Fulbright Opportunities at UMD

The Fulbright Program is a collection of U.S.-government funded international educational exchange programs, the brainchildren of James William Fulbright. At the close of WWII, and at the start of his 30-year career as a U.S. senator for Arkansas, Fulbright convinced his congressional colleagues to use the proceeds from the sale of surplus U.S. war material to fund a series of bi-lateral student and scholar exchanges with countries around the world. Fulbright’s name subsequently became attached to an array of U.S. government sponsored international educational exchanges. Hundreds of UMD faculty and staff have been awarded Fulbright grants, and UMD has recently been among the Top Fulbright Producing Institutions.   Learn more about the Fulbright program.

Across his long career, Senator Fulbright sponsored legislation that created a variety of  US government-supported international exchange programs.  Where, how, and when you apply depends on which of these "Fulbright" programs is right for you.

Explore your Fulbright options:

• U.S. students
• Non-U.S. citizen students
• U.S. faculty, professional staff, and pending Ph.D.
• Non-U.S. citizen educators and professionals

The Fulbright application process begins 18 months in advance of the first grants in an award cycle. Application information is generally available in early February of each year for awards beginning in September of the following year (e.g., the Core competition for academic year 2023-2024 just opened February 1, 2022). With the exception of the seminar offerings, the deadline for all applications for awards is 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time on SEPTEMBER 15TH.

Not available for 2023-2024 opportunities? You can still explore Fulbright opportunities for 2024 and beyond.

• Visit the the Fulbright Facebook page for daily updates on how you can benefit from Fulbright.
• Become a contact to a Fulbright administrator for the Council for International Exchange of Scholars.
• Watch the Exploring Fulbright channel. 
• And, visit the Fulbright website for information throughout the year.

YES!

• UMD undergraduate and graduate students who want to apply must work with the UMD campus representative for Fulbright programs for students, and the UMD National Scholarships Office. The scholarships office submits all student applications to Fulbright.
• UMD faculty and staff who are U.S. citizens can contact Joe Scholten, UMD campus liaison for Fulbright Programs for faculty/administrators. Workshops for individual UMD units can be arranged upon request. 
• Prospective applicants may also contact Joe Scholten to connect with UMD Fulbright Alumni or get feedback on their specific proposal.
• Each spring term, OIA teams up with the UMD Division of Research to offer a campus workshop for faculty and professional staff who are interested in applying for a Fulbright.
• Those preparing to apply can also find a variety of other resources, including a Fulbright webinar series where a program staff member will address an issue relevant to either the application process or their world region.