Home Grants for Romanian Citizens The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program

Note

The 2025-2026 competition is now closed. The next competition will be announced in February/March 2025.

The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program

The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program provides grants for Romanian professors, researchers and professionals who have a doctoral degree or equivalent (certified) to conduct research and/or lecture at accredited U.S. universities. The candidates will be selected through open, merit-based competition.

Grants are awarded in any field except clinical medicine.

ELIGIBILITY

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 or equivalent (certified) in a relevant area before departure to the U.S.;
show a proficiency in English corresponding to the proposed research or teaching project; English language proficiency results and/or TOEFL scores are not required; interviews will be conducted in English.

Applicants are also expected to:

be representative and responsible citizens, with a demonstrable potential to enhance the mutual understanding of culture and values in Romania and the U.S;
share the acquired professional experience or disseminate results of the research/ teaching upon return, contributing to their specific area of knowledge;
show motivation and flexibility necessary to adapt effectively to life in the U.S.;
be active players within the local democratic context and contribute to the development of the Romanian society.

GRANT DURATION: between 3-6 months.

EVALUATION PROCEDURE

Selection Steps:

applications are pre-screened;
the assessment of the projects is performed by Fulbright alumni and leading Romanian and U.S. scholars in the respective fields of knowledge;
the applicants recommended by reviewers will be invited to an interview carried out by a bi-national panel, in January/February;
the nominated finalists are subject to final approval by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB).

The assessment of the Fulbright applications is organized in two stages, aimed at encompassing two different aspects. These distinct approaches contribute to defining a comprehensive image of the applicant’s performance during the entire competition, in accordance with the aim and mission of the Fulbright program and the expected results after return.

First Phase: The Screening Process

Applicants are evaluated by 2 specialists in their respective field. The evaluation of the professional level of the applicant’s proposal is based on the following criteria: significance of the proposed theme to the field; importance of the project to the home country; clarity of the proposal; academic credentials; evidence that research in the U.S. is necessary to accomplish the project; feasibility of project in terms of available time and resources; plans to disseminate research findings in Romania;

Specialists can be American or Romanian and must fulfill the following criteria:

have at least a Ph.D. in the same field or academic area as the person screened;
be in leading positions in their departments or fields;
be members of highly regarded academic institutions;
have a sound ability to read and speak English;
be available and willing to participate in the process;
keep confidential our collaboration.

Frequently, screening specialists:

have U.S. academic experience;
are Fulbright alumni;
are recommended by Fulbright professors whose judgment we trust.

Second Phase: The Interview

The evaluators on the interview panel are American and Romanian specialists in various fields of knowledge. The interview stage envisages aspects such as motivation, adaptability, project impact and benefit for home country, in addition to the professional criteria used for the previous screening process (see above).

After the interview, the list of the Romanian nominees and their proposals will be forwarded to the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board for the final approval.

AWARD BENEFITS

International travel

Monthly stipend covering accommodation and living expenses.

Settling-in allowance

Funding for professional activities depending on available funds

ASPE (Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges) Health Benefits Plan

J-1 visa sponsorship and administration

AFFILIATION TO U.S. UNIVERSITIES

IIE /CIES (Institute of International Education / Council for International Exchanges of Scholars) will team up with the Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission in order to carry out the Romanian finalists’ affiliation process to U.S. host universities. First exchanges will begin in August-September, the year following the application.

Questions? Contact us at:

Email office@fulbright.ro

Phone 021 230 77 19

Facebook Fulbright Romania

Instagram FulbrightRomania

Fulbrighter Global Network

TIMELINE

February/March

Competition opens

March – September

Presentations and webinars

October

Application deadline

November – mid-December

The screening process

Mid-December/Early January

Short-listed candidates are invited to the interview

January – February

Interviews

January – February

Notification; finalist applications are sent to CIES in Washington D.C.

March – August

Placement of candidates carried out by IIE/CIES and the Fulbright Commission

June – December

Fulbright Terms of Appointment are signed; J1 visa paperwork

July

Pre-Departure Orientation

August – February

Fulbright exchanges begin

FAQ VISITING SCHOLAR

How many Fulbright Visiting Scholar grants are awarded annually?

Approximately 10 Fulbright Visiting Scholar awards, depending on the annual budget of the Commission. This means that the number of awards is not fixed and can vary depending on the available resources.

You may check the list of current Romanian Fulbrighters here.

What does the Fulbright Visiting Scholar award include?

The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program offers a monthly stipend for accommodation and living expenses, accident/sickness coverage and a professional allowance. The award also covers the international travel costs to and from the U.S. (roundtrip ticket). An amount is also assigned if dependents accompany the grantee more than 80% of the length of the grant.

In addition, the Fulbright Commission offers all the grantees one day Orientation Program as pre-departure assistance. While in the U.S., the Fulbright grantees receive further support from the Council of International Exchanges of Scholars (CIES).

Is an invitation letter from the host university in the U.S. to Fulbright Visiting Scholar applicants required from the very beginning?

All Fulbright Visiting Scholar applicants are strongly encouraged to attach invitations from their U.S. host university from the very beginning. The presence of the invitation may add to the value of the application in terms of feasibility and significance of project. However the invitation may come after the deadline of application, no later than December.

Who reviews the applications and who is on the interview committee?

For the peer screening, the applications are reviewed by two specialists in their respective field (as a rule, an American and a Romanian specialist). The peer evaluation of the professional level of the applicant’s proposal is based on the following criteria: significance of the proposed theme to the field; importance of the project to the home country; clarity of the proposal; academic credentials; evidence that research/teaching in the U.S. is necessary to accomplish the project; feasibility of project in terms of available time and resources; plans to disseminate research findings or teaching experience upon return.

For the interview stage, a nomination committee composed of American and Romanian members will evaluate the candidates focusing on specific aspects such as motivation, adaptability, project impact and benefit for home country. As a rule, the committee members are senior academics and accomplished professionals, U.S. Embassy representatives, and Fulbright alumni.

Is there any circumstance in which the number of months I have proposed for my project be reduced to a shorter period?

Yes. The number of months suggested by the Fulbright applicant will be finally approved by the Fulbright Board of Directors and can be condensed if it is considered that the project could be fulfilled in a shorter period. Length of the grant can also be reduced depending on the funding the Commission receives each year.

Can a Fulbright scholar be accompanied by family in the U.S.?

Yes. Visiting Scholar Fulbrighters can be accompanied by family members. If dependents accompany the grantee more than 80% of the length of the grant an amount is also assigned as a category of the Fulbright grant. Grantees accompanied by dependents must provide adequate health and accident insurance for the family. Failure to do so violates the terms and conditions of award and may result in termination of the grantee’s program.

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"My Fulbright visit at Rutgers has offered amazing opportunities not only to present my work in the area of Human-Animal Interactions to some of the faculties of Rutgers University and SSW students, but also to establish valuable connections for future collaborations."

Alina Rusu

Fulbright Visiting Scholar, 2017-2018