Fulbright Specialists Program

What is the Fulbright American Specialist Program?

The Fulbright Specialist Program (FSP) provides highly qualified U.S. academics and U.S. professionals an opportunity to share their expertise by carrying out projects created by host institutions abroad and driven by the needs of the host country and host institution, in the context of Post priorities. Specialists are frequently academics; however, professionals such as attorneys, journalists, scientists, economists, security experts, and experts in other eligible fields (such as business, communications, public health, and public administration) often take part in the program as well. Specialists exchange knowledge, build capacity, and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities both in the United States and overseas. The FSP promotes long-term collaboration between U.S. and host country institutions through projects that align with U.S. Department of State goals and the priorities of foreign host institutions. This Fulbright opportunity offers an on-demand, short-term exchange Resource in a wide variety of fields that responds directly to the needs of host institution and host countries. Approximately 440 projects in 150 countries will be supported in FY 2023. Fulbright Specialist projects must be carried out in-person (not virtually), with no exceptions. Guidance and program policies are outlined below.

Through FSP project proposals, hosts can invite U.S. academics and professionals to apply their knowledge and expertise to activities designed by a host university, local nonprofit, government office, or other eligible host institution. Project activities may include but are not limited to: teaching or training; developing curricula or teaching/educational materials; institutional planning; building capacity of faculty, administrators, or staff; delivering seminars or academic courses; and conducting needs assessments for programs or institutions. We invite you to submit project requests from November 15, 2023 through August 30, 2024.

Watch more about The Fulbright Specialist Program:

Types of Host Institutions

Institutions that may be eligible to request a Fulbright Specialist include, but are not limited to:

Institutions of Higher Education
Government Institutions (ministries or agencies, courts, parliamentary or congressional bodies)
Cultural Institutions (conservatories, museums, etc.)
Non-Governmental Organizations including non-partisan, issue-centered institutions and think tanks
Medical Institutions (public health organizations, teaching hospitals, etc.)

View the Types of Hosts Institutions flyer.

Eligible Project Activities

The Fulbright Specialist Program encourages host institutions to tailor projects to their own needs. However, all projects should have an education or training focus. Due to the short-term nature of the exchange, projects should have concrete objectives that can be achieved over the course of the Specialist’s visit. Past Specialists have supported host institutions by conducting activities such as:

Delivering a seminar or workshop
Consulting on faculty or workforce development
Developing academic or training curricula and materials
Lecturing at the graduate or undergraduate level
Conducting needs assessments or evaluations for a program or institution

Note: Personal research projects, including clinical medical research or projects involving patient contact, are not eligible for funding under the Fulbright Specialist Program.

In addition, proposals requesting a Specialist to assist with activities focused specifically on English language such as designing curriculum or conducting a needs assessment, teacher training or high-level educational consultations, are not eligible for the general Fulbright Specialist Program.

View the Host institution program timeline.

Project Parameters

One country per project: With the exception of projects falling under a trilateral grant initiative, Fulbright Specialist projects are restricted to one country. All project activities must take place in the country requesting the project. If the project requests the Specialist to be in multiple locations, all locations must fall in the same country.

One Specialist per project: A Fulbright Specialist project is restricted to one Specialist grantee.

Length of project: The length of a Fulbright Specialist project must be a minimum of 14 days and a maximum of 42 days, including travel days and weekends.

Time between projects for Specialists: A Specialist candidate will not be approved for a second Fulbright Specialist grant unless two years have passed from the date of completion of the previous Fulbright Specialist grant.

Multi-Visit (Serial) projects: A Multi-Visit project is one in which a Specialist conducts more than one visit to the host institution for the purpose of necessary program evaluation or follow-up. If a project is approved to be Multi-Visit, all visits must occur within a one-year period, which is calculated by adding 12 months from the initial start date of the first visit through the end date of the final visit.

A Multi-Visit project cannot include more than three visits in total, and all visits must not exceed six weeks (42 days) in total. In addition, each visit must be a minimum of 14 days.
Please note that the majority of approved projects are not Multi-Visit, and project proposals should provide a strong justification for why more than one visit is necessary to achieve project outcomes.

View the Fulbright specialist program overview.

Program Costs

In general, host institutions should be prepared to provide the Specialist with:

lodging,
meals, and
in-country transportation,
either through monetary or in-kind contributions, throughout their full stay in country.

U.S. Embassy in Panama