2012-2013 Fulbright African Research Scholar Program (ARSP)

Overview

The Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of the United States of America is pleased to announce the Fulbright African Research Scholar Program (ARSP) for the 2012-2013 academic year. As in past years, the 2012-2013 ARSP will offer two different types of grants: 1) Senior Research Scholar Grants and; 2) Program and Curriculum Grants. The ARSP is administered for the U.S. Department of State by the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), a division of the Institute of International Education.

The Senior Research Scholar Program provides an opportunity for senior academicians and scholars who already have their PhD degree (or equivalent) to conduct postdoctoral research and lecturing at U.S. universities and colleges beginning no earlier than August 2012 and no later than March 2013. Awards vary in duration from three to nine months. Most grants are for approximately six months. Grants of up to nine months are made only when a research proposal justifies the need for extended time. Awards are given on the basis of academic excellence, the quality of the research project proposal and recommendation letters. Preference is given to applicants who provide strong justification for undertaking their research in the United States, i.e., the need for access to research facilities or materials not readily available elsewhere or the desire for collaborative research with an American scholar or institution. Please note that awards for the Senior Research Scholar Program are offered in the physical sciences as well as in the social sciences and humanities.

The Program and Curriculum Development grant enables university or academic institute members to undertake a planned program of reading and research beginning in August 2012. The rationale behind this grant is that many senior scholars, because of heavy teaching loads, extensive administrative and advising responsibilities unrelated to their field of academic specialization as well as lack of access to all of the latest literature in their fields, need a period of time to bring themselves up-to-date in their professional fields. Applicants with at least a Master’s Degree and five years of university teaching experience will be considered for awards in this category. Program and Curriculum Development grantees will reside on an American university campus for a period of three to five months.

The ARSP includes a special set of grants for scholars with proposals in HIV/AIDS-related research. Scholars in all academic disciplines are invited to formulate proposals with an HIV/AIDS focus. Candidates may apply either as research scholars or as program and curriculum development scholars.

Please note that unfortunately none of the ARSP grants can accommodate accompanying family members.

The Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of the United States of America invites eligible candidates to submit applications. The applicant must declare the particular grant program for which he/she is applying (research scholar grant or program and curriculum development grant) and should tailor his/her proposal to the appropriate program in the application form.

The application should include a detailed statement of three to five pages which describes the proposed project and the methodology to be employed. If the project is highly technical and scientific in nature, the application should include an explanation for non-specialist readers who will be involved in reviewing the proposals. A copy of the applicant’s most recent curriculum vita, list of publications, the scholar’s dates of availability and three current letters of reference/recommendation are also required. If possible, at least one of the three required letters should be from an individual outside the applicant’s home institution, who can still comment on the candidate’s research skills and academic and scholarly experience.

There are no restrictions as to age, gender, faculty rank, or academic discipline for either type of ARSP grant. Preference will be given to proposals that promote the spirit and goals of the Fulbright program – that is, to increase and enhance mutual understanding between the United States and African countries through interpersonal contact and the sharing of professional academic experience and expertise. Applicants must have had extensive university teaching experience and a productive scholarly record. Their research proposal must relate directly to their ongoing teaching and research responsibilities. Scholars who have received a Fulbright grant for study, teaching, or research in the United States within the last five years are ineligible to apply.

Please note that proposals involving doctoral dissertation research, postdoctoral research immediately following completion of a doctoral degree, or general professional travel, are ineligible. Preference will be given to individuals who have had no experience or only limited experience in the United States. Proposals for clinical medical research involving physician training, patient care and contact cannot be approved under the Fulbright Program.

Additional instructions for completing a Fulbright Scholar application are posted on the CIES

Website (http://www.cies.org/vs_scholars/Application_Instructions ), including advice on how to write competitive proposals. Please note that all applications must be submitted through the CIES online application process using the following link:

(https://apply.embark.com/student/fulbright/scholars) note later than September 1, 2011.

If you have any questions relating to the ARSP application process, please feel free to contact the U.S. Embassy Cultural Affairs Specialist Ato Yohannes Birhanu. We look forward to receiving your applications by September 1, 2011, and extend best wishes to all candidates!Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of the United States of America – Addis Ababa

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/ethiopia/19452/pdfs/ARSP.pdf

Please quote Scholarization.blogspot.com on your application when applying for this scholarship