Deadline for Submission: November 11, 2011.
The Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of the United States of America in Armenia is pleased to announce the annual competition for Fulbright Scholarships in the United States for the 2012 2013 academic year.
"The Fulbright Program aims to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby to increase the chance that nations will learn at least to live in peace and friendship."
J. William Fulbright
The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program awards grants to foreign scholars to conduct post-doctoral research at U.S. universities for an academic year or term. The Fulbright Program was named after Senator J. William Fulbright from Arkansas, who proposed the program in 1946 "to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries." All grants are approved by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (12 members), which is appointed by the President of the United States.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP:
· Armenian citizenship and residency
· Evidence of employment in the Republic of Armenia
· Ph.D.
· Proficiency in English
· Completed online application
· References
· Good health and physical condition
PRIORITY FIELDS ARE:
· Political Science, Economics, Social Science
· International Relations, Journalism and Law
· American Studies (History, Literature, Society & Culture of the United States)
· Environmental Studies and Public Health
APPLICATION PROCEDURES AND COMPETITION SCHEDULE
Application Submission Process:
Interested applicants must complete an online application on the https://apply.embark.com/student/fulbright/scholars/30/ site. Please register by creating a user name and a password, and proceed with the application as prompted by the application. Please save your data after completing each page. After saving a page, you will be able to log off and return to your application later. The applicants will be able to send online requests for recommendation letters to their recommenders. Please submit your online application ONLY when the information is complete and the supplementary documents are obtained. Once you submit your application, you will not have access to it and will not be able to view it.
Only online applications will be considered.
Applications must be completed in English. Handwritten, incomplete and late applications will not be considered. Recipients of a Fulbright scholarship within the past 5 years will not be considered. All applications, including references, undergo technical and academic reviews. Candidates who satisfy all requirements will be interviewed by the Embassy Fulbright Selection Committee. The Committee will submit the names of the finalists to the Fulbright Board of Foreign Scholarships in the United States for final approval. Selected grantees will be notified of final approval when their affiliations at U.S. universities are confirmed in June 2012.
For more information about the scholarship please contact Anahit Khachatryan, Cultural Affairs Assistant, Public Affairs Office, U.S. Embassy, tel: 010-464700, ext: 4310 (leave a message on voice mail).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
· How strict are the deadlines? Deadlines are firm.
· If I was not successful in previous competitions, can I apply again? Yes.
· What are the selection criteria? The following factors are considered: professional qualifications, project proposal (quality, feasibility), how the acquired knowledge will be used upon return, English language competence, need for the project to be undertaken in the United States, personal qualifications, quality of references. Preference will be given to candidates with little or no previous experience in the United States.
· What are the basic benefits? Round trip airfare, monthly stipend, book allowance, and settling-in allowance.
· Can family members accompany? Yes, but you will be financially responsible for them.
· Do I have to arrange university affiliation in the United States? It is recommended that you submit a letter of invitation from a U.S. university in your application package. If you don’t know where your project can be accomplished, the affiliation will be arranged by one of the Fulbright administering agencies.
· How should I provide the references? References should be provided online together with the application. The request for the letter is sent to the recommender through the online system and is received by the program coordinator at the U.S. Embassy. You will receive a notification when the recommendation letter is submitted.
Open to: up to 15 qualified Armenian citizens with a minimum of 3 years work experience on issues of public policy and public administration from Armenian Ministries and other government bodies. No particular academic background is req…uired, but individuals demonstrating an academic understanding of the subject field will be given a preference in the selection process.
Duration: approximately 5 months: on/around January 2012 – June 2012 Location: Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Medford, Massachusetts, USA)
Details: This graduate education training program provides an intensive academic approach to public policy and public administration studies. Lectures and case studies will be led by senior Fletcher School faculty. Participants will also meet in working groups to examine problems, formulate proposals and conclusions of their own. Candidates should have a sound knowledge of English as no interpretation will be provided.
A Certificate will be awarded by the Fletcher School to those students who have successfully completed the assigned material on the basis of the program director’s recommendation.
Requirement: All participants are required to return to Armenia upon completion of this program to serve in their professional capacity with the government for a minimum period of two years.
Application Procedures: Each applicant must submit in English to [email protected] the following materials by Friday, November 4, 2011:
1. CV;
2. letter of recommendation from an individual familiar with their work;
3. a statement of purpose of no more than 250 words outlining the candidate’s specific interests in the course. Required paper-based TOEFL-style examination will be administered on Sunday, November 6 for individuals who do not already possess an official English language exam score. Individual interviews will be offered during the week of November 7-11, 2011. Successful candidates will be notified of their acceptance by November 14, 2011, with academic preparation courses beginning in mid-November.
Application Deadline: Friday, November 4, 2011 for receipt of all materials.
Additional Notes: The Tavitian Foundation will provide funding for the reasonable living expenses, including roundtrip airfare, visas, housing, monthly stipend, tuition and university fees, laptop computer, books, and health insurance.