It enables United States students and artists to benefit from unique resources in every corner of the world and to gain international competence in an increasingly interdependent world. Each year the program allows more than 800 Americans to study or conduct research in over 100 nations. The Fulbright Program is funded by an annual Congressional appropriation and contributions from other participating countries. Under the policy guidance of the Presidentially-appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, the United States Information Agency sponsors the program in cooperation with binational Fulbright Commissions and Foundations abroad as well as United States embassies. The United States Student Program is designed to give recent bachelor's degree graduates, master's and doctoral candidates, and young professionals and artists opportunities for personal development and international experience.
Grantees plan their own programs.
Projects may include university coursework, independent library or field research, classes in a music conservatory or art school, special projects in the social or life sciences, or a combination. Along with opportunities for intellectual, professional, and artistic growth, the Fulbright Program offers invaluable opportunities to meet and work with the people of the host country, sharing daily life as well as professional and creative insights. The best way to appreciate others' viewpoints, their beliefs, the way they think, and the way they do things, is to interact with them directly on an individual basis-work with them, live with them, teach with them, learn with them, and learn from them. Most of the grants will be awarded for programs of study or research that will require one academic year. However, where sufficient justification is provided, very advanced doctoral candidates and candidates in the creative and performing arts may submit requests for grants of not less than six months.