The Innovation Award is a Fulbright Schuman track, run by the Fulbright Commission in Brussels, for research where technology and policy meet. There is no separate application: students apply through the Doctoral Research award and scholars through the Post-Doctoral Research award, then flag the Innovation Award.
EU citizens spend three to nine months at a U.S. host. Preference goes to proposals on EU or US-EU approaches to new technologies and business models and how they fit with policy and regulation.
Benefits & funding
- Student route: up to €3,000 a month for four to nine months (Doctoral Research page).
- Scholar route: up to €4,000 a month for three to nine months (Post-Doctoral Research page).
- A €2,000 travel stipend on either route.
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.
- Students: at least a bachelor’s degree; scholars: a PhD received before departure. English proficiency on both routes.
- Not eligible: U.S. residents, dual U.S. citizens or Green Card holders, anyone already in the U.S. when applying, or anyone who lived in the U.S. five or more of the six years before applying.
- Research must matter to the US-EU relationship and/or EU affairs and be workable in one or two EU Member States (Innovation Award page); the general hub asks for relevance to at least two Member States.
- No concurrent European Commission funding for the same activity, on either route.
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 · PhD
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Application process
- 1Secure a U.S. host affiliation yourself; scholars must include the host letter, students may send it later.
- 2Apply through the Doctoral or Post-Doctoral Research award and name the Innovation Award in the form’s “Country Information” section.
- 3Submit in English by 1 December, noon CET, with three recommendation letters.
- 4Top-ranked candidates sit a mandatory virtual interview in English.
Program timeline
Applications opened for 2027–28
Sep 15, 2026
Application deadline
Dec 1, 2026 (noon CET)
Earliest start
Mid-August 2027