The 2025-2026 Fulbright-RAF Scholar Award in the field of Agricultural Extension Services

The Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission announces the Fulbright-RAF (Romanian-American Foundation) Scholar Award in the field of Agricultural Extension Services, designed for Romanian academics who wish to carry out a semester-long fellowship in residence, at a designated U.S. university, for study and research, individual mentorship, professional training, classroom observation and participation in community-based extension activities.

Residencies will take place at the University of Georgia, Athens, in the Fall Term 2025 and will include graduate-level course work, professional training, train-the-trainer and educational tools for youth development and adult education for farmers, SMEs, entrepreneurs. Likewise, there will be a series of individual mentorship with administrators and/or faculty to understand the management of these new extension services.

The program aims to support universities in the development of a research-based Romanian extension model, with a participatory approach, that provides farmers, entrepreneurs and citizens at large with access to objective and unbiased science-based solutions.

Scholars from the following fields are eligible to apply: Agronomy; Agribusiness; Agricultural technology/machinery; Animal science; Aquaculture; Biology; Biodiversity; Environmental Sciences; Fisheries; Food science and engineering; Forestry; Horticulture; Plant production; Rural development; Water, soil and natural resources.

NOTE: when applying, candidates must select Agriculture for academic discipline and Extension Services for primary specialization.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• hold Romanian citizenship; green card holders and persons with dual (Romanian and U.S.) citizenship are ineligible;
• hold a PhD degree and carry out regular teaching responsibilities in a Romanian university (university professors, associate professors and assistant professors are eligible);
• demonstrate interest and ability to fully participate in the program and to implement extension programs upon return;
• show willingness to advance educational innovation through development of a national extension education association;
• have the support* of their home university for achievement of high impact results for the targeted groups;
• show a proficiency in English corresponding to the activities required by this type of program; a language proficiency test is not required.

*Home university administrators should submit the University Letter of Support to confirm their support for scholar’s participation in the program and also for implementation of extension education opportunities upon his/her return. 

Each applicant will be required to submit:

• an online application form: https://apply.iie.org/fvsp2025;
• a personal statement uploaded to the online application;
• one letter of support, provided by your home university administrator/vice-rector or faculty dean using the standard form, directly uploaded to the online application, by January 10, 2025; 
• the applicant’s CV, along with a valid passport copy, plus dependent’s valid passports (if need be); passport scans can be forwarded by March 15, 2025.

NATURE OF GRANTS

The Fulbright-RAF (Romanian-American Foundation) Scholar Award in the field of Agricultural Extension Services has been established to provide Romanian academics from fields such as agriculture, rural economic development, biology, food science and technology with valuable experience, enabling them to develop programs for farmers and SMEs in agri-food sectors across the country.

The success of the program entails visionary professors committed to learning and implementing best practices in extension education, as well as university administrators committed to supporting new programs for the outreach to their community.

The final goal of the program is to develop pilot extension programs in communities mainly focused on the small and medium farmers and agri-food businesses with the potential to produce value-added products and services.

The extension mission can be a key development for the local universities to remain relevant for a broad range of audiences (students, faculty and staff, small and medium sized farmers, small businesses, industry, food retailers, the legislature, families, and consumers) and be the trusted source of science-based solutions across the industry and society.

The Fulbright-RAF Scholar Award is for one semester and will start in Fall Term 2025. No extensions or adjustments can be made for this specified duration of the award.

The Fulbright-RAF Scholar Award consists of:

• travel to/from the U.S., accommodation and general maintenance costs while in the U.S., settling-in-allowance, professional allowance and dependent allowance (if need be);
• Sickness and accident benefit coverage – ASPE (https://www.sevencorners.com/gov/usdos);
• J-1 visa sponsorship and administration (https://j1visa.state.gov/);
• pre-departure support, including one-day Orientation Program (to be announced);

Once on-the-ground in the U.S., further support is offered by the Institute of International Education/IIE and by the Council on International Educational Exchange/CIEE – for a series of Fulbright-RAF Scholar Award program-related activities.

The Fulbright-RAF Scholar Award does not cover: computer hardware or equipment purchase; leisure travel; personal shopping gifts; additional expenses that relate to lifestyle preferences.

THE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND THE REVIEW PROCESS

The applications will be assessed based on educational background and experience, current teaching duties, demonstrated interest to fully participate in the educational experience and to implement extension education upon return. Selection will be based on the combination of qualified professors with the support of their university for achievement of high impact results for Romanian students and targeted audiences.

• All the required documents must be submitted in English no later than January 10, 2025. Documents will not be returned. Only online applications will be accepted;
• You will be notified by the Fulbright organization in your country of application if you are selected, based on the timeline set by that organization. It is the policy of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board not to give to individual applicants, to others inquiring on their behalf, or to the public generally, the specific reasons for selection or non-selection of applicants for awards under the program, to the extent not required to do so as a matter of law.
• Initial screening and endorsement of a scholar’s application is administered by the Fulbright organization in your country of application;
• Short-listed candidates will be invited to an interview (either in-person or online) conducted in English (date to be announced);
• After interviews, Romanian finalists’ applications are then forwarded to IIE and the U.S. Department of State by the Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission. Final selection/approval of all grants is made by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB);
• Before a grant can be confirmed, a Medical History and Examination Report is required and will be reviewed by appropriate personnel;
• As part of the program, administrators from selected universities will be invited to visit the U.S. at the conclusion of the residency semester to learn about the grantees’ experience and observe an active extension ecosystem first hand.