U.S. candidates have an August 1 deadline for lecturing or research awards. Non-U.S. candidates apply in their home country for awards to come to the United States. Opportunities exist in every area of the social sciences, arts and humanities, sciences, and many professional fields. Fulbright-supported activities include undergraduate and graduate teaching, individual advanced research, joint research collaboration, and more. For professionals and artists outside academe, recognized professional standing comparable to that associated with the doctorate in higher education is required, unless otherwise noted in the individual award description.
Awards range in duration from two months to twelve months.
Foreign language proficiency may be expected as specified in the award description or as required for the completion of the proposed lecturing or research project. The majority of teaching assignments are in English. The major exceptions are Central and South America, where Spanish is usually required, and francophone Africa, where one is expected to be fluent in French. Non-U.S. candidates must contact the Fulbright commission or U.S. embassy in their home country.