Frequently Asked Questions for Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health

Find below answers to frequently asked questions for applicants to Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health

• Learn more about the Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health.

Candidate Eligibility

1. I am not a U.S. citizen, or I am a U.S. permanent resident. Can I apply?

   Applicants must be citizens or nationals of the United States of America at the time of the application deadline. Permanent residents are not eligible.

2. I am enrolled in a postbaccalaureate (postbac) pre-med program. Am I eligible?

   No. This program is only open to students currently enrolled in a doctoral degree program.

3. I am a master’s degree student or just completed my master's degree. Am I eligible to apply?

   No. This program is only open to students currently enrolled in a doctoral degree program. However, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program does have an Open Study/Research Award Proram which is open to predoctoral students.

4. I have already completed my doctoral degree. Am I eligible to apply to the Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowship?

   No. This program is only open to students currently enrolled in a doctoral degree program. For applicants interested in global health that have obtained their advanced degree(s), please see other opportunities sponsored by Fogarty such as LAUNCH and the International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA) program. Fulbright also offers a Scholars Program open to people with doctoral degrees.

5. What is the academic degree eligibility requirement?

   This program is only open to students currently enrolled in an accredited doctoral degree program. For students enrolled in a professional degree program (MD, DDS, DVM, PharmD, etc.), the preference is for students to participate after they have gained some clinical training in their third year. For students enrolled in a health-related doctoral degree program (PhD, DrPH, etc.), the preference is for students to participate after the qualifying examinations have been completed.

6. I am a U.S. citizen enrolled in a doctoral program at a foreign university. Am I eligible?

   Students must be enrolled in a doctoral program that is accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. Some foreign institutions have been accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. You can check with your institution to confirm if your doctoral program has been accredited by the U.S.

Award Benefits

7. What are the award benefits for the Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowship?

   You can find this information on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website.

8. Does the Fogarty International Center provide additional funding?

   There are no additional financial benefits provided to the awardee. The Fulbright-Fogarty award is jointly funded by the Fogarty International Center and the U.S. Department of State.

Applying

9. How do I apply?

   You should contact the Fulbright Program Adviser (FPA) at your institution. If your institution does not have an FPA, you can submit an at-large application through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website.

10. Who do I contact for information and guidance for my project?

    You will find information on available projects and the contact information for each of the participating countries on the Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships In Public Health page on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website.

Timelines

11. When should I apply?

    We recommend applying in the fall before you anticipate participating in the program.

12. What is the timeline from application, notification, pre-departure, and time abroad?

    The application cycle opens in April with a due date in October for at-large applicants. The Fulbright Program Adviser (FPA) will set a campus application deadline for the institution’s students, which is typically four to six weeks earlier than the final October deadline. Please confirm the campus deadline with the FPA.

    After the final deadline, submitted applications move through the following stages of the selection process:

    • Technical Review: All applications are screened for eligibility and completeness by Institute of International Education ( IIE) staff before being moved forward to the National Screening Committee. Applications that are deemed ineligible or do not meet the award requirements for their host country are not moved forward in the selection process.
    • National Screening Committee (NSC): In November and December, applications are reviewed by National Screening Committee panels. Reviewers on the NSC are full-time faculty members of U.S. institutions who have discipline or region-specific experience. Reviewers read and rate applications ahead of a full-day meeting, where they discuss applications and make recommendations of candidates for further consideration by the host country.
    • Host Country Review, Fogarty/LAUNCH Review & FFSB Approval: By the end of January, recommended semi-finalists are forwarded on to the Fulbright Commissions or Posts in the host countries and the Fogarty/LAUNCH consortia for final selection. All selected candidates are approved by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) prior to the release of final decisions.

    Finalist selection decisions are available on a country-by-country basis between March and May. Finalists are expected to confirm award acceptance by May. Fulbright-Fogarty finalists are required to attend both the Fogarty and Fulbright orientations. The Fogarty orientation takes place for a week in July at the main NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland (with the Fogarty LAUNCH program). The Fulbright pre-departure orientation also occurs in the summer, but the duration and timing vary by geographic world region. Departure to the research training site occurs shortly after the orientations, usually in August or September, for a total of nine months of in-country experience.

Milestones & Dates

Updated February 23, 2024