Dear Vice Chancellors and Deputy Vice Chancellors,

The Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. Mission in Nigeria are pleased to announce annual call for applications for the Fulbright African Research Scholar Program (ARSP) for the 2022/2023 academic year. The program offers senior faculty from select Nigerian universities the opportunity to conduct research or carry out curriculum development activities at U.S. academic or research institutions. ARSP also known as the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), with funding provided by the U.S. government, and administered by the Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. Mission in Nigeria. Please note that the selection process and final award of grants are extremely competitive.

Application Deadline: The STRICT deadline for submitting online applications with supplemental documents uploaded as part of the applications is Tuesday, June 1, 2021.

Application and Instructions: Applications must be completed online at https://apply.iie.org/fvsp2022 Applicant should click on “create an account” to start a new application.

Program Information: ARSP offers two categories of grants: research grant and, program and curriculum development grant. Applicants must indicate the grant category for which they are applying. 

  1. Research Grant: ARSP research grant offers senior faculty from select Nigerian universities or research institutes, opportunity to conduct research in any academic discipline at a U.S. academic or research institution for a minimum of three (3) months and a maximum of nine (9) months, beginning no earlier than August 2022 and no later than March 2023. Applicants for research grants must hold a doctorate degree or equivalent terminal degree in their fields at the time of application. Preference will be given to individuals who have at least three years of university teaching experience and a productive scholarly record.   
  1. Program and Curriculum Development Grant: ARSP program and curriculum development grant offers senior faculty or administrators from select Nigerian universities or research institutes, opportunity to conduct research in any academic discipline at a U.S. academic or research institution for a minimum of three (3) months and a maximum of five (5) months beginning no earlier than August 2022 and no later than March 2023. Proposals should be linked to professional duties and demonstrate how the scholar will use the knowledge gained to develop new courses, curricula, or other academic programs at the home institution. This grant is designed for university faculty or administrators with less experience and who may not have had recent access to research or instructional developments in their disciplines. A doctorate degree is not required, but applicants must hold a minimum of a master’s or equivalent graduate degree at the time of application.

Grant Benefits: The grant covers the candidate’s J-1 visa, round trip airfare to the U.S., a settling-in allowance, professional 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. Also, the grant covers travel of one dependent if he/she will stay with the grantee for at least 80% of the grant period. Moreover, it covers dependent allowance.

Eligibility Requirements:

  1. An intended applicant must be a citizen of Nigeria or a permanent resident, and should hold a valid passport issued by the Nigerian government. 
  1. ARSP is open to scholars in all disciplines and without regard to gender or age; however, proposals for clinical medical research involving patient contact cannot be approved under the Fulbright Program.
  1. Applications for doctoral dissertation research, postdoctoral research immediately following the completion of a doctorate degree, or general professional travel, are ineligible.
  1. Preference will be given to candidates who have not previously received a Fulbright scholar grant, and have had no experience or limited experience in the U.S.
  1. Each application must include three letters of reference.
  1. Letters of invitation from U.S. academic or research institutions are strongly encouraged but not required. Applicants unfamiliar with U.S. institutions may request that the Institute of International Education (IIE) identify suitable placements.   
  1. Scholars who were unsuccessful in previous competitions may re-apply.  Repeat applicants should revise their proposals, update curriculum vitae, and obtain current letters of reference.

Plagiarism Policy:When submitting applications, candidates will be required to read, accept, and adhere to the following information pertaining to plagiarism: 

The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program seeks applicants whose writing achieves highest academic standards of original research, writing, and citation.  The program application includes the opportunity to describe your academic work and research.  Application materials will be processed using software to help identify any instance of plagiarism.  Plagiarism in any part of your application will result in your disqualification from participation in the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program.  ECA and IIE will follow the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of plagiarism:  Plagiarism is the wrongful appropriation or purloining and publication as one’s own, of the ideas, or the expression of the ideas, of another.  It is expected that your project proposal will be your own work and writing, clearly citing secondary sources when describing the academic work and writing of others (including one’s own previously published work).  Any sources used in the construction of your responses must be clearly cited in your project statement and bibliography. 

Applicants are advised to contact Fulbright alumni for guidance with the application process, if possible. Please note that TOEFL exams are not required.

The Fulbright program is a popular program and the Public Affairs Section will only notify shortlisted candidates. No response will be sent to unsuccessful applicants.

Applicants with specific questions should send e-mails to AyegbusiCO@state.gov indicating “Fulbright ARSP” in the subject line.

Sincerely,

Clemson.

Clemson Ayegbusi