"The opportunity offered by the Fulbright program is absolutely unparalleled."
-Beenish Ahmed, Department of State U.S. Student Fulbright Fellowship recipient
The International Institute provides generous support to undergraduate students for internships, research, and study overseas.
Fulbright Program for U.S. StudentsThe Department of State U.S. Student Fulbright Program makes fellowships available to over 1,500 U.S. students annually to study, conduct research, teach English or train in the creative arts in more than 140 countries worldwide.
Tiffany Joseph, a Department of State U.S. Student Fulbright Fellowship recipient, shared helpful tips about how to approach the application process during a 2010 information session. Listen to her presentation.
Description: The Institute of International Education (IIE), on behalf of the U.S. State Department, administers the Student Fulbright Program, which makes fellowships available to over 1,500 U.S. students annually to study, conduct research, teach English or train in the creative arts in more than 140 countries worldwide. At U-M this competition is administered by the International Institute.
Eligibility Criteria: To apply for this program through the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus, applicants must (a) be U-M students, alumni, or staff; (b) be U.S. citizens; (c) have completed an undergraduate degree by the beginning of the award; and (d) demonstrate the language skills necessary to complete the proposed project. Enrolled students are required to apply through U-M.
Deadline: Monday, September 9, 2013 at noon
Information Sessions: A U-M Fulbright Program Advisor will describe the application and selection process and provide suggestions for making your application more competitive. Information Sessions will be held about twice monthly in room 2609 of the School of Social Work Building from noon-1:00pm.
- Friday, March 29
- Wednesday, April 10
- Tuesday, April 23
Application Submission: Applicants must submit a completed Online Application which includes the following:
- Statement of Grant Purpose (single-spaced, 12-pt. font, a maximum of 2 pages for the full grant, a maximum of 1 page for the ETA grant)
- Personal Statement (single-spaced, 12-pt. font, a maximum of 1 page)
- Three Letters of Recommendation (narrative letter for full grant, short answer for the ETA)
- Transcript(s) for all undergraduate and graduate work (if any)
- Foreign Language Evaluation, if language skills applicable to your project
- Letter(s) of Affiliation (strongly recommended for full grant, not applicable for ETA)
- Supplementary Materials (creative and performing arts applicants ONLY)
Advising: Applicants should familiarize themselves with all sections of the Fulbright website, paying special attention to the About, Countries, and Applicants sections. Students should also attend an Information Session (see above). After attending an Information Session, students should meet individually with a Fulbright Program Advisor:
Kelly Peckens (firstname.lastname@example.org) is the advisor for graduate students, professional school students, and applicants in the arts.
Heather Johnson (email@example.com) is the advisor for undergraduate students, ETA applicants, and alumni.
CTools: U-M enrolled students and alumni can now join our "Fulbright Resources" site on CTools. To join, simply login to CTools using your uniqname and password. Click on "Membership" and then "Joinable Sites." There you can search for our "Fulbright Resources" site and click to join. The Statements of Grant Purpose and Personal Statements of both our past full grant recipients and ETA grant recipients, as well as previous Letters of Affiliation, are available.
International Institute Individual FellowshipsThe International Institute Individual Fellowships are designed to support University of Michigan students, regardless of citizenship, who are enrolled in a degree program and wish to participate in internships or conduct research abroad.
Listen to Katie Behrmann and other past grant recipients share their IIIF experiences. Gain helpful tips about how to approach the application process.
Visit our grantee testimonial page to discover how past grantees spent time abroad and their takeaways.
Description: The International Institute Individual Fellowships are designed to support University of Michigan students, regardless of citizenship, who are enrolled in a degree program and wish to participate in internships or conduct research abroad. Award amounts are up to $5,000.
Eligibility Criteria: University of Michigan undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students are eligible, regardless of citizenship. Applicants must be enrolled in a degree program. Ph.D. candidates are not eligible. Students graduating before the start of the project are not eligible. Eligible students must return to campus for at least one term prior to graduation. Eligible internship or research projects must be at least one month in length, constitute at least a 30-hour-per-week time commitment (exclusive of language training), and meet all requirements of the University Travel Policy and the Institutional Review Board.
Internships: Funding is available for undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students to participate in internships abroad. Internships can be with private companies, government agencies, international organizations. or non-governmental organizations. The International Institute cannot assist applicants in obtaining internship placements. Internships may be paid or unpaid, but students with paid internships must include their salary amounts in their budgets, and are eligible only for partial funding.
Research Projects: The fellowship also supports undergraduate and professional school students who are doing research abroad as part of their degree program. For the purposes of this award, research is defined as thesis research, participation in an on-going research project as part of a required degree-related work experience, or other independent research toward degree requirements. The research project does not have to be for academic credit.
Preliminary Dissertation Research: Additionally, the award provides support for preliminary visits to prospective overseas dissertation sites by graduate students who are planning doctoral research on topics in area and international studies. These awards are intended to enable students to develop a firm foundation for their research. Only Doctoral pre-candidates are eligible for this research award. Doctoral candidates are not eligible and should apply for the Rackham International Research Award.
Deadline: The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 15, 2013. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Application Submission: Electronically submit each of the items listed below.
1. The International Institute Individual Fellowship on-line application.
2. A statement of purpose (a maximum of two pages, single-spaced, 12-pt. font). Internship statements must include information on how this experience will benefit the applicant's academic program and his or her future career plans. Research statements must describe the project and discuss its rationale, objectives, design, and methodology, as well as the projected benefits of the trip. If the applicant will be working with an established research project, a description of the organization and the activities in which he or she will be engaged must be included. Lastly, if the applicant intends to travel to a non-English-speaking country, a brief description of the applicant's language skills in relation to the proposed project should be included. The Sweetland Center for Writing can offer tips and assistance with the statement of purpose.
3. A letter of invitation is required only for internship applicants. It must be a letter or e-mail from the host organization describing the organization, the specific work, and the financial terms of the internship. Research applicants may submit a letter of invitation if it is pertinent. (e.g., a letter from a faculty member at a university abroad acknowledging and supporting the applicant's plans or offering research oversight, or a letter from an archive granting access, etc.).
4. A budget, which must include the total estimated cost for airfare, airport transportation, local transportation, housing, food, visa fees, CDC-required immunizations, and U-M Travel Abroad Health Insurance coverage. The total budget may exceed the maximum award. (View sample budget)
5. A resume or curriculum vitae.
6. An unofficial U-M transcript.
7. One letter of reference from a U-M faculty or staff member. The referee should comment on the applicant’s ability to carry out the internship or proposed research project, the feasibility of the proposal, and the contribution it will make to the applicant’s academic program and career.
Reporting Requirements: Grantees will be required to provide a brief report (2–5 pages) outlining the experience within one month of their return to the United States. Grantees are also encouraged to write an article or submit photographs (or both) to be considered for publication in International Institute materials.
Review Process: A selection committee comprised of faculty and staff from across the University will evaluate the applications on the following criteria: feasibility, relevance to degree program, relevance to career goals, record of academic achievement, and overall quality of the application. The International Institute does not provide feedback to applicants on the quality of their proposals, nor provide applicants with evaluators' comments. This is a very competitive fellowship. Applicants should not assume they will receive an award, and should not purchase airline tickets before the awards are announced if they cannot cover the cost from other sources. Results will be announced by mid-April 2013.
Contact: Kelly Peckens (firstname.lastname@example.org); 734-764-9135.
Luce Scholars ProgramThe Luce Scholars Program provides stipends and internships for 18 young Americans to live and work in Asia each year.
Description: The Luce Scholars Program provides stipends, language training, and individualized professional internships in Asia for 18 young Americans each year. Dating from 1974, the program's purpose is to increase awareness of Asia among future leaders in American society. Luce Scholars have backgrounds in virtually every field (other than Asian studies) including medicine, the arts, business, law, science, environmental studies, and journalism. Placements can be made in the following countries or regions: Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The annual selection of the Luce Scholars is an unusually rigorous process and a nationwide competition. Each candidate must first be nominated by their home university. For additional program information, visit the Henry Luce Foundation website.
Eligibility Criteria: The University of Michigan must nominate students for this award (applications submitted by students directly to the Luce Foundation will not be considered). Students who already have significant experience in Asia or Asian studies are NOT eligible for nomination to the Luce Scholars Program. Candidates must be American citizens who have received at least a bachelor’s degree and are no more than 29 years old on July 1, 2013. Nominees should have a record of high achievement, outstanding leadership ability, and a clearly defined career interest with evidence of potential for professional accomplishment.
Deadline: Monday, October 22, 2012. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Candidates are advised to begin preparing their applications well in advance of the October deadline. Gathering some of the documents requested may take some time. Most particularly, applicants should give careful thought to the preparation of their essay in which they set out, in their own words, their interests and aspirations, and their detailed reasons for wishing to intern in Asia. This statement is especially helpful to review committees in their attempt to gain an understanding of an applicant's strengths, and will be used to determine the Luce Scholar-elect's suitability for placement in an internship.
Application Submission: University of Michigan students and alumni interested in applying to the Luce Scholars Program must submit a hard copy of the application materials to Kelly Peckens at the U-M International Institute. Application Materials:
- Luce Scholars Program Application
- Four Letters of Recommendation
- Transcripts (undergraduate and graduate, if applicable)
- Two Passport-size Photos
Review Process: An International Institute committee will review applications, and will invite the most promising applicants for an interview in October. All applicants will be informed of the results of the University of Michigan review by the end of the fall semester.
Contact: Kelly Peckens (email@example.com)
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships provide tuition and a stipend to students studying designated foreign languages in combination with area studies or international aspects of professional studies. The priority is to encourage the study of less commonly taught modern languages. FLAS Fellowships are administered by the University of Michigan Area Studies Centers and are awarded competitively through annual fellowship competitions. The U.S. Department of Education (US/ED) funds these awards under the provisions of Title VI of the Higher Education Act.
Visit www.ii.umich.edu/flas for more information and the FLAS application.