For Faculty
Faculty Fulbright Information
Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program was designed to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. Each year USF faculty and students contribute to, and participate in, Fulbright programs.
USF is honored to be ranked among the Top Producers of faculty Fulbright Scholar and IEA Awards since 2015. We are immensely proud of our faculty and are enormously grateful to the USF leadership for its unwavering and continuous support of faculty participation in Fulbright programs. The highly reputable and competitive Fulbright awards contribute significantly to USF’s national and global reputation.
Fulbright awards are a recognition of faculty expertise and talent and are intended to serve as opportunities for research, and/or teaching activities that contribute to career growth and professional development. Fulbright Awards and associated leave from campus are approved by the University to increase eligible employees’ value to the University and its students through enhanced opportunities for professional renewal, research, study, collaboration, or other experiences of professional value.
Fulbright Opportunities
Fulbright Scholar Awards
Fulbright Scholar Awards comprise the bulk of awards offered and include opportunities for professionals, artists, and scholars at all career-levels. Location and eligibility vary across all awards, and some awards may be restricted to certain career levels or types of scholars. The application deadline for travel during 2026-27 is September 15, 2025.
Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Awards
Distinguished Scholar awards are viewed as the most prestigious appointments in the Fulbright Scholar Program. Awards are open to scholars who have more than seven years of experience in their discipline or area of expertise, though some awards may further restrict eligibility. Distinguished Scholars are expected to actively engage host institutions in a spirit of promoting mutual understanding and sharing knowledge.
Fulbright International Education Administrators Program (IEA)
U.S. international education professionals and senior university administrators (presidents, provosts, and deans) interested in better understanding the educational system in another country may apply for the Fulbright International Education Administrators Program. This award provides international education professionals and senior administrators an opportunity to engage in a two-week intensive seminar to learn about the host country’s education system and establish networks of U.S. and international colleagues. Application deadlines vary by program location: France, Germany, India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Interested applicants must have a role in globalization of the campus/curriculum and have served in their current position for at least five (5) years.
Student Fulbright Program
If you are a student interested in a Fulbright opportunity, click here for more information. If you would like to search the list of student Fulbright recipients, click here.
USF Fulbright Faculty Advisor
Dr. Darlene DeMarie has served as USF's Fulbright Faculty Advisor for many years. She was a Fulbright Scholar to both South Africa and Hungary, and served as a Fulbright reviewer for CIES and for the American Embassy in South Africa. Under her leadership, USF has experienced unprecedented success with the Fulbright Program. Although she has retired from USF, we hope to bring her back for her expertise late Spring 2025.
Faculty Fulbright Awardees
Below you will find links for both USF and U.S. Fulbright Scholars. USF World's Faculty Fulbright Directory dates back to 1990, while the official U.S. Program Directory dates back to 1980.
Click for the USF Faculty Fulbright Directory
Click for the U.S. Fulbright Scholar Directory
How to Apply
Over 400 teaching and/or research grants are available to U.S. faculty and experienced professionals through the Fulbright Program. At USF, faculty try not to compete against each other. Therefore, it is important to work with USF's Fulbright Faculty Advisor to locate the award for which someone with your expertise would be the most competitive. To be successful, applicants must abide by the internal process established by USF noted below. Country-specific award criteria and areas of interest change annually. The most updated award information is made public and is available in February. The application deadline for travel during 2026-27 is September 15, 2025.
There are different conditions for securing paid leave for tenure-earning and tenured faculty and non-tenure earning faculty. Non-tenure earning faculty should plan to align Fulbright activity with Professional Development Leave. Please review the guidelines for Professional Development Leave here.
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- Consult with your Chair or Director about the best time to apply for a Fulbright Award and any college-specific policies regarding time away from the classroom or laboratory.
- Complete the "How to Search for the Best Fulbright Award for You" workshop
- Submit an "Intent to Apply" form signed by your Supervisor/Chair/Director
- Complete the "Psychology of Applying for a Fulbright Award" workshop
- Opt to join a writing workgroup or workshop
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Before August 10th, submit a draft of your application for review and feedback to fulbright@usf.edu
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Submit your application to IIE by September 15
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Review of your application at the U.S. (by Winter) and Country (by Spring) levels
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Notify Dr. DeMarie if your application is sent to the Country and/or is successfully awarded
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Within 90 days of your return to campus, submit a concise written "Post-Fulbright Award Report" about your Fulbright experience to: fulbright@usf.edu
Salary and benefits received during the award period are paid at the discretion of the university. Employees who fail to follow established procedure may be ineligible for salary and benefits during an award period.
How to Register for the Required Workshops
Faculty who complete the preparatory workshops and participate in a writing group are more likely to be awarded a Fulbright Award. As an applicant, you must attend the “How to Search for the Best Fulbright Award for You” and the “Psychology of Applying for a Fulbright Award” workshops. Workshops are offered weekly beginning in March of the award cycle year. 2026-2027 award year workshops will be posted at a later date.
Once you have successfully completed the required workshops, you will be eligible to join a writing group. A facilitated writing group is the best way to create and refine an application that is likely to be reviewed favorably.
Again, 2026-2027 award year workshops will be posted at a later date.
Submit an "Intent to Apply" Form
Given the time commitment necessary for a successful Fulbright Scholar application, and the fact that Fulbright Awards can mean an absence from employment on campus, applicants must obtain written approval from their academic chair, school director or supervisor, or Dean and notify the Faculty Fulbright Advisor at least three (3) months prior to applying for an award using the Intent to Apply form (before June 15th).
CONDITIONS FOR RECEIVING SALARY AND BENEFITS WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A FULBRIGHT EXPERIENCE
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- Participate in the two workshops sponsored by USF World to become familiar with the mission of the Fulbright Program.
Consult with the Fulbright Faculty Advisor to locate the best award for you (there
are more than 160 country options, and awards and priorities change annually). In
collaboration with the Fulbright Advisor, identify a country and specific award type
for your application (USF faculty try not to compete with one another) and work with
the Advisor to produce a competitive narrative for award submission. Fulbright narrative
writing is different from grant writing and because the application questions and
requirements change annually, consulting only with a former Fulbright alumni may not
give you all the information you need to produce a competitive application.
- Return to the university for at least one (1) academic year following the Fulbright
award period. The employee must also be eligible to return to the university for at
least one (1) academic year following the Fulbright award period.
- Within 90 days of returning from the Fulbright award period, provide a concise written report of accomplishments achieved during the Fulbright experience to: fulbright@usf.edu. This report should include information regarding the activities undertaken, the results accomplished during the experience as they affect the employee and the university, and research or other scholarly work produced or expected to be produced as a result of the Fulbright award. A template for the Post-Fulbright Award Report can be found here.
- Participate in the two workshops sponsored by USF World to become familiar with the mission of the Fulbright Program.
Consult with the Fulbright Faculty Advisor to locate the best award for you (there
are more than 160 country options, and awards and priorities change annually). In
collaboration with the Fulbright Advisor, identify a country and specific award type
for your application (USF faculty try not to compete with one another) and work with
the Advisor to produce a competitive narrative for award submission. Fulbright narrative
writing is different from grant writing and because the application questions and
requirements change annually, consulting only with a former Fulbright alumni may not
give you all the information you need to produce a competitive application.
Please keep in mind that continued collaboration after your return is the best form of cultural exchange and learning. For more information on incorporating a Virtual Global Enxchange component into your USF classroom, please see this helpful flyer.