It is with great pleasure that the Public Affairs Section of the United States Mission in Nigeria announces the annual call for applications for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for the academic year 2024/2025.
The application process begins on February 1st 2024 and ends on June 1st 2024. The Institute of International Education (IIE) in New York is in charge of managing the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, which is a research program that is supported by the United States Department of State.
Take note that, the STRICT deadline for submitting online applications and any supplemental documents is on Monday, June 1st. Please take notice of this.
The primary objective of the FFSP program is to enhance the capabilities of African universities by providing training for higher degrees and to cultivate the potential of the academic staff working at those universities.
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Young and particularly promising academic members who are interested in conducting their PhD research in the United States are considered to be the target audience for this program.
To be eligible for this opportunity, applicants must be at least two years into their doctoral program in any field at a Nigerian university or research institute at the time of application.
The award provides that the recipient will get a settling-in allowance, a monthly stipend, a housing allowance, a books-and-supplies allowance, and a computer allowance.
Additionally, the grant will pay the grantee’s round-trip airfare to the United States. Additionally, the grant provides main insurance coverage for baseline university health insurance, as well as secondary coverage for the Fulbright ASPE health benefit offered by the Fulbright program.
It is important to note that the grant does not cover the travel expenses of dependents; hence, grantees will not be permitted to go to the United States with their spouses and children.
Academic Disciplines for Nigerian Applicants
The following academic disciplines are eligible to participate in the competition: science, engineering, technology, arts, journalism/public relations/media studies, agriculture/food science, economics, environmental science, international relations, political science, public administration/policy, public health, and tourism.
Most Competitive Disciplines
It is important to note that the Fulbright Foreign Student Program is exceedingly competitive, particularly in the fields of media, communication, and business administration, as well as in the sciences, including chemistry, biology, and physics, and engineering-related fields.
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Eligibility Fulbright Requirements for Nigerian Applicants
To be qualified for a grant, you must:
- Individuals who wish to apply must be citizens or nationals of Nigeria, or permanent residents of Nigeria who are in possession of a Valid Passport that has been granted by the government of Nigeria.
- Applicants must be enrolled in a PhD or postgraduate degree program at a Nigerian university, have completed a significant portion of their doctoral program, and have received approval from their home institution.
- Please take note that individuals with a Master’s degree or a First Degree are not eligible to apply for this program.
- The applicants are required to have a proven track record of academic achievement and a high level of English proficiency.
- By the month of May in 2023, applicants are required to take their initial TOEFL exam.
A minimum score of 90 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is necessary for applicants to be granted admission. - Prospective participants are required to demonstrate a high level of enthusiasm and a strong commitment to completing the program on time and going back to their homes.
- The only applicants who will be considered for interviews are those who have submitted compelling applications that detail their research aims, methods, time period, and reasons for doing the research in the United States.
- All applicants who have not previously attended school in the United States will be given preference.
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Application Notice
Individuals who are interested in business, law, and accounting should be aware that the majority of educational institutions in the United States do not typically accept research students in these subjects due to the strong demand for full-time programs and concerns around tuition.
As a result, the institution encounter significant difficulties in locating positions for grantees of this kind, unless their projects are oriented toward economics, development-related fields, democracy, human rights, and conflict resolution.
For Detailed Instructions and Application: Please visit the following website to access the application and instructions CLICK THIS LINK.
All applicants are required to fill out the application forms in their entirety and submit their supporting documents online.
These documents include three academic and professional references, a curriculum vitae, academic transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended, and a writing sample.
Logging into the website, providing an email address, and establishing a password are all required steps for applicants.
It is important that you never forget this password, as it will be required throughout the entirety of the application process.
In addition, applicants are strongly encouraged to thoroughly read the guidelines that come before the application and to seek the aid of senior colleagues who have previously participated in the Fulbright program before they commence the application process.
Everyone who is interested in participating in the FFSP program should choose “Visiting Researcher” or “non-degree” as their degree objective while filling out their applications.
Other Application Requirements
- An online application that includes a study objective that is written in a clear and concise manner.
- Resume that is professional.
- It is required that the candidate present three letters of reference that detail their personal, academic, and professional skills. These letters should be submitted electronically and attached to the online application file.
- It is recommended that students scan and attach copies of their academic transcripts from each post-secondary institution that they have attended, if the option is available, to the online application.
- Score report for the TOEFL.
- Regular mail should be used to ensure that our office receives hard copies of official academic transcripts from educational institutions of higher learning.
If you are a candidate from the South, South-East, or South West of Nigeria, please send your envelope to the Fulbright Program Officer, Public Affairs Section, United States Consulate General, located at 2 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Candidates from the North-Central, North-East, and North-West regions of Nigeria should read this. The envelope should be addressed to the Cultural Affairs Assistant at the United States Embassy in Abuja, which is located at Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive, Central Area.
If applicants have any specific queries that are not covered by the guidelines provided for the online application, they can send them to Nigeriafulbright@state.gov electronically.
The Public Affairs Office will only communicate with candidates who have been shortlisted for the Fulbright program because it is such a popular program.