The Doctoral Research Award is part of the Fulbright Schuman Program, run by the Commission for Educational Exchange between the United States, Belgium and Luxembourg within the U.S. Fulbright Foreign Student Program.
EU citizens spend four to nine months at an accredited U.S. institution on doctoral research, before or during a PhD, or on an EU-focused graduate program. Any field qualifies if the project bears on US-EU relations or EU affairs and on at least two EU Member States.
Benefits & funding
- Up to €3,000 a month (paid as the USD equivalent) for four to nine months.
- A €2,000 travel stipend (USD equivalent).
- Health benefit plan, J-1 visa sponsorship and pre-departure support.
- Orientations and seminars in the U.S., plus the alumni network.
- Tuition and fees at the host institution are not covered.
Eligibility
- Citizens of an EU Member State: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
- At least a bachelor’s degree, and proficiency in English.
- A project relevant to US-EU relations or EU affairs/policy and to at least two EU Member States.
- Not eligible: anyone living in the U.S., a dual U.S. citizen or Green Card holder at the time of application, or anyone who has lived in the U.S. for five or more of the six years before applying.
- May make you ineligible: a current European Commission job or traineeship, strong ties to European institutions, or no experience outside your home country; 3+ months in two or more EU states is recommended.
- No concurrent European Commission funding (e.g. Marie Curie) for the same activity.
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.
“Candidates who are already in the United States at the time of application and those who have resided in the U.S. for five or more years in the six-year period preceding the date of application are ineligible to apply.” Eligibility
Eligible nationalities
Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece
+ 15 more
Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Netherlands · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden
Residence required
Afghanistan · Albania · Algeria · Andorra · Angola · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Armenia · Australia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Bahamas
+ 186 more
Bahrain · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belarus · Belgium · Belize · Benin · Bhutan · Bolivia · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · Brunei · Bulgaria · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada · Central African Republic · Chad · Chile · China · Colombia · Comoros · Costa Rica · Croatia · Cuba · Cyprus · Czechia · DR Congo · Denmark · Djibouti · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Estonia · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Fiji · Finland · France · Gabon · Gambia · Georgia · Germany · Ghana · Greece · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Hong Kong · Hungary · Iceland · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Ireland · Israel · Italy · Côte d'Ivoire · Jamaica · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kenya · Kiribati · Kosovo · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Latvia · Lebanon · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Macau · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Malta · Marshall Islands · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Micronesia · Moldova · Monaco · Mongolia · Montenegro · Morocco · Mozambique · Myanmar · Namibia · Nauru · Nepal · Netherlands · New Zealand · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · North Korea · North Macedonia · Norway · Oman · Pakistan · Palau · Palestine · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Poland · Portugal · Qatar · Republic of the Congo · Romania · Russia · Rwanda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · San Marino · São Tomé and Príncipe · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Serbia · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Slovakia · Slovenia · Solomon Islands · Somalia · South Africa · South Korea · South Sudan · Spain · Sri Lanka · Sudan · Suriname · Sweden · Switzerland · Syria · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Tanzania · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Tuvalu · Uganda · Ukraine · UAE · UK · Uruguay · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Vatican City · Venezuela · Vietnam · Yemen · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Education required
Bachelor
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Application process
- 1Secure a letter of affiliation from a U.S. host institution yourself; it may follow the application, but selected grantees must provide it.
- 2Submit a complete English application on the Fulbright/IIE platform by 1 December, noon CET; incomplete files are not considered.
- 3Three recommenders upload their letters into the application by the same deadline.
- 4Top-ranked candidates sit a mandatory virtual interview in English.
- 5Nominations need final approval from the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Program timeline
Application deadline
Dec 1, 2026 (noon CET)
Interview invitations
Late January 2027
Selection decisions
Late February 2027
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board approval
Late March 2027
Earliest program start
Mid-August 2027