Faculty/Staff

Faculty Fulbright Program

A Fulbright grant can make a big difference in a scholar’s academic career and reputation.

Why apply for a Fulbright? With a Fulbright, you can...

  • Broaden your horizons in teaching, research, and scholarship
  • Add international dimensions to teaching and curriculum choices
  • Work with international colleagues, adding depth and new perspectives to your research
  • Enhance your research with on-site activities
  • Help to fund your sabbatical
  • Encounter different cultures
  • Form lasting bonds with colleagues from other nations

Did you know? Penn State is a top producer of Fulbright scholars:

  • In 2011-12, the University Park campus led the nation with 14 outgoing scholars; two additional Penn Staters from Harrisburg and Berks also received grants
  • In the past 10 years, 168 Penn State faculty and staff have been awarded Fulbright grants
  • Nearly 36% of the grants went to faculty and staff at campuses other than University Park
  • While 40% of the awards were for lecturing/research, 24% were for seminar or short-term grants
  • Awardees traveled to 68 countries; Germany, Canada, India, and China were most popular
  • While the majority of awards go to experienced faculty, 14% went to staff, lecturers, and assistant professors; another 4% went to retired faculty

2013-2014 Competition for Fullbright Scholar Program Now Open

This prestigious grant program annually sends 800 U.S. scholars abroad and brings 800 scholars from other countries to the U.S. to engage in teaching and research.

Penn State supports this program through the University Office of Global Programs, located in 410 Boucke Building. Visit the links below to learn more about different aspects of the Faculty Fulbright Program:

Visiting Fulbright Scholars

The Fulbright advisers in Global Programs bid a warm welcome to international Fulbright scholars coming to Penn State. The Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Fulbright Association works with UOGP to sponsor activities to welcome visiting scholars to campus. We look forward to meeting you upon your arrival.

The Visiting Scholar Program awards about 850 grants annually to international scholars to conduct research or to teach in the United States.

  • Grants cover visits of 2 to 10 months
  • Visiting scholars apply to the U.S. Embassy or Fulbright commission in their home countries
  • Most visiting scholars ask their Penn State hosts to write a letter of support for their applications
  • Penn State hosts several visiting Fulbright scholars each year. The Council for International Exchange of Scholars is the administering agency for non-U.S. scholars; more information is available on their Web site.

If you need help finding an affiliation with a faculty member at Penn State, contact Janet Haner at .

The Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Fulbright Association sponsors activities to welcome visiting scholars to Penn State.

Returning Penn State Fulbright Scholars, Welcome Back to Penn State

As a Fulbright alumnus, you are part of a unique community that has crossed cultural and geographic boundaries to share their knowledge with the world. Now that your grant is complete, we hope you will remain connected to the program. The Fulbright staff in the University Office of Global Programs encourages returning Fulbrights to increase the impact of their experience by sharing it with others—to "pay it forward." One way to enhance the experience is to join the Central Pennsylvania Fulbright Association, which provides hospitality and enrichment activities for visiting Fulbright students, scholars, and teachers during their grants at Penn State.

We hope you will also attend events held to help celebrate your prestigious grant. Every fall, the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Fulbright Association sponsors a coffee to welcome visiting and returning Fulbrights.

We look forward to hearing about your Fulbright experience.

For more information, contact the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Fulbright Association and/or the National Fulbright Association.