INTERNATIONAL FULBRIGHT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AWARD GUIDELINES

 

 

PROGRAM INFORMATION

 

Is there any limitation on fields by country of nomination?

No. There are no restrictions on fields of study beyond those listed above for any eligible country; however, there may be practical reasons why a country program may choose to limit the eligible fields.

 

What benefits does the S&T Award provide?

Selected grantees will be funded for up to three years and will receive the following:

tuition and fee coverage,

a monthly stipend,

book and equipment allowance,

research allowance,

professional conference allowance,

travel support,

health and accident coverage, and

specially tailored enrichment activities.

 

After three years, the host U.S. university will be expected to cover the remaining expenses toward completion of the Ph.D. J-1 visa sponsorship will be provided for up to five years.

 

How are universities committed to funding the students after the three years? What happens if the student cannot secure funding and is left in the middle of his/her Ph.D.?

The Fulbright cooperating agency responsible for placement will also be responsible for securing the commitment for funding for the university after the supported 3 years. Universities are advised of the funding responsibility, and in securing placement for the student, commit to funding the rest of their study. With this commitment, no student participating in this program should be left without funding during his/her Ph.D. study.

 

Is there a ceiling amount on funding?

There is no ceiling on funding for tuition. Monthly stipends will be based on the school's location, but will also have special enhancements such as allowances for books and equipment, research, and professional conferences (see above).

 

Is there an allowance for dependents?

There will not be additional funding to support dependents of S&T participants. In terms of whether dependents would be allowed to joint the participant, we would be guided by the prevailing policy for Ukraine (for some countries, dependents are allowed to travel with the J-1 from the start, for others, after the first semester, and for others, not at all).

 

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

 

What are the requirements for applying?

Applicants must be citizens of Ukraine and must apply through the Fulbright Office in Kyiv.

 

Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree (comparable to a U.S. bachelor’s degree) on or before August 2008. It is highly recommended that the applicant have received his/her bachelor’s degree in the same or a related field for which he/she plans to pursue Ph.D. study.

 

Can a student with only a bachelor’s degree be admitted to science and technology Ph.D. programs in the U.S.?

Yes. Bachelor’s degree holders can apply for Ph.D. study in the U.S., especially in science and technology fields. Generally, applicants in the hard sciences are admitted directly into Ph.D. programs; in fact, many top programs only offer the Ph.D.

Note: Program policies in the U.S. can vary widely from institution to institution. Some programs may award a master's degree to students as they work toward the Ph.D. In other cases, programs may admit students to a master's level program first.

 

Can a student working on or who has completed a master’s degree program apply?

Yes. Completing a bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement. Applicants can also be enrolled in or have completed master’s degree work in the same or a related field. In fact, the host U.S. institution may grant graduate transfer credit toward a grantee’s Ph.D. studies.

 

Can a student currently enrolled in a Ph.D. degree who intends to pursue non-degree coursework or dissertation research in the U.S. apply?

No. This award is for students who intend to complete their Ph.D. degree in the U.S.

 

Can a student who is currently studying in the U.S. apply?

No.

 

Can a student who has previously studied in the U.S. at the postsecondary level apply?

See the ‘Limited prior experience in U.S.’ under ‘Selection’ below.

 

Can a student who has received a previous Fulbright award apply?

No. No applicant may receive more than one Fulbright student award in a lifetime.

 

Can a student apply for both Fulbright Foreign Student Program and the S&T Award Program?

Yes. The Fulbright Office and the applicant can determine for which program the student is best suited. If a student applied for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program but appears to be a strong candidate for the S&T Award, he or she can be switched for consideration to the S&T Award. Conversely if a student applied for the S&T Award and is not selected, he or she can be switched for consideration to the Fulbright Foreign Student Program.

 

Can a final candidate apply directly to U.S. institutions?

No. Placement will be handled either by IIE. Since these candidates will possess outstanding qualifications, IIE will be seeking admission from top U.S. institutions. Candidates can suggest schools at which they wish to be submitted; we have included a university preference page in the application. It is anticipated that IIE will work closely with each candidate to ensure that the best possible academic fit will be realized.

 

TESTING

 

Are there other language proficiency measures that will be preliminarily acceptable if a TOEFL or IELTS score is not available?

Yes. If a nominated applicant cannot submit a TOEFL or IELTS score at the point of application or nomination, then a TELP or an ITP exam or a completed Report of English Proficiency) can be submitted.

 

Will payment for the IELTS be provided for candidates?

No.

 

If the student undertook study in an English-speaking country within the past two years, will he or she still be required to take an English proficiency exam such as TOEFL or the IELTS?

Frequently not. However, it depends on the type of coursework the student undertook. If he or she did not take any English courses, then a U.S. university may still require a TOEFL or IELTS score.

 

 

SELECTION

 

What are the key considerations for selection?

 

ACADEMIC MERIT/ACHIEVEMENT

• Extremely strong academic record

• Strong background for the field of study to be pursued

• Quality of previous institution(s) attended

• Stellar letters of recommendation

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/ACHIEVEMENT

• Research and/or publications

• Professional association service (especially, if applicant has work experience or has completed a master’s degree)

• Work experience (especially if a bachelor’s or master’s degree has been completed)

STUDY/RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

Applicants should prepare a clearly written statement of their study/research objective that fully describes their study plans.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

Strong English language skills are necessary. Non-native speakers of English should present a paper-based TOEFL score of 580 or above (computer-based score of 237 or Internet-based score of 93) or an IELTS score of 7. English proficiency exams should have been taken no longer than two years prior to the start of the student’s academic study in the U.S., in other words, prior to September 2006.

LIMITED PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN THE U.S.

In general, nominees who have not had previous extended study or residence in the U.S. are given preference. This means that those nominees with such experience, even if not ineligible because of it, should be considered at a comparative disadvantage in the competition, providing all other factors are equal, as academic excellence remains one of the primary factors to be considered. It is possible that the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board would take issue with individuals who received their undergraduate degrees in the U.S. The Fulbright Office could nominate him/her with special justification, but there would be a chance that the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board would reject in any event.