Fulbright Open Study / Research Award with the support of the Azores Regional Government

The Fulbright Open Study/Research Award with the support of the Azores Regional Government is designed to give U.S. citizens opportunities for personal development through educational and cultural exchange.

Over the last decades, Portugal has seen remarkable progress in learning, science and innovation, reflected in the quality of education offered at Portuguese universities. Internationalization and academic mobility are one of the priorities for Portuguese higher education institutions, which are increasingly attractive to a growing number of international students, scholars and researchers.

To learn more about Portuguese Higher Education Institutions and Research Centers, visit Study & Research in Portugal.

The Azores Regional Government is committed to support advance training and international educational and scientific cooperation in the region and thus partners with the Fulbright Program to host US Students willing to develop their projects at Azorean institutions.

The Commission for Educational Exchange between the United States of America and Portugal – Fulbright Commission Portugal strives to be a collaborative and innovative organization and is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.

We seek to ensure that all our grants, programs and activities reflect the diversity of U.S. and Portuguese societies and are open to people regardless of their ethnicity, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

We work every day to build a culture of inclusiveness, respect for diversity, and understanding of the many differences that enrich the Fulbright Program.

 

Grant Duration and Period

Grant Duration: 8 months.

Grant Period: October 1 to May 31.

Grant starting date is October 1 but grantees are expected to travel to Portugal to attend a mandatory on-site orientation in Lisbon, in late September. The Fulbright Commission will cover accommodation in Lisbon for grantees placed outside of Lisbon.

A grantee can extend their stay in Portugal after the grant is complete but must secure a visa and insurance for any additional period of time. Fulbright sponsorship is for 8 months only, no funds or other grant benefits can be extended or transferred to the following academic year.

 

Candidate Profile

Applications are welcome from well-qualified candidates, at all degree levels, who have completed a Bachelor’s degree before the start of the grant.

All fields of study are considered. These fields are limited to subjects related to the Azores and study or research projects to be carried out at institutions located in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, Portugal.

A successful candidate must be able to describe in their application the project’s feasibility, objectives, timeline and methodology, the candidate’s academic and/or professional excellence, personal motivation, leadership qualities and plans for community engagement while in Portugal.

The Commission seeks mature, responsible, independent, open-minded and self-motivated individuals who are capable of working independently with little supervision and able to adjust to academic, cultural and social settings different from those of their home country.

 

Portuguese Language Proficiency

Recommended – Intermediate (1-2 years college or equivalent)

Intermediate Portuguese language proficiency is strongly recommended by the beginning date of the grant. However, a higher level of proficiency may be required, commensurate with the proposed study/research project.

Knowledge of Portuguese language and culture is particularly relevant to promote a deeper engagement with the host community.

Although the Fulbright Commission does not sponsor Portuguese language and culture classes, we encourage candidates to check with their proposed hosts if such possibility is available at the institution.

Candidates should include the Language Self-Evaluation and Foreign Language Evaluation forms with their online applications.

 

Grant Activity and Affiliation

Grant Activity: Grant activity is flexible and projects may include university coursework, scientific research in a research center, independent library, museum or field research, classes in a music conservatory or art school, or a combination of graduate study with independent research.

Fulbright grantees may register as special students, and thus be able to attend courses relevant to their projects but are responsible for the payment of any tuition fees associated.

Affiliation: Any appropriate institution in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, Portugal. (Azores – or Açores, in Portuguese – is an archipelago of nine islands in the North Atlantic Ocean.)

Candidates are responsible for arranging their own host affiliation and must submit letters of invitation/affiliation with their applications.

When searching online for appropriate institutions, candidates should use preferably the Portuguese spelling of the Archipelago’s name, “Açores”.

Before beginning their online application, candidates should research their affiliation, taking into consideration the faculty, programs and/or research of relevant departments in a diverse number of institutions, but should also seek information about the institution’s location.

Information about the Portuguese System of Education, Higher Education Institutions and Research Centers in Portugal, as well as information about tuition fees for international students, can be found on the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education’s Study & Research in Portugal website.

Other institutions not listed can still be considered suitable hosts. Candidates should confirm with the Fulbright Commission in Portugal before seeking a letter of invitation.

 

Eligibility

Candidates residing in Portugal at the time of the application, or any time thereafter, are not eligible for a Fulbright grant to Portugal.

Candidates enrolled in a graduate studies program in Portugal at the time of the application or in the subsequent academic year, or candidates who hold a valid visa during that period, are not eligible.

Dual U.S.-Portuguese citizens are eligible to apply but will only be considered if they don’t have extensive experience in Portugal.

 

Grant Benefits

 

Applications

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