The Fulbright Specialist Program

The Fulbright Specialist Program

The Fulbright Specialist Program provides short-term Fulbright grants of two to six weeks to US scholars, artists and professionals to lecture, participate in seminars/conferences, collaborate on curriculum and faculty development and institutional planning, provide training, advise policy makers and take part in a variety of other activities.

Is this program a good fit for your institution?

This program is a good fit for Icelandic institutions in need of a US expert for a short project and is a great opportunity to lay a foundation for further institutional cooperation and collaboration.

1. Eligibility Requirements for Host Institutions

Institutions that may be eligible to request a Fulbright Specialist include, but are not limited to:

• Institutions of Higher Education;
• Government Institutions (ministries or agencies, public health organizations, courts, parliamentary bodies);
• Cultural Institutions (conservatories, museums, etc.);
• Non-Governmental Organizations including issue-centered institutions and think tanks;
• Medical Institutions (public health organizations, teaching hospitals, etc.

2. Eligible Disciplines

Projects designed by prospective host institutions should focus on one of the below eligible disciplines:

• Agriculture
• American Studies
• Anthropology
• Archeology
• Biology Education
• Business Administration
• Chemistry Education
• Communications and Journalism
• Computer Science and Information Technology
• Economics
• Education
• Engineering Education
• Environmental Science
• Law
• Library Science
• Math Education
• Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies
• Physics Education
• Political Science
• Public Administration
• Public/Global Health
• Social Work
• Sociology
• Urban Planning

3. Fulbright Specialist Program Activities

The Fulbright Specialist Program encourages host institutions to tailor projects to their own needs. However, all projects should have an educational element. Due to the short-term nature of the exchange, projects should have concrete objectives that can be achieved over the course of the Specialist’s visit. Past Specialists have supported host institutions by conducting activities such as:

• Delivering a seminar or workshop
• Consulting on faculty or workforce development
• Developing academic or training curricula and materials
• Lecturing at the graduate or undergraduate level
• Conducting needs assessments or evaluations for a program or institution

4. Program Parameters

• All exchanges must range from 14 to 42 days in length, including weekends, holidays and travel days.
• Projects are restricted to one country, and all project activities must take place in the country requesting the project.
• Each project is limited to only one Fulbright Specialist grantee.

5. Identifying Fulbright Specialists

Host institutions are not required to identify U.S. academics or professionals to serve as their project’s Fulbright Specialist prior to submitting their project proposal. If a host institution’s project is approved, Fulbright Iceland, in cooperation with the program’s implementing partner, World Learning, will identify candidates on the Fulbright Specialist Roster whose professional experience and academic credentials match the knowledge and skills articulated by the host institution in its project proposal as being critical to the project’s successful implementation. If a host institution has identified a candidate that it would like to serve as the Fulbright Specialist, please note that the following conditions must be met:

• The individual must already be on or be approved to join the Fulbright Specialist Roster before the start of the grant; and
• The individual must be approved by the Fulbright Commission; and
• The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board must approve that individual to be matched with the host institution’s specific project.

6. Program Funding and Cost-Sharing

The U.S. Department of State typically covers roundtrip, economy class international airfare, enrollment in a limited health benefits program, and a daily honorarium for participating Fulbright Specialists. In general, host institutions should be prepared to provide the Specialist with lodging, meals, and in-country transportation, either through monetary or in-kind contributions, throughout their full stay in country. The stipend for in-country transportation should allow the Specialist to travel to and from their lodging and project activity site as well as allow the Specialist to conduct local activities such as grocery shopping or visiting a local market, pharmacy, etc.

7. Application Process for Host Institutions

Prospective host institutions must submit a project proposal via World Learning’s online portal. A link to the online portal can be found under related content on the left. The online portal accepts project proposals on a rolling basis throughout the year. After a project proposal is received, it will be reviewed by the Fulbright Commission in Iceland. Only project proposals that are completed in their entirety will be reviewed. Please note that the Fulbright Commission typically receives more project proposals from prospective host institutions than it is able to support with limited funding. Therefore, not all proposals submitted will be approved. If your project proposal is approved by the Fulbright Commission, it must then also be approved by our partners in the US.

Find more information here!

8. Contact Information

Prospective host institutions should direct all questions to [email protected].

9. Multi-Visit (Serial) Projects

If a host institution would benefit from having the Fulbright Specialist visit the host institution more than once, host institutions may apply for their project to be multi-visit. Please note that multi-visit projects are only rarely approved, and host institutions will need to provide a strong justification for why this approach would strengthen project outcomes. Please find below some general program parameters for multi-visit projects.

• Multi-visit projects cannot include more than a total of two trips.
• All trips must be completed within a one-year period by the same Fulbright Specialist. The one-year period is calculated by adding 12 months from the initial start date of the first visit through the end date of the final visit.
• Each visit must be a minimum of 14 days, and the total number of days across all visits cannot exceed six weeks (42 days).

10. About the Fulbright Specialist Program

The Fulbright Specialist Program (FSP), part of the larger Fulbright Program, was established in 2001 by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). The program is a field-driven initiative in which foreign host institutions conceptualize and design projects of interest within an eligible discipline that represent a priority for their respective organizations. These projects are then paired with a highly qualified U.S. academic or professional, who shares their expertise and assists with strengthening linkages between U.S. and foreign host institutions. Participating foreign host institutions benefit by:

• Gaining global perspectives from experienced U.S. academics and professionals;
• Executing projects that require a rapid response or flexible timeline through short-term, year-round exchanges; and
• Building sustained relationships with individuals and institutions in the U.S.