Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program

The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program provides an opportunity for curious, flexible, and independent K–12 educators from the United States to conduct research and engage in other professional learning experiences abroad for three to six months. 

Program Description

Educators who are selected to participate in the program will:

• Design and implement a research project related to education in the United States and their host country.
• Take courses at a host university.
• Build global networks of and exchange best educational practices with researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.
• Develop resources and tools that can be used long after the project ends.

Fulbright Teacher Exchanges include roundtrip airfare, visa support, accident and sickness medical coverage, accommodations, and meals related to the travel portions of each program. Participants receive a stipend to offset costs related to their travel. The stipend is not intended to replace a participant's salary and will vary depending on the host country, duration of program, and other factors.

Participants in the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program may bring dependents with them to their host country. Please see individual country information for details about school-age dependents.

Upon returning home, educators will be expected to share the knowledge and experience gained during the program with educators and students in their home schools and communities.

Timeline & Activities

Timeline

Applications typically open in December and close in February. Applicants can expect to be notified in the summer. Travel dates are specific to each of the participating countries’ calendars, please consult the country profiles for possible dates of participation.

Program Activities

• Research Project: As part of the application process, educators identify a topic relevant to their own educational practice that can be enhanced by collaboration with colleagues in another country. Explore examples of past Fulbright Teachers' research projects.
• Orientation Workshop: Once selected, participants gather in Washington, DC, for a professional learning orientation workshop to work with other participants and further develop strategies for the inquiry design and implementation process.
• Host Country Experience: During the spring semester or summer, participants travel to their host location for three to six months, where they pursue their research projects with guidance from an advisor at their host institution. Participants also take courses pertaining to their professional goals. A U.S.-based educational consultant supports participants virtually throughout the program.
• Online Professional Learning Community: Each participant will participate in a virtual global community with other participants to collaborate and share educational practices.

 

Eligibility

The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program is open to full-time elementary, middle, and high school educators who are employed at a public, private (secular or faith-based), or charter school in the United States, or within the Department of Defense Education Activity at the elementary, middle, or high school level (K–12).

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program, the applicant must:

• be a U.S. citizen who resides in the United States, a U.S. territory, or who works on a campus within the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).
• hold at least a bachelor’s degree.
• have a minimum of three years of full-time instructional experience in a U.S. K-12 educational institution.
• be currently employed full-time in a U.S. K-12 educational institution with a minimum of 50% of contracted hours in a student-facing role.
• NOT have resided abroad for five or more consecutive years in the six-year period preceding the date of application (a candidate who has lived outside the United States, a U.S. territory, or a school associated with the Department of Defense Education Activity for nine months or more during a calendar year is deemed to have resided abroad for that year). 
• NOT be enrolled in a PhD program during the time frame they are proposing to take part in the Fulbright Program.

Application

Application

The application to the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program can be found in IREX’s Online Application System. It includes sections to enter personal and professional demographics, education and certification information, language proficiency, and an opportunity to answer, in short essays, questions about the applicant’s goals for the program, their background and experience, a research project plan, and how they will leverage the experience for impact in their school community. 

Applicants are asked to demonstrate how their skills and experience qualify them to conduct the research project that they propose. Consult the Research Project Guidelines for Applicants for helpful information on developing this component of your application.

Applicants are encouraged to discuss their interest in the program with school and district administrators early in the application process. A professional reference from the direct supervisor or school head is required as part of the application, as well as a signed Leave Approval Form.

Participating Countries and Territories

Participating countries and territories are determined by the U.S. Department of State and cooperating Fulbright Commissions and U.S. Embassies. Although the list of participating countries and territories may change periodically, applicants may apply only for countries or territories listed in the application for the year that they apply.

Learn more about this year's participating countries and territories

Explore Locations

Partner Institutions

Applicants are invited to include in their applications information about institutions or organizations they may have identified as potential hosts for their research project. Final placement locations and partner organizations will be decided at the discretion of the coordinating U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission in the host country, and will include considerations for participant safety and security, as well as feasibility of the partnership.

Supporting Documentation

The application also requires the submission of references and certain documentation:

• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Professional reference from someone the applicant has worked with in a professional capacity
• Professional reference from the applicant’s school or district lead administrator
• Leave Approval Form
• Verification of bachelor's degree conferred

Selection Criteria

Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program participants are selected through an open, nationwide competition.

In an effort to reflect the diversity of the United States and global society, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs programs, funding, and other activities encourage the involvement of U.S. and international participants from traditionally underrepresented groups, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities. Opportunities are open to people regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The Bureau is committed to fairness, equity, and inclusion.

When applications are received by IREX through the Online Application System, each application is screened for technical eligibility. After confirming that applicants meet the eligibility criteria, an independent committee of experts reads and reviews applications and makes nomination recommendations. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board approves all final nominations.

Applications are evaluated on overall quality, the applicant’s qualification to conduct the proposed research project, the benefit of the program for both the applicant and the applicant’s school, and clear demonstration of educational leadership.

Applications are encouraged from individuals who:

• work in high-need schools or districts, defined as having a student population that is of high socioeconomic need, especially where 40% or more qualifies for Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARMS).
• have had at least five years of full-time K-12 teaching experience in the United States, a U.S. territory, or a school associated with the Department of Defense Education Activity.
• hold a master’s degree from a U.S. university and/or a National Board Certification.
• demonstrate commitment to remaining in U.S. K-12 education following their participation in the program.
• have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
• have NOT participated in another Fulbright Program and/or had recent significant professional experience abroad. Professional experience abroad includes study, teaching, research, or professional development. It does not include personal travel, undergraduate study abroad, leading student trips, religious or volunteer trips, service in the U.S. Armed Forces, or serving in the Peace Corps.

While previous participation in a Fulbright Program does not disqualify applicants, the program prefers applicants for whom it would be their first such opportunity.

All applicants will receive notification of a selection decision by email, whether they have been selected or not.

"I’ve always had a global view, but I wanted to push myself. It’s about having a more global perspective and being able to bring that back to your students and your community. Thinking big is important, even if you’re in a small town like me. One highlight of the Fulbright program was experiencing Chinese New Year celebrations with students and staff at Zhenghua Secondary School in Singapore."

John Miller, Social Studies Teacher, United States to Singapore

group of teachers standing around a table in Singapore celebrating the Chinese New Year