New Delhi: The United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) announces the opening of its annual competition for Fulbright-Nehru and other Fulbright fellowships. Such exchanges have, over the years, helped bring the people of India and the United States closer together. In 2008, the U.S. and Indian governments agreed to significantly increase the number of scholarships awarded each year. The Fulbright program offers opportunities in the United States that enrich fellows’ academic, research, teaching and professional capacity.
This year marks the inaugural call for applications for the Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowships. By funding these new fellowships, the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of India intend to work in partnership to build long-term capacity in the United States and India by engaging scientific and technical research scholars and professionals from both countries related to climate research and education.
Manju Vasudevan Sharma, a 2014 Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Santa Barbara said, “Being part of the research community in the U.S. has been a stimulating and enriching experience – something that will help build future collaborations for my work in tropical forest ecology. What will be treasured in the heart for a long time to come are the warmth and vibrancy of people, the extraordinary nature reserves, and the independent and alternate thinking society that I so felt part of.” Ivan P. Marbaniang, a 2014 Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellow at Johns Hopkins University, observed, “The greatest advantage of attending a school in the U.S. is that it allowed me to contextualize several issues on a global scale. My exposure to a dynamic and interdisciplinary education system broadened my perspectives and has helped me to develop pragmatic approaches to problem-solving.”
USIEF alumni have demonstrated strong leadership in all fields, including agriculture, the arts, business, education, the environment, humanities and social sciences, public health, and science and technology. Outstanding Indian students, academics, teachers, policy makers, administrators, and professionals are encouraged to apply.
USIEF expects to offer approximately 90 Fulbright-Nehru and six Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowships to Indian applicants in 2017. Fellowship details are posted on the USIEF website (www.usief.org.in) and the first application deadline is June 15, 2016. Applicants may send any queries to ip@usief.org.in or contact one of the USIEF offices in New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, or Mumbai.