The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos is pleased to announce the annual call for applications for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for the 2020/2021 academic year. Formerly referred to as the  Fulbright Junior Staff Development Program and the Fulbright Visiting Student Program, the Fulbright Foreign Student Program is a research program funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). It offers young and exceptionally promising faculty members in select Nigerian universities the opportunity to conduct doctoral research at U.S. academic or research institutions for a period of 9-10 months (Grants are not renewable). The program supports inclusion and strongly encourages candidates with disabilities to apply as special accommodations are available. Also, ECA has provided previous grantees with a screen reader and note taking software, laptops, cell phones, canes, and/or wheelchairs to assist them while on their grant in the U.S.

Grant Benefit:  The grant covers round trip airfare to the U.S., a settling-in allowance, monthly stipend, housing allowance, books-and-supplies allowance, and computer allowance. The grant also covers basic university health insurance as a primary insurance coverage and the Fulbright ASPE health benefit as secondary coverage. Note: The grant does not cover travel of dependents, hence grantees will not be allowed to travel with spouse and children to the United States.
Program Timeline: Application opens on February 1, 2019 and the strict deadline for submitting online applications with supporting documents is June 1, 2019.
Application and Instructions: Applications must be completed online at https://apply.iie.org/ffsp2020  Applicant should click on “create an account” to start a new application. They should also attach their supporting documents online (i.e. 3 academic and professional references, Curriculum Vitae, academic transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended and writing sample.) Applicants should select “Visiting Researcher” as their degree objective in their applications.
Applicants are advised to read the instructions preceding the application carefully and seek the assistance of senior colleagues who are Fulbright alumni for guidance with the application process, if possible.
Eligibility Requirements:
1)      Applicants must be citizens or nationals of Nigeria, or permanent residents holding a valid passport issued by the Nigerian government.
2)      Applicants must be doctoral students and have the endorsement of their home institution.
3)      Applicants must be at least two years into their doctoral program in any discipline.
4)      Applicants must have an outstanding academic record and high level of English proficiency.
5)      Applicants must meet a minimum score of 100 in the internet based TOEFL test. All candidates should take their TOEFL exam by June 2019.
6)      The Fulbright Foreign Student Program is open to applicants in all disciplines. However, proposals for clinical medical research involving patient contact cannot be approved under the Fulbright Program.
7)      Applicants must have high motivation and a serious commitment to completing the program as scheduled and to returning home.
8)      Only applicants with strong proposals, outlining their research objectives, methodology, time-frame, and justification for conducting the research in the U.S. will be short-listed for interviews.
9)      Preference will be given to applicants who have not studied in the U.S.
10)  Applicants in business, law and accounting should understand that most U.S. institutions rarely accept research students in these fields due to high demand for full-time programs and tuition concerns. As a consequence, we face great challenges in finding placements for such grantees unless their proposals are tilted toward economics, development-related areas, democracy, human rights and conflict resolution.
Complete Application:
A complete application includes:
 1.  An online application which includes:    *   a clearly written research objective.    *   a professional resume. 2.  Three letters of reference specifying the personal, academic and professional competence of the candidate (submitted electronically and attached to the online application). 3.  Student copy of academic transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended should be scanned and attached to the online application if available. 4.  TOEFL score report.Hard copies of official academic transcripts should be forwarded to our office by regular mail. Please address the envelope to the Fulbright Program Officer, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, 2 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos. Applicants with specific questions not addressed by the online application instructions may e-mail them to AyegbusiCO@state.gov<mailto:AyegbusiCO@state.gov>  or ApalaraDO@state.govThe Fulbright program is a popular program and the Public Affairs Office will only notify shortlisted candidates.