The Fulbright Specialist Program is an opportunity for PNG institutions and organizations to apply for the short-term engagement of a Specialist. The Fulbright Specialist Program is a unique opportunity for U.S. academics and established professionals to engage in two-six week, project-based exchanges at host institutions across the globe on a cost share basis.
Benefits of this program include having highly qualified academics and professionals hosted at your institution to assist in implementing projects and providing technical expertise. Fulbright Specialist engagements are solely based on project proposals designed by host institutions to suit their needs. The project must be within the minimum time frame of 14 days and maximum of 42 days, including weekends.
The pool of talent includes specialists in the fields of:
- Agriculture
- American (U.S.) Studies
- Anthropology
- Archaeology
- Biology Education
- Business Administration
- Chemistry Education
- Communication and Journalism
- Computer Science and Information Technology
- Economics
- Education
- Engineering Education
- Environmental Science
- Law
- Library Science
- Math Education
- Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies
- Physics Education
- Political Science
- Public Administration
- Public/Global Health
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Urban Planning
Eligible Institutions
Institutions that may be eligible to request a Fulbright Specialist include, but are not limited to:
- Institutions of Higher Education
- Government Institutions (ministries or agencies, courts, parliamentary or congressional bodies)
- Cultural Institutions (conservatories, museums, etc.)
- Non-Government Organizations including non-partisan, issue-centered institutions and think tanks
- Medical Institutions (public health organizations, teaching hospitals, etc.)
Eligible Project Activities
The Fulbright Specialist Program encourages host institutions to tailor projects to their own needs. However, all projects should have an education or training focus. Due to the short-term nature of the exchange, projects should have concrete objectives that can be achieved over the course of the Specialist’s visit. Past Specialists have supported host institutions by conducting activities such as:
- Delivering a seminar or workshop
- Consulting on faculty or workforce development
- Developing academic or training curricula and materials
- Lecturing at the graduate or undergraduate level
- Conducting needs assessments or evaluations for a program or institution
Note: Personal research projects, including clinical medical research or projects involving patient contact, are not eligible for funding under the Fulbright Specialist Program.
In addition, proposals requesting a Specialist to assist with activities focused specifically on English language such as designing curriculum or conducting a needs assessment, teacher training or high-level educational consultations, are not eligible for the general Fulbright Specialist Program.
For additional information on the type of activities conducted by previous Fulbright Specialists, see Making an Impact.
Project Parameters
In general, all projects designed by host institutions must adhere to the below eligibility requirements.
One country per project: Except for projects falling under a trilateral grant initiative, Fulbright Specialist projects are restricted to one country. All project activities must take place in the country requesting the project. If the project requests the Specialist to be in multiple locations, all locations must fall in the same country.
One Specialist per project: A Fulbright Specialist project is restricted to one Specialist grantee.
Length of project: The length of a Fulbright Specialist project must be a minimum of 14 days and a maximum of 42 days, including travel days and weekends.
Time between projects for Specialists: A Specialist candidate will not be approved for a second Fulbright Specialist grant unless two years have passed from the date of completion of the previous Fulbright Specialist grant.
Multi-Visit (Serial) projects: A Multi-Visit project is one in which a Specialist conducts more than one visit to the host institution for the purpose of necessary program evaluation or follow-up. If a project is approved to be Multi-Visit, all visits must occur within a one-year period, which is calculated by adding 12 months from the initial start date of the first visit through the end date of the final visit.
- A Multi-Visit project cannot include more than three visits in total, and all visits must not exceed six weeks (42 days) in total. In addition, each visit must be a minimum of 14 days.
- Please note that the majority of approved projects are not Multi-Visit, and project proposals should provide a strong justification for why more than one visit is necessary to achieve project outcomes.
Program Costs
In general, host institutions should be prepared to provide the Specialist with lodging, meals, and in-country transportation, either through monetary or in-kind contributions, throughout their full stay in country. However, if your institution is unable to cover these costs, in certain countries, there may be limited funding available to support these expenses.
Application process
To apply, please follow the steps below:
- Proceed to the Site Login and click on the “New User” link in the upper right-hand corner of the site. You will then be required to enter your first name, last name, and email address.
- After providing that information, you will receive an automated Welcome email containing your assigned username and a link that will allow you to create a password and enter the application portal.
- Once you have created your password and logged in to the application portal, you can begin an application by clicking on the “New Application” button.
- Applications close on April 1st 2025