University of Madeira (Funchal/Portugal) - Fulbright scholarships

What the Fulbright scholarships offer

You get funding to study, teach or do research in the USA. How much depends on which grant you apply for. The core research grant pays about EUR 2,300 per month (USD 2,500), plus roughly EUR 900 (USD 1,000) for travel, for 4 to 6 months. The professor and researcher grants pay about EUR 2,700 to EUR 3,600 per month (USD 3,000 to 4,000). The master's and PhD grants cover up to about EUR 36,000 (USD 40,000) for the first year. A master's grant can run for up to 3 years, a PhD grant for up to 5. Every grant also includes health and accident insurance, help with your J-1 visa and its fees, and an orientation session before you leave. You also join the worldwide Fulbright alumni network, former grant-holders who stay in contact. The programme is run in Portugal by the Comissão Fulbright, set up in 1960 by the Portuguese and US governments.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You hold Portuguese nationality and do not also hold US nationality.
• Where you go: You go to a non-profit university, research centre or museum in one of the 50 US states or Washington D.C.
• Field of study: All academic fields are open, except work with direct contact to clinical patients (including animals). So most medical, nursing, dental or veterinary work with real patients is out.
• Level: There is a grant for each stage. Research grants need a completed bachelor's degree (a GPA of at least 14/20 is preferred). Master's and PhD grants are for full-time study at a US university. Other grants are for professors and researchers who already hold a PhD.
• Your ties to Portugal: Applicants who studied or are studying at a Portuguese higher education institution are preferred.
• Your US history: You have not lived in the USA for 5 years or more in the past 6 years, hold no green card and no valid US visa, and have not held a Fulbright grant before (with limited exceptions for professor and researcher grants).
• English: You speak good English, as the interview and the whole stay are in English.

How to apply

You apply online through the IIE portal, usually by 15 January. The round opens the previous November. If your application passes the document check and the review of your project and personal statement, you are invited to a video interview in English before the final decision.

How realistic are your chances?

Fulbright is famous worldwide, which draws strong applicants. But the Portugal programme is split into many separate grants, several with only one or two places each. So you compete only within the specific grant that fits your field and level, not against everyone. A clear project, a confirmed US host where required, and a strong academic record set candidates apart. A well-matched applicant with those in hand has real prospects.