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Extramural Funding: Fulbright Grants
Graduate Study & Research Overseas For UCI Students

Introduction   Application Calendar   Eligibility   Application Process   FAQ   Campus Contact   Past UCI Fulbright Recipients

Application Procedures  

REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION
I. Project Statement Essays

Statement of Proposed Study or Research

Project Statements must be limited to a maximum of two single spaced typed pages. Applicants must provide a brief but specific title for their projects. The essay outlining the study project should contain three elements:

1. In the first paragraph, a clear and concise statement of purpose expressing your concrete goals and objectives.
2. A short paragraph explaining the rationale/justification for the project/course of study and a summary of its relevance to the discipline. This may take the form of a statement of how such a project will assist you in accomplishing your professional goals.
3. Methodology - The balance of the essay must clearly detail exactly how the project will be carried out. First, the resources to be used must be specified. If these resources are in archives or other collections with limited access, it will be necessary to demonstrate that they will be made available to you. Another important resource to mention is any known support from overseas faculty. Second, it must be shown that the research project can be reasonably accomplished within one academic year. Finally, you should demonstrate that you possess the skills necessary for completion of the project. This may be done by referring to your previous work in the area of proposed study, to your educational background, or to other relevant experience. If you are proposing surveys or interviews as part of your methodology, you should describe your previous experience with these research methods and include a sample of your proposed survey. (This sample will count as one of the two pages that you are allowed for your project statement).

Curriculum Vitae

This is a very serious essay that is meant to complement the Statement of Proposed Study or Research. It should be written as both an intellectual and personal autobiography in which you outline the experiences that have influenced you up to this point in your life and have governed your intellectual development. It is more of an academic statement than a personal one, and should not be overly emotional. You do not need to list all your academic honors and extra-curricular achievements as these are listed elsewhere in your application. Exclude extraneous information that does not pertain to your project. For example, do not include information about your Olympic medals unless you will be conducting a physical education study. Do include a reference to your grandparents' stories of the "Old Country" if these accounts influenced your decision to pursue a research topic there. You also need to clearly state your career goals and to explain how a Fulbright grant would assist you in realizing them. In summary, this essay should link together, in a coherent manner, your academic background, your proposed research project, and your future goals.

II. Recommendations

Three letters of recommendation are required. At least two of these should come from faculty for whom you have performed academic work. A summary of your study project should be appended to each recommendation form so that the faculty member may comment not only on you, but also on the merits of your particular project, and your qualifications in light of its demands. This is very important, as the National Screening Committee members will expect your letter writer’s to comment on the merits of your proposal. It is the applicant's responsibility to make sure that the references are received in UCI's Office of Graduate Studies (120 Administration) by the campus application deadline on September 17, 2007 (see application calendar).

III. Language Evaluation

Either a faculty member or another recognized language instructor must complete the Language Evaluation Form. No other qualifying language exam may be substituted in lieu of this evaluation. The Language Evaluation Form should be returned by the evaluator to the Fulbright Program Coordinator. The person completing the Language Evaluation may also complete a reference form. Please contact the UCI Fulbright Program Advisor if you require assistance in obtaining an appropriate person to do your evaluation.

IV. Transcripts

Applicants must provide official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools attended. Official UCI and non-UCI transcripts should be sent directly to UCI's Fulbright Program Advisor in a sealed envelope with the registrar's signature and/or official stamp over the seal.

V. GPA

There is no minimum GPA to qualify for a Fulbright grant. The GPAs of Fulbright scholars' range from 2.5 to a 4.0, however keen competition suggests a GPA of 3.3 to be average among applicants. A strong academic record in the particular field of study is essential.

VI. Letters of Support From Host Country Scholars and Institutions

Letters from specific professors in the host country stating their intention to support your research project are enormously helpful (and sometimes required). Although for most countries they are not formally required as part of the application process, experience has shown that specific support from abroad significantly increases the chances of an applicant's success. You should initiate correspondence with relevant people and institutions abroad at least three months in advance of the deadline in order to establish rapport enough to request such a letter.

REVIEW PROCESS

1. The UCI Campus Evaluation Committee will evaluate and rank all complete applications which are received by the September 17, 2007 campus deadline. Candidates will be interviewed by a committee consisting of the Associate Graduate Dean and at least two other UCI faculty members in late September. Ratings and recommendations from the interview process will be forwarded with the applications by UCI to IIE.
2. The U.S. National Screening Committees will review all submitted applications by late December 2007. In late January 2007, IIE in New York will notify candidates only if their applications have been recommended for further consideration. This does not guarantee a grant, but rather a further review by the host country.
3. If the application has been recommended it will be sent to the host country for final review by the Bi-National Commission. Final decisions are usually announced in the late spring; however, this varies from country to country.

THE INTERVIEW

Your single campus interview is a very important part of the evaluation process. This is the only interview that you will have. IIE and individual countries do not conduct interviews in most cases, and thus rely on the evaluations of the campus committees. You should expect to be interviewed by a multi-disciplinary panel of faculty representing a range of geographic expertise. Be prepared to discuss the specifics of your project - its theoretical framework, your hypothesis, how you plan to carry out your research, relevant literature and pertinent studies which have been done in the field. Applicants are typically expected to discuss more general topics as well - for example, your future career goals and how a Fulbright award will help you to achieve them. On the basis of the campus interview, applicants will receive a rating, which ranges from 1 (exceptional) to 4 (not recommended). All applications, regardless of the rating assigned, are sent to IIE for further consideration.

Frequently Asked Questions  

• Is there an on campus information session planned?
  An annual information session is hosted by UCI's Office of Graduate Studies during Spring quarter's finals week in June. An email announcement typically goes out to all students the last week of May. If you have not received email notification by June 1, you may contact the UCI Fulbright Program Advisor for further information. See contact information at the end of this article.
• What is the role of the UCI Fulbright Program Advisor?
  The Advisor answers questions regarding the administrative details of the Fulbright Award including the application process. The Advisor is also the person to whom you will submit your final application and required materials. The Advisor organizes and co-chairs the Campus Review Committee.
• How do I apply?
  Students must apply online at http://us.fulbrightonline.org/applynow.html. Once you hit the submit button, your UCI Fulbright Program Advisor will be able to view your application. Only your UCI Fulbright Program Advisor can submit your application to IIE.
• What will I be required to submit for my final application?
  
  1. Your completed online application must be submitted for review by the UCI Fulbright Program Advisor. This is done by completing your online application and hitting the submit button, which does not submit your application to IIE, but rather, allows access of your application to your UCI Fulbright Program Advisor. Only your UCI Fulbright Program Advisor can submit your application to IIE.
  2. In addition to the completed online application, you must submit a hard copy of the completed application, signed, your curriculum vitae, three academic letters of recommendation, a language evaluation (if applicable) and a letter of affiliation (if applicable). All information must be submitted on the forms provided with the application.
  3. A schedule of your availability for a committee interview must be downloaded here and submitted with all of the above materials.
• How do I make sure my proposal is feasible?
  There are several things to keep in mind when determining an appropriate Fulbright proposal:
  • Is your proposal sufficiently defined to allow you to carry out your project within the given time frame and resources available?
  • Do you possess the necessary skills and experience?
  • Will you have access to relevant resources overseas?
  • Do you possess the language skills necessary to carry out the project?
  • Is your proposal relevant to the discipline?
  • Have you clearly expressed the outcome of your proposal (what do you expect to gain, contribute to the field, host country, or U.S.)?
  • Is it necessary for you to carry out your proposal only in the host country, or are sufficient resources available in the U.S.?
  • Is your proposal somewhat unique, or is it something that has already been investigated many times?
  • Have you avoided -
    • Politically volatile subject matter?
    • Negative references to the host country, U.S., or the work of others in the field?
    • Indications that your interest in a Fulbright award is strictly for personal reasons, for example as an opportunity to rediscover your ancestral roots?
• Do I need a formal affiliation even if I'm not planning to enroll in university classes?
  Yes, all students need to be affiliated with an educational or research institute, ministry, or other organization in the host country - see awards brochure for specific country details.
• How do I set up my overseas affiliation and mentor?
  In many countries it is up to you to find a mentor and/or a university or institution with which you would like to be affiliated. Even in those countries where affiliation is arranged for you (see awards brochure for individual country details), in most cases your application will only be strengthened by any steps that you take to affiliate yourself. Setting up an affiliation generally means finding a university where you will be able to take classes (usually as a special status non-degree seeking student) and use the library and other facilities. Note that in some countries you are required to gain formal university acceptance. In these cases it is up to the applicant to obtain application materials and follow the procedures of the host university.
  
  Finding a mentor entails identifying a professor(s) in the host country who will be willing to support your research and will write a letter to that effect. This letter should be mailed through the postal service or faxed to you. Email "letters" are not acceptable. The mentor letter is in addition to the three letters of recommendation which are required as part of the application. Your professors may be able to help you establish overseas contacts. When contacting potential mentors, you should explain that you are a Fulbright applicant and should provide a detailed description of your study/research proposal. You must also outline the type of support that you are requesting (e.g., access to libraries, professors, equipment etc.). It is very important to begin identifying both your affiliation and mentor at least three months in advance of the application deadline. Remember, that in some countries it may be very difficult to reach faculty members and university administrators during the summer months.
  
  Your affiliation and mentor letters may or may not be one in the same. You should have as many affiliations as necessary to carry out your project.
  
  [Important Note: If your affiliation/support letters are in a language other than English, you MUST attach an English language translation to the original.]
• I'm applying for a Teaching Assistantship. Do I need to submit a research proposal?
  Yes, you must include a research proposal which you can combine with your teaching duties. Keep in mind that your teaching responsibilities will take up approximately 20 hours per week, and you must therefore indicate what you plan to do during your residual time.
• Can I apply for a grant in more than one country?
  Multi-country proposals are possible in all regions of the world with the exception of Western Europe. For non-Western European countries, your proposal is limited to three countries within the same geographic region and must be approved by each country involved. You must designate one country as the primary country of your research/study.
• If the UCI Campus Review Committee does not recommend my application, will it be forwarded to IIE for further consideration?
  Yes, the Campus Review Committee forwards all applications to IIE along with the committee's ratings and comments.
• Can I have access to my campus rating?
  No, these ratings are confidential records and cannot be released.
• Will a Fulbright award allow me to obtain a degree overseas? Can I apply overseas credits earned towards a U.S. degree program upon my return?
  No, in the vast majority of cases. Grantees generally take courses on a not-for-credit, non-degree seeking basis. See individual country summaries for exceptions. It is the sole responsibility of the individual to arrange for the transfer of credit to UCI. Applicants should note that most overseas universities do not operate on the U.S. credit system.
• If I am awarded a grant may I defer it to another time?
  No, grants are not deferrable, and may only be used for the particular academic year they are awarded.
• Can I submit more than three letters of recommendation?
  No, a maximum of three recommendation letters should be submitted. However, you may wish to solicit more letters than you need and use the "best" of three. Letters of support from the host country may be submitted in addition to the three, but should be limited to those individuals or institutions with which you will actually be working.
• I am a native speaker of the language of the country to which I am applying. Do I need to submit the foreign language report form?
  Yes. This form must be completed for native speakers as well as for anyone who is proposing to study or do research in a language other than English.

Campus Contact  

Carol Sokolov
Assistant Dean, Graduate Academic Affiars
University of California, Irvine
Graduate Division
120 Aldrich Hall
Irvine, CA 92697-3180
Tel.: 949-824-7458 (voice)
Fax: 949-824-9096 (fax)
csokolov@uci.edu