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COMPETITION FOR AWARDS UNDER THE FULBRIGHT NEW CENTURY SCHOLAR PROGRAM (NSC): "Higher Education in the 21st Century: Access and Equity" - IS OPEN UNTIL MAY 12, 2006

Approximately 30 outstanding research scholars and educators from the U.S. and abroad will be selected to participate in the program through an open competition. The program combines the traditional Fulbright research exchange experience with a series of three in-person seminar meetings and ongoing virtual communication among the participants under the guidance of the NCS Distinguished Scholar Leader, Dr. D. Bruce Johnstone, Director, Center for Comparative and Global Studies in Education, State University of NewYork at Buffalo.

Outstanding scholars and educators at any rank in any field directly related to the NCS theme are invited to apply. Applicants with strong interdisciplinary and comparative interests are especially welcome. Applicants must have the Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in a relevant field.

Complete program description and application guidelines are posted at http://www.cies.org/ncs  

Application deadline: MAY 12, 2006.

Please mail your application packages to:
American Embassy
attn. Sasa Brlek
Thomasa Jeffersona 2
10010 Zagreb

Selections will be announced in October/November 2006, and the Orientation meeting launching the program will take place in February, 2007. Exchange visits may also begin in February 2007.

Frequently asked questions:

Where can a prospective applicant get NCS application materials?
Application materials for both US and Visiting Scholar applicants can be found on the CIES (Council for International Exchange of Scholars) website at: http://www.cies.org/NCS/ncs_application.htm

The materials consist of program description, application guidelines and forms which need to be completed by the applicant include: 1) Application Cover Sheet, 2) Reference Form, to be used for the two required letters of reference, and 3) Application Checklist. The forms are clearly marked for either US or Non-US applicants.

Can a scholar who just had a Fulbright grant still apply to NCS?
Yes. There is no eligibility requirement preventing previous Fulbright grantees from applying, no matter what the dates of their previous grant or the specific Fulbright program they participated in.

How important is the applicant's knowledge of English?
Fluency in English is an absolute requirement of the program. NCS Scholars must be able to communicate both orally and in writing at an extremely high level of competency. Since they will be meeting with one another three times during the program year, discussing and debating important issues, and working together to develop collaborative solutions to critical global problems, they must be able to participate in all discussions and to communicate with one another in the most effective way.

What is the duration of the NCS grant and award period and what exactly does it involve for the grantee?
The NCS grants are operational over a 12-13 month period, i.e. from approximately February 2007 to March 2008, to allow the program flexibility with scheduling NCS meeting dates. NCS Scholars are not expected to devote themselves fulltime to the program activities, but they are expected to fulfill all the NCS program obligations. During this period, NCS Scholars attend three seminars, make a research visit of two-three months in the U.S., and remain in communication with one another either electronically or in person, whenever possible. NCS has many features that go beyond the traditional individual Fulbright exchange visit. NCS fellows will conduct NCS-related research throughout the grant period in both their home country and in the US during their exchange visit, and are required to participate in the preprogram orientation session, the mid-term meeting, final plenary seminar, and the NCS online community. NCS participants must carry out the research exchange visit to the United States at any time after the February 2007 Orientation date and terminating by March 31, 2008.

What do NCS grants cover?
NCS grants are quite different from typical Fulbright scholar grants, which basically provide funds only for maintenance of the grantee while on his/her exchange visit. Also, NCS grants provide the same award amount for all participants, whether US or Visiting Scholar. This year the award amount is $37,000. This amount is to be used not only for international travel costs and maintenance of the NCS grantee while in the US on the exchange visit, but also for the cost of international travel and related expenses to attend the orientation, mid-term and final NCS program meetings. The grant may also be used to cover research materials and related expenses and partial salary. Lodging and food for attendance at the three program meetings will not come out of the NCS grant but will be covered separately.