The Fulbright/NAF Gree Polder and Charles Stapper Fellowship is a single award within the Fulbright U.S. Student Program in the Netherlands, funded through the Netherland-America Foundation (NAF).
The grantee spends nine months in the Netherlands on a master’s programme or a research project in Dutch and Netherlandish art, read broadly: painting, silver craft, woodworking, literature, poetry, translation and other cultural forms.
Benefits & funding
- €1,750 a month for 9 months, plus a one-time €250 for registration, permits and local transport
- KLM round-trip ticket; residence-permit costs reimbursed
- Accident and sickness cover, a mid-year seminar and a Museum Year Card
- Tuition and affiliation fees are not covered, and waivers are very rare
- No support for dependants; grantees find their own housing
Eligibility
- US citizens or nationals at the deadline; permanent residents and dual Dutch citizens are not eligible
- Bachelor’s degree conferred before the grant starts (or, in the arts, four years of professional training or experience); no PhD held by the deadline
- No residence in the Netherlands (one month counts) in the year before the grant; not resident abroad for 5 of the past 6 years
- Art conservation proposals are ineligible
- Dutch not required for an English-taught master’s
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
“Applicants must have a conferred bachelor's degree or equivalent before the start of the grant period. … In the creative and performing arts fields, four years of professional training and/or experience meets the basic eligibility requirement. … The following individuals are not eligible for consideration: … Applicants who currently hold or will hold a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) by the national application deadline. … Anyone who has resided abroad for five or more years in the six-year period preceding the national application deadline.” Eligibility
Eligible nationalities
USA
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Application process
- 1Apply through the Fulbright U.S. Student online application, choosing this fellowship from the award menu, by 6 October 2026 (2027–28 round).
- 2Three recommendation letters are due by the same deadline.
- 3Research projects include an affiliation letter from a Dutch host; master’s applicants need an admission letter before the grant starts.
Program timeline
6 October 2026
2027–28 application deadline (closed)
semi-finalist notifications
End of January 2027
final selections
March–June 2027
mandatory orientation
Late August / early September 2027
Spring 2027
2028–29 application opens