Fulbright Program competition for academic year 2009-2010 is now open

THE FULBRIGHT PROGRAM
The flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S.  Government, widely known as the Fulbright Program, is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. With this goal as a starting point, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 234,000 participants, chosen for their leadership potential, with the opportunity to observe each others' political, economic and cultural institutions, exchange ideas, and embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world's inhabitants.

The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by former Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The Fulbright Program is administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State.
Since the establishment of the Fulbright Program, 34,000 visiting scholars have conducted research or taught in U.S. universities, and more than 32,000 U.S. scholars have engaged in similar activities abroad. The Fulbright Program awards approximately 750 grants to visiting scholars worldwide each year to teach and conduct research in the U.S. Currently, the Program operates in 155 countries around the world.

NATURE OF GRANTS
Grant benefits vary according to the provisions of the program of each participating country. All Fulbright grants include limited accident and sickness insurance and maintenance grants provided by the Department of State. Grants are awarded for a period of one or two semesters (5 or 9 months) for post-doctoral applicants; of 2 semesters (9 months) for pre-doctoral applicants. A grant may be revoked, terminated, or suspended. Grounds for revocation or termination include, but are not limited to (1) violation of any law of the United States or the home country; (2) any act likely to give offense to the United States; (3) failure to observe satisfactory academic or professional standards; (4) physical or mental incapacitation; (5) engaging in any unauthorized income-producing activity; (6) failure to comply with the grant's terms and conditions; and (7) material misrepresentation made by any grantee in the application form or grant document.
A grant may be suspended if (1) the grantee ceases to carry out the project or academic program during the grant period, or (2) the grantee leaves the United States for more than two weeks without authorization of the American Embassy in Macedonia or IIE.

Preference is given to candidates without recent experience in the United States. Recipients of Fulbright Scholarships within the past 5 years will not be considered.
Persons holding permanent residence in the United States are not eligible to apply for Fulbright grants to the United States. Persons who are citizens of both Macedonia and the United States are also ineligible. Fulbright grantees enter the United States on an exchange visitor (J-1) visa under a Department of State program, which requires them to return to their home countries for a minimum of two years at the end of the grant period.

MAILING INSTRUCTIONS: All submitted documents must be in English. Please submit ONLY computer generated forms. One hard copy of the application and all additional documents should be mailed BY December 12 to one of the following:

American Embassy, Public Affairs Office
attn. Gazmend Ilazi
Bul. Ilinden bb,
1000 Skopje, Macedonia
e-mail: ilazig@state.gov 
Tel: 02 3116 180 ext. 2169

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
o Doctoral degree
o Proficiency in English appropriate to the proposed research project to be carried out in the United States
o A detailed statement of proposed activity for research at a U.S. institution
o Macedonian citizenship and employment in Macedonia

APPLICATION AND REVIEW PROCESS
A complete application includes:
_____ application form
_____ detailed statement of proposed activity
_____ detailed curriculum vitae
_____ three references
_____ photocopy of passport
_____ photocopy of doctoral degree
_____ letter from employer confirming employment
_____ letter of invitation or appointment from U.S. institution

APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Complete the application form carefully after reading "Instructions for Completing the Application" on pages C and D of the actual application.
Make sure the reference reports are submitted promptly. Applicants must submit three references. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that reference reports are submitted by the deadline so that references accompany the application throughout the entire review process. References should be from persons qualified to evaluate your professional work and proposal. At least one of the references should be from a specialist outside your university. References should provide evidence of a scholar's reputation within his/her discipline and must be written in English. The Reference Report Form in the application packet suggests qualifications that the reference writer should address. The reference report is submitted directly to the American Embassy.
Submit detailed curriculum vitae. The curriculum vitae describe academic credentials and achievements.

When composing a curriculum vitae, it is important to include
(1) education (universities attended, degrees held)
(2) positions held
(3) courses taught and other services provided to students and the home institution
(4) publications
(5) other professional activities, such as workshops, seminars and consultations
(6) membership and activities in professional associations
(7) professional honors, awards and fellowships
(8) community service.

The application asks for similar information, but provides limited space for answers. In the curriculum vitae, the applicant should expand upon these topics to display more completely his/her accomplishments.

Preparing the Project Statement
The project statement is the most important aspect of preparing the Fulbright application. Scholars with the most compelling, theoretically sound, well-written, feasible proposals are generally recommended for awards. Sometimes those with outstanding professional achievements assume that a brief, general project statement will be sufficient. But, in order to ensure a more complete application, your proposed project, as well as the strategy for completing it, should be thoroughly explained.

Factors to address in the project statement
Clearly define your objectives and the methodology you will employ. Indicate whether you will use interviews, library or archival research, or laboratory experiments to accomplish your project.

Place your project in academic or professional context by referring to leading works by others on the topic if that information is available.

Explain the significance of the project for the field and your own professional development.
Explain why residence in the United States is necessary for accomplishment of the project. Comment, if applicable, on the adequacy or inadequacy of research facilities and library resources in your own country and on the need to use specific collections in the United States.

Describe arrangements you have made, for affiliation or collaboration. Secure a letter of invitation from a U.S. host institution testifying to the merits and feasibility of the proposal. Scholars who have studied previously in the United States should avoid seeking affiliation at their U.S. alma mater because candidates are encouraged to expand their contacts within the U.S. academic community.

Discuss how your project can be completed within the time period you have available.
Describe your competence in English if you are not a native speaker. Proficiency in English is required for research awards in the United States.
Indicate how you will disseminate the results of your research both in the United States and in your home country.

DOs and DON'Ts for Prospective Applicants
The following advice has been passed on from former grantees and review committees and can assist the scholar in preparing a successful Fulbright application.

What you SHOULD do:
DO print a clear and complete project statement that introduces you professionally to your colleagues in the United States. The application should be free of grammatical and spelling errors.

DO make sure that your qualifications and expertise match the objectives in your project statement. You should be able to show that you are qualified to accomplish what you are proposing to do.

DO emphasize key points in the first paragraph of the proposal. Academic reviewers examine many Fulbright applications, and having to search for the main points of the proposed activity is not helpful. You should use the rest of the proposal to support your statements in the opening paragraphs.

DO express what you can bring to the program clearly and succinctly. The best applications are those that reflect the individual and his/her situation. You should think of the basic questions that need to be answered: Why apply for a Fulbright award to come to the United States? If selected, what will I do, and how will I do it? What preparations have I made to complete the project? What can I contribute to the Fulbright Program? What will the results of my participation be?

DO emphasize how your project will benefit the host institution or scholars in your field both in your country and in the United States. Address in your project statement the ways in which you will utilize the experience upon your return. What is the likely impact of your experience abroad? To whom? How will you use what you learned upon your return, professionally and at the home institution?

DO try to make a connection between your past experience and what you are preparing to do if you receive an award. Explain the project's significance and its importance to the field. Focus on what can be reasonably accomplished during the period of the grant.

DO treat the application as a unitary whole, with all parts reinforcing the project statement. The flow should be orderly: the candidate's capabilities are listed in the application, further documented in the resume or curriculum vitae, and confirmed in the references. Use the project statement to make the parts interact by referring to items in the resume or research bibliography. Without being redundant or simplistic, you should make it easier for the reviewer to find the key pieces of information you wish to convey.

DO choose your references carefully and contact them early. The letters of recommendation need to accompany the application as it could otherwise be weakened by an insufficient number of references. Make sure the references are sent to the American Embassy - Skopje.

What you SHOULD NOT do:
DO NOT exceed the page limit of the application proposal by including irrelevant or extraneous material that may divert attention.

DO NOT use excessive jargon; keep your proposal simple and straightforward so that an educated reader from another discipline can understand it.

DO NOT be vague in describing your previous work or in laying out the nature of your proposed Fulbright activity. A frequent failing in applications is that the proposal is underdeveloped or too imprecise to give reviewers a clear sense of the endeavor.

DO NOT assume that your suitability for the endeavor is based upon past experience, your scholarship is self-evident, or the project's requirements will be understood by reviewers.

DO NOT stress how a Fulbright grant will benefit only you or your career. Remember that the program is intended to foster mutual understanding between cultures and nations.

DO NOT ask someone for a letter of reference unless the person is well acquainted with your qualifications. A pro forma letter from a well-known scholar, a contact abroad, or a prominent government official will carry less weight than a realistic assessment of your abilities from someone who knows you and your work well.

DO NOT include any documents or supporting materials that are not in English.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR AFFILIATION WITH A HOST INSTITUTION

One of the most important requirements of the Fulbright Scholar Program is a formal affiliation at a U.S. University or research institution. When determining which institutions to contact, do not limit yourself to only the most well-known U.S. universities. Many U.S. universities may not have an international reputation, but they often have appropriate facilities for scholars to conduct research. We have observed that scholars placed in these smaller and less renowned institutions often are given greater attention than their colleagues who are affiliated with more well-known universities.

Download [Appliaction Form - Suggested Format]; (WinZip Word File)