The U.S. Government and the Department for Education and Culture of the European Commission - Fulbright-Schuman Scholarship

Fulbright-Schuman Scholarship

You will receive a monthly grant to carry out research or teaching activities in the United States on a topic relating to the EU or to relations between the US and the EU. The amount depends on your career stage: up to 3,000 EUR per month for PhD students and up to 4,000 EUR per month for postdoctoral researchers and international education professionals. The NATO-focused scholarship provides a lump sum of 9,000 EUR for three months. Each scholarship also includes a lump-sum travel allowance of 2,000 EUR, a J-1visa (the US exchange visa, which will be applied for on your behalf), health insurance, an orientation programme in the US, and access to the Fulbright alumni network. The duration of the stay is between three and nine months. The programme is administered by the Fulbright Commission in Belgium and funded by the US Department of State and the European Commission. The scholarship does not cover tuition fees or support for family members.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You are a national of an EU Member State. For the purposes of the NATO award, you are regarded as a national of any NATO country, with the exception of the USA.
• Where you live: You can apply from any country except the United States. You are not eligible to apply if you are resident in the US, hold dual nationality (US citizenship and another nationality), hold a Green Card, or have lived in the US for at least five of the last six years.
• Degree level: To be eligible for the PhD scholarship, you must hold at least a bachelor’s degree. To be eligible for the postdoctoral scholarship and the NATO scholarship, you must have completed your PhD before your departure. To be eligible for the educational scholarship, you must hold a bachelor’s degree and have three years’ professional experience in international higher education.
• Field of study: All topics are permitted. Your project must have a strong EU focus and be relevant to at least two EU Member States. Specialist medical training and clinical research are excluded.
• Language: You speak and write English well. The entire application is written in English.
• International background: Academic or professional experience in two or more EU countries is an advantage, but not a requirement. You should have a track record of outstanding academic or professional achievement.

How to apply

You must apply online via the Fulbright/IIE platform between 15 September and 1 December (12:00 CET) for a placement in the following academic year. In the introductory questions, select ‘European Union (Schuman)’ as the programme country, or ‘NATO’ for the NATO scholarship. Suitable applicants will be invited to a compulsory virtual interview in English.

How realistic are your chances?

The choice of topics is open, but the requirement for EU relevance significantly narrows the pool of applicants. Your project must have a genuine link to EU affairs and involve at least two Member States, which excludes many applicants. Your prospects are good if your research clearly aligns with this focus, you already have a host institution in the US lined up, and you can demonstrate genuine international experience. As this is a selective, high-calibre programme, a concise project proposal is more important than an extensive CV.