by the applicant.  Both the original reference letter and the English-language translation must be uploaded into the Fulbright application.

Transcripts

The Fulbright Program requires a complete academic record of your higher education. You must provide transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions from which you received degrees. Transcripts must also be submitted from other institutions where you studied and received credit for coursework.

Failure to submit any required transcripts will result in your being declared ineligible.

Fulbright-mtvU Documentation and Outreach Plan

Your projects must focus on contemporary or popular music as a cultural force for expression and change. Grantees are required to communicate their experiences during their Fulbright year abroad through mtvU print, broadcast, or online media. Therefore, you should explain in detail the specific goals of your outreach plan and how your project will create change in your proposed host country. Download the Document and Outreach Plan (DOC).

Supplementary Materials

All candidates applying in a creative or performing arts field must submit examples of their artistic work that will be evaluated by the screening committee members along with the written portions of the application. Candidates applying in academic fields should not submit supplementary materials.

Below is a list of Creative and Performing Arts fields:

  • Architecture
  • Creative Writing
  • Dance
  • Design & Crafts
  • Filmmaking
  • Installation Art
  • Ethnomusicology/World Music
  • Music (all fields)
  • Painting/Printmaking
  • Performance Art
  • Photography
  • Sculpture

Consult the Required Supplementary Materials For Arts Applicants page for more detailed information.

Applicants to Germany must submit additional materials in hard copy at the time of application in February. Read the Additional Materials For Music And Arts For Germany for more information.