One of the oldest and largest international exchange programs in the world, the Fulbright Scholar Program is in a unique position to respond to the opportunities ushered in by the new century in which the nations and citizens of the world are increasingly interdependent. Its worldwide design and long standing international relationships represent a valuable platform upon which new, global models for collaborative thinking among scholars of many different nationalities can be built. This raises challenges and possibilities for humankind in the 21st Century.
The Fulbright New Century Scholars Program annually brings together 30 outstanding research scholars and professionals from the U.S. and around the world. NCS fellows engage in multidisciplinary collaboration under the leadership of a'Distinguished Scholar Leader' and work together to seek solutions to issues and concerns that affect humanity. In its fifth year, NCS will continue to address critical issues in higher education around the globe, and will focus on "Higher Education in the 21st Century: Access and Equity." Dr. D. Bruce Johnstone, Director, Center for Comparative and Global Studies in Education at the State University of New York at Buffalo, will serve as the Distinguished New Century Scholar Leader.
Program Description:
Institutions of higher education will play a central role in addressing the challenges of the 21st Century. They are crucial for the development of knowledge-based economies and for thriving civil societies. Their roles in leadership training and in educating growing proportions of the population in the skills needed for complex, modern societies are essential. They provide research and analysis for addressing problems and opportunities in both the private and public sectors. In the cross currents of globalization, institutions of higher education are one of the most important points of contact between the national and the international environment. Their global networks establish a platform for cooperation among nations and their citizens. The existence of viable institutions of higher education is a requirement of any modern democratic society.
Yet, higher education faces significant challenges throughout the world. Among the most universal and complex challenges, are those related to ensuring equitable access for the rapidly growing number of individuals seeking education at the postsecondary level. Meeting the burgeoning demand for higher education and developing policies and resources that provide the benefit of higher education to diverse populations of students will require national commitment and international cooperation. In today's global, knowledge-based economy, economic growth and social well being of nations around the world are increasingly dependent on a well-educated workforce and individual access to quality education. Understanding the principal components of this challenge and the relationship between cultural norms, social and political policies and the development of higher education will require deeper understanding in order to realize the goals to expand access and equity.
The Fulbright New Century Scholars Program provides an ideal vehicle for the kind of cross-cultural and transnational examination that will contribute to significant comparative analysis of access and equity issues. By bringing together a diverse group of scholars and educational leaders to examine the topic in national and international settings, NCS will seek constructive ways for contemporary institutions to develop policies responding to the challenge of ensuring equitable access within the framework of higher education 21st century.
Three themes related to the central topic of access and equity in higher education will be examined:
The Cultural and Societal Norms that Affect Access and Equity
Barriers that affect access to higher education often reflect deeply held beliefs and patterns of culture. The under-representation of many groups is a derivative of their marginalization in society. In order to create equality of opportunity, it is, therefore, critical to understand how social discrimination limits access to education at all levels and becomes particularly pronounced in higher education. Equality of opportunity is intimately related to the ability of nations to develop democratic practices and an inclusive civil society. Research and analysis is needed to provide greater insight into how individual characteristics, social structures and public policies interact to create unequal access for women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities and those with lower socioeconomic status.
The Role of K-16 in Limiting or Advancing Access to Higher Education
Providing equitable opportunities for academic achievement to all students at the K-16 level is an important prerequisite to ensuring access to postsecondary education. Thousands of secondary school students around the globe, in particular those from socially and economically disadvantaged groups, lack the necessary academic preparation, have little or no access to the information they need, and/or come from an environment where college aspirations are not encouraged. Collaboration among all levels of a nation's educational system is needed in order to advance and support a wider range of student access to higher education. Educational systems, however, often lack the continuity necessary to produce effective programs that help bridge the transition from secondary to higher education. By defining a shared K-16 goal, policies can be developed to break barriers and increase access. Research that examines and assesses the interrelationship between primary, secondary and higher education will include issues of curriculum alignment in creating multiple academic pathways, teacher preparation and support for disadvantaged students as ways to achieve greater access and equity in higher education admissions.
The Resources and Polices that Provide Greater Access to Higher Education
A deeper understanding of the impact of marginalization of groups and individuals through discriminatory social practices and the effects of limited entry or tracking systems in K-16 education are very important elements of an analysis of access and equity in higher education. This leads directly to issues of resources and policies as ways to address practices that limit access to higher education. There is an increasing trend in many countries around the world to shift the burden of higher education costs from government and taxpayers to students and their families. In many cases this reflects the economic realities and the idea that institutions of higher education are commercializing education. This outlook has in turn generated a debate about whether education is a public or private good and what the basis of its funding should be. Placing the issues of access and equity in this debate is of critical importance. The economic status of students remains a powerful barrier to access. Combined with other factors of social status it figures importantly in educational opportunity at all levels. Research and analysis that takes these factors into consideration and proposes funding models that support access and equity as a public good will add positively to the discourse and its ameliorative solutions.
Program Activities:
Approximately 25-30 leading scholars and professionals representing a variety of disciplines from the U.S. and abroad will be selected as NCS Fellows. Approximately one-third of the NCS Fellows will be U.S. scholars and the remaining Fellows will be visiting scholars from outside the U.S.
Program activities include:
Orientation and Goal Setting (4-5 days, February 2007)
Mid-term Meeting (5-6 days, July 2007)
Final NCS Seminar (4 days, March 2008)
International exchange visit of 3 months, to be completed at any time between February 2007 and March 2008
Ongoing communication and interaction with NCS Distinguished Scholar Leader and other NCS Scholars throughout program year
To accomplish NCS program goals, Scholars must participate in all NCS seminars; maintain intellectually active contact with one another and with the NCS ‘Distinguished Scholar Leader’ during the program year; contribute to the development and advancement of collaborative program objectives between seminar meetings; and undertake an exchange visit of three months to expand individual research directions related to NCS themes.
Grant Benefits:
Individual travel/research awards in the amount of $37,000
Accommodations and meals for program seminars
NCS grants are not intended as salary replacement or to support fulltime research. The grants provide funds for the NCS Scholars to attend the program seminars, carry out an international exchange visit, cover related research expenses and some salary. Specifically:
International travel for attendance at NCS orientation, mid-term meeting and final plenary
Incidental expenses associated with attending in-person program meetings
International travel and maintenance for three-month exchange visit
Books, supplies, and related materials
Research assistance
Partial salary/benefits.
Eligibility Requirements:
Leading scholars and professionals in any discipline relevant to one of the three key themes related to the examination of access and equity in higher education, as outlined in the Program Overview. Successful candidates may be established senior scholars or promising younger ones; they will be active in the academic, public or private sector and will demonstrate outstanding qualifications and a distinguished record of experience, research and accomplishment in an area clearly related to the NCS theme. Applicants must be conducting current research relevant to the program's theme and objectives, be open to exploring and incorporating comparative, interdisciplinary approaches in their investigations, and interested in developing collaborative activities with other NCS Scholars.
For academic applicants, a Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in a relevant field.
For applicants in the professional fields, the appropriate terminal degree in a relevant field.
U.S. applicants must have U.S. citizenship and be residing permanently in the U.S.
Non-US applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of and residing in the country from which they are applying at the time of application. Since specific residency requirements vary from country to country, applicants should contact their local Fulbright officedirectly to determine their eligibility.
Non-US applications must be submitted through a participating Fulbright Commission or Public Affairs Section of U.S Embassy in the home country.
Indian applicants should refer to the 'How to Apply' section in this announcement.
Fluency in English.
Final selection will be based on the referenced criteria as well as on the need for a diversity of projects, disciplinary fields and geographic areas represented in the program.
Application Materials and Handouts:
All applicants must complete the relevant application cover sheet along with the following items*:
Proposal Abstract
(not to exceed two single-spaced paragraphs)
Research Proposal,
not to exceed four typed single-spaced pages, including brief bibliography
Tailored Curriculum Vitae, not to exceed 8 pages, including list of relevant publications
Two Letters of Reference, with Application Reference Forms
Letter of Invitation from the prospective host institution.
Proposal Abstract
(Two single-spaced paragraphs maximum; use 12-point type and 1-inch margins) The abstract should provide a brief summary of the applicant's current research as it relates to one of the three themes outlined in the NCS Program Description and the research objectives to be accomplished during the international exchange visit. The abstract must also outline the applicant's anticipated contributions to a collaborative examination of the NCS topic.
Research Proposal
(4 single-spaced pages maximum; use 12-point type and 1-inch margins) In bringing together a multinational and multidisciplinary group of scholars and educators, NCS seeks to provide an effective vehicle for comparative cross-cultural analysis of key issues associated with access and equity in higher education in today's world. To achieve program goals, NCS gives participants the opportunity, through the program seminars and work in the focus groups, to engage in collaborative examination and comparative analysis of the issues elaborated in the section on the NCS Theme in the Program Description. Besides meeting individual research objectives through their international exchange visits, NCS Scholars are expected to work together during the seminar sessions to develop comparative analyses that might inform policy and practice in both national and international settings.
Your proposal should demonstrate how your qualifications, expertise and research competence will contribute to furthering not only individual research objectives, but collaborative program goals as well.
Please identify one of the three program themes outlined in the description of the NCS Theme, as articulated in the Program Description and discuss with reference to your own academic/professional credentials and research accomplishments what you would contribute to its examination and further analysis. Describe specific current research that is directly related to the selected NCS theme and its significance and discuss what your current research objectives would contribute to developing new approaches, perspectives, or even solutions to the challenges posed by the NCS topic. Describe how your research might contribute to a more comparative or global exploration and understanding of the issues involved.
Also include a brief listing of selected bibliographic sources relevant to your current research and the NCS topic you will examine.
Justification for International Research Visit
On a separate piece of paper, entitled NCS International Research Visit, describe your plans for an International Exchange Visit, including host institution and dates for the proposed visit. U.S. applicants should propose their research visit to a country where there is an operational Fulbright program; non-U.S. applicants must propose their research visit to the United States. Include discussion of the following points:
Specific research objectives you plan to meet during your research visit, including feasibility of meeting stated objectives during the allotted time
How your current research matches host institution interests
How your research objectives, as well as those of your proposed host, might be mutually advanced as a result of your visit
Areas of potential collaboration related to the NCS theme
*Applications lacking required materials will not be forwarded for review. Please do not include any additional materials.
Letter of Invitation
A confirmed affiliation with a prospective host institution is required at the time of application; therefore, a letter of invitation must be included with the application materials. The letter should discuss the host institution's specific interest in the applicant's area of research expertise, potential for collaborative activities with the applicant, as well as anticipated mutual benefits resulting from interaction with the applicant.
Please note that letters of invitation which fail to demonstrate serious interest in intellectual exchange or collaboration with the applicant will weaken the proposal. Applications without a confirmed affiliation for the international exchange visit will not be reviewed.
Letters of Reference
Along with the letter of invitation, all applicants must submit two separate letters of reference from individuals who are in a position to evaluate the applicant's scholarly or professional qualifications as well as the merits of the applicant's proposal and his/her potential to contribute to a comparative analysis of the selected NCS theme. The letter of invitation should be separate from the letter of reference. Also, applicants should not request the same person to provide both these letters.
The letters of reference will play an important part in the review process. Applicants should ensure that selected referees are well informed about their qualifications and are able to address the potential contributions of the applicant to the NCS program and its objectives.
Please provide your referees with the appropriate Reference Form *(for U.S. or Non-U.S. Applicants), the relevant information about the NCS Program, and a copy of your application. Please make sure you complete the first two lines of the forms indicating your name and institutional affiliation. Also, please ‘check’ the appropriate box indicating whether or not you waive access to the reference.
U.S. applicants
should request their referees to return the reference reports to them in a sealed envelope with the referee's signature across the sealed flap of the envelope. The reference reports should be included with the application upon submission to CIES in order for the application to be considered complete.
Non-U.S. applicants,
who will undergo preliminary review in their home countries, should consult with their local Fulbright office regarding the procedure and deadline for submission of the reference reports.
Reference letters should NOT be forwarded to CIES.
How To Apply:
Indian applicants:
Indian citizens residing in India can obtain application materials either in person at any of USEFI offices
OR
By sending requests to USEFI, 12 Hailey Road, New Delhi 110001 along with a self-addressed stamped (Rs. 20) 10"X 7" envelope. Indicate NCS in your request.
OR
Application material is also available on the USEFI website at www.fulbright-india.org. To download Application Form and Reference Form click on the links given below. To receive the forms as an email attachment in MS word format (send request to: ip@fulbright-india.org).