It enables U.S. students, artists and other professionals to benefit from unique resources in every corner of the world. It enables U.S. citizens to gain international competence in an increasingly interdependent world. Each year the Fulbright Program allows Americans to study or conduct research in over 140 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 Department of State sponsors the program in cooperation with binational Fulbright Commissions and Foundations abroad, as well as U.S. embassies.
Most 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. Recent projects have involved cancer research in the U.K., free market development in Mauritius, women's rights in Chile and contemporary artistic expression in India. Along with opportunities for intellectual, professional, and artistic growth, the Fulbright Program offers invaluable opportunities to meet and work with people of the host country, sharing daily life as well as professional and creative insights. The Fulbright Program is supported by an annual appropriation from Congress to the Department of State. It is the Board's policy that grants be awarded to the best qualified students regardless of degree level.