The Post-Doctoral Research and Lecturing Award is part of the Fulbright Schuman Program, run by the Fulbright Commission in Brussels within the U.S. Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program.
EU citizens holding a PhD spend three to nine months researching and/or lecturing at an accredited U.S. institution. Any field qualifies if the project bears on US-EU relations or EU affairs/policy and on at least two EU Member States.
Benefits & funding
- Up to €4,000 a month for three to nine months.
- A €2,000 travel stipend, a health benefit plan, J-1 visa sponsorship and pre-departure support.
- Seminars and a local advisor in the U.S., plus the alumni network.
- No funds for host tuition or fees, and no extra support for dependents.
- Afterwards, the J-1 two-year home residency rule applies before a U.S. work visa or permanent residency.
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.
- A PhD in hand before departure, and proficiency in English.
- A project tied to US-EU relations or EU affairs/policy and to at least two EU Member States.
- Not eligible: U.S. residents, dual U.S. citizens and Green Card holders at application, or anyone who lived in the U.S. for five or more of the six years before applying.
- Possibly ineligible: current European Commission staff or trainees, or people with strong ties to European institutions.
- No other European Commission funding (e.g. Marie Curie) for the same activity; medical residency and clinical research are not supported.
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
PhD Enrolled · PhD
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Application process
- 1Secure a letter of affiliation from a U.S. host institution yourself; it must be in the application by the deadline.
- 2Submit a complete English application on the Fulbright/IIE platform by 1 December, noon CET; incomplete files are not considered, and no other Fulbright award may be sought that year.
- 3Three recommenders upload their letters 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)
Interviews for top-ranked candidates
Late January 2027
Nomination notices
Late February 2027
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board approval
Late March 2027
Departure to the U.S.
Late July–August 2027