Fulbright Specialist Program

Program Description

The Fulbright Specialist Program promotes linkages between US scholars and professionals and their counterparts at host institutions outside the US. In Indonesia, the US Fulbright Specialist program awards grants to qualified US faculty members and professionals to engage in short-term collaborative two-to six-week projects at eligible institutions. Shorter grant periods give specialists greater flexibility to pursue a grant that works best with their current academic or professional commitments. International travel costs and per diem are funded by the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). The host institution covers in-country lodging, meals, and local transportation.

Indonesian institutions submit project requests to AMINEF for transmittal to the ECA’s contractual partner (from 2017, World Learning). The requests focus on strengthening and supporting the institutions’ development needs. Eligible activities include short-term lecturing, conducting seminars, teacher training, assessments and evaluations, special conferences or workshops, or collaborating on faculty development and curriculum planning.

Project application involves two steps on the Indonesian and US sides: (a) submission of a Specialist Project Request by the Indonesian institution to AMINEF; (b) registration by the US scholar or professional on the Fulbright Specialist Roster.

Goals

• increase the participation of leading US scholars and professionals in Fulbright academic exchange programs in Indonesia
• encourage activities that go beyond the traditional Fulbright activities of lecturing and research, and to promote strong ties between US and Indonesian higher education institutions.

Grant Duration

The program will award grants ranging from two to six weeks and can occasionally make use of serial grants. The grant period for a project is determined by the host institution and includes travel days to and from the host institution as well as weekends.

Eligible Disciplines

Requirements (for specialist)

• US citizen at the time of application.
• For academics, a PhD or equivalent professional/terminal degree at the time of application plus a minimum of five years of post-doctoral teaching or professional experience in the field in which you are applying.
• For professionals and artists outside academe, recognized professional standing and substantial professional accomplishments plus a minimum of five years of professional experience in the field in which you are applying (Note: In the application, professionals and artists outside academe should highlight (a) experience as a college/university teacher or trainer and/or (b) how their experience could benefit the Indonesian academic institution).
• Sound physical and mental health.
• Grants shall not authorize engagement in pastoral, missionary, or other professional religious activities, or those for which a license to practice medicine or nursing is required.
• Applicants are required to disclose any prior convictions of a felony or a misdemeanor, including Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), but excluding minor traffic violations.  The complete FFSB regulations can be found under section 626 Ineligibility Factors.
• Employees and their immediate families (i.e., spouses and dependent children) of the US Department of State and of public or private organizations under contract to the US Department of State are ineligible to apply for a Fulbright grant until one year after termination of such employment.
• Fulbright Specialists must be residing in the United States at the time they are approved for a grant and intend to return to their US institution after the grant’s completion. Roster applicants or candidates need not necessarily be residing in the United States in order to be approved or accepted for the Roster, but must be residing in the United States in order to receive a grant; candidates who have resided abroad for five or more consecutive years in a six-year period preceding the date of application are ineligible. In this case, a period of nine months or more during a calendar year is considered to constitute a full year abroad.

Grant Benefits

Grant benefits include international economy fare travel, paid prior to the start of the grant, approved related expenses, plus a $200 per day grant payment. The grant payments are payable upon completion of the grant and submission of an online final report and travel expense report. Host institutions typically cover in-country costs for lodging, meals, and transportation, which can be provided in the form of in-kind services.

Visa Requirements

Selected Fulbright Specialists must obtain a “socio-cultural visa” (VKSB) before entering Indonesia. Learn more about this visa from the website of the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC.

Host Institutions

This is one of the few Fulbright programs that provides funding for non-US institutions (that is, not to individual scholars or fellows), and provides them with the opportunity to draw on the expertise of US scholars and professionals and to develop linkages with American institutions.

In general, the Specialist Program cultivates higher education excellence and innovation by supporting projects at host institutions that are:

• Institution-focused. Preferred hosts should be involved in university-level teaching or training, the expansion of partnerships between universities and specialized institutions, and the promotion of international cooperation. Eligible institution types include universities, non-profit organizations, government agencies, cultural and medical institutions, as well as research organizations and think tanks. Institutions in Indonesia wanting to host a Fulbright Specialist develop and submit a project request through AMINEF.
• Focused on capacity-building. Specialist grants focus on strengthening and supporting the development needs of institutions and broadening institutional cooperation. Fulbright Specialists work in their areas of expertise as they enhance their understanding of the cultural and educational contexts of the host country through engagement with the host community. Eligible project activities include teacher training, short-term lecturing, participation in seminars, special conferences or workshops, as well as collaborating on curriculum planning and institutional development. Research projects are not funded, however.
• Flexible. Project lengths are flexible, from two to six weeks, and can include serial visits of at least two weeks up to a combined total of six weeks. The short grant lengths are designed to facilitate a fast response to the needs of eligible institutions. Projects may take place as little as three months from the time they are approved. World Learning, the contractual partner of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), Department of State, maintains a Roster of thousands of highly qualified US Specialists with extensive expertise in STEM education, social sciences and humanities, and other disciplines. Indonesian host institutions may request a specific candidate or World Learning together with AMINEF can help to select a scholar from the Roster with a background matching the project request.
• Collaborative. Projects promote the international engagement of academic scholarship and lay the foundations for the development of institutional linkages between American and Indonesian educational institutions. Funding is shared between the US Department of State and host institutions.

Sample Specialist Activities in Indonesia

Fulbright Specialist projects are designed to provide US scholars and professionals with opportunities to collaborate with professional counterparts at Indonesian institutions on curriculum and faculty development, institutional planning and a variety of other activities. For example, grantees may:

• Conduct needs assessments, surveys, institutional or programmatic research at Indonesian higher, degree granting academic institutions
• Take part in specialized academic programs and conferences in conjunction with other scheduled activities
• Consult with administrators and instructors on faculty development
• Present lectures at graduate and undergraduate levels
• Participate in or lead seminars or workshops
• Develop and/or assess academic curricula or educational materials
• Conduct teacher-training programs at the tertiary level

Funding

Funding for Specialist projects is shared between the US Department of State and host institutions.  The US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) pays for the grantee’s international travel costs and provides a payment of $200 per grant day.

The host institution covers the cost of the Specialist’s housing, meals, and any necessary program-related, in-country expenses. In-country costs may be supplied by the host institution as in-kind services and/or monies paid directly to the grantee.

More Information

For further information, such as updates on the program under World Learning, please contact AMINEF via email at infofulbright_usa@aminef.or.id.

Download application form