The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the United States Department of State strives to ensure that its programs reflect and value the diversity of U.S. society and societies abroad. ECA seeks and encourages the involvement of people from traditionally underrepresented audiences in all its grants, programs, and other activities. Opportunities are open to people regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. ECA is committed to fairness, equity, and inclusion.

The below eligibility criteria for the Fulbright Specialist Program are determined by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) and ECA. A full list of eligibility requirements from the FFSB can be found on the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs website.

Basic Eligibility Requirements

• All applicants for the Fulbright Specialist Roster must be U.S. citizens. Non-U.S. citizens who have legal permanent residency status in the United States are not eligible for Fulbright grants.

• Applicants must have significant experience in their respective field, as demonstrated by professional, academic, or artistic achievements.

• Applicants must be able to travel overseas for 14 to 42 days (length varies depending on project).

• At time of application or at any subsequent time prior to or after becoming a grantee, applicants are required to disclose any prior arrests, indictments, charges, or convictions of a felony or a misdemeanor (excluding minor traffic violations, juvenile convictions, or cases where the record has been sealed or expunged).

• At time of application or at any subsequent time prior to or after becoming a grantee, applicants are required to disclose if they have been subject to any disciplinary action, resigned from a professional appointment, or entered into a settlement for, or in connection to, any misconduct, including but not limited to unethical practices, harassment, sexual harassment, or abuse.

Ineligibility Factors

• Applicants must not have resided abroad for five or more consecutive years in the last six years at time of application. For the purposes of this program, a period of nine months or more during a calendar year is considered to constitute a full year abroad.

• During the past 12 months, applicants must not have been an employee of the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Agency for International Development, or the immediate family member (i.e. spouse or dependent child) of such an employee. This provision includes paid and unpaid employees, including part-time or temporary employees, consultants, externs, fellows and contract employees. Other U.S. Government employees are generally welcome to participate in the Fulbright Specialist Program; further guidance is available in the FAQs for Specialists.

• During the past 12 months, applicants must not have been an employee of a public or private organization (excluding educational institutions) under contract to the U.S. Department of State to administer Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ exchange programs, or the immediate family member of such an employee.

• Religious workers, lay or ordained, are not eligible for consideration if their projects involve engaging in pastoral, missionary, or other professional religious activities.

Eligibility Guidelines for Previous Fulbright Grantees

• Previous Fulbright Specialist Roster candidates whose tenure on the Roster has expired must wait two years from the date of their tenure expiration before they are eligible to apply to join the Fulbright Specialist Roster for another tenure. If an individual completes a Fulbright Specialist grant after the end date of their Roster tenure, they must wait two years from the end date of their last project before applying to rejoin the Roster.

• While applicants who have previously participated in another Fulbright exchange are eligible to participate in the Fulbright Specialist Program and may apply at any time, preference will be given to candidates who have not previously received a Fulbright grant or had significant overseas experience (See FFSB Policies Section 624.1 and 624).

If you are a prospective applicant looking for information about the English Language Specialist Program, please visit https://elprograms.org/specialist/.