The United States-India Educational Foundation administers this Fulbright U.S. Student Program award for individually designed research in India. The 2027–2028 award page lists 60 awards, each lasting nine months.
Projects may come from any academic or professional field, with six U.S.–India strategic themes prioritized. Fellows must affiliate with a recognized Indian higher-education institution; placements may be anywhere in India except Jammu and Kashmir.
Benefits & funding
- An estimated US$1,500 monthly maintenance stipend for housing, travel, and incidental costs during the nine-month grant.
- International travel benefits, accident and sickness health benefits, a 24-hour mental-health support line, and 12 months of federal non-competitive eligibility status.
- A one-time US$500 research allowance, a US$600 baggage allowance paid after final reports, and up to US$500 reimbursement for a housing broker fee.
- One accompanying dependent may receive US$200 monthly if present for at least 80% of the period abroad; dependent travel is not funded.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals by the October 6, 2026 deadline; permanent residents are not eligible.
- A bachelor’s degree or equivalent must be conferred before the grant starts, although creative and performing arts applicants may instead qualify through four years of professional training or experience.
- Bachelor-level applicants, master’s students or graduates, and doctoral candidates may apply, but anyone holding or due to hold a Ph.D. by the national deadline is ineligible.
- English is sufficient for most projects and no Foreign Language Evaluation is required, though some projects may need a working knowledge of a modern Indian language.
- Residence in India during the year before the grant is permitted, but the general program excludes anyone who lived abroad for five or more of the six years before the deadline.
- Medical proposals cannot involve clinical training, patient care, or patient contact.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Eligible nationalities
USA
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Bachelor · Master Enrolled · Master · PhD Enrolled
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Application process
- 1Create an account or sign in through the official IIE Fulbright application portal.
- 2Select the India Open Study/Research award and complete the project information, 6,000-character Statement of Grant Purpose, and three required short answers.
- 3Name a proposed recognized Indian higher-education affiliate and upload a signed affiliation letter if available; the letter is recommended but not required at the national deadline.
- 4Register three recommenders and upload the required post-secondary transcripts.
- 5Review the generated application PDF and submit the complete application by the national deadline.
Program timeline
National application deadline.
October 6, 2026, 5 p.m. Eastern Time
Technical eligibility and completeness review.
October 2026
National Screening Committee review.
November–December 2026
Initial recommended or non-recommended status released.
By the end of January 2027
Final decisions released on a rolling basis.
March–June 2027
Mandatory virtual pre-departure orientation.
May–June 2027
July 2027–March 2028
Doctoral candidates may begin their nine-month grants.
Mandatory Delhi orientation for non-Ph.D. grantees before their grants begin.
Mid-August 2027