The Fulbright Program in Israel

Fulbright Outreach Program

Program Overview

Approximately 10 Fulbright Outreach Program fellowships will be awarded to outstanding students planning to begin Master’s or doctoral degree studies at American universities in the fall semester of the 2012/2013 academic year. This program is open to Arab students and to Ethiopian students.

Program grants cover tuition, fees and living expenses for a maximum of two years of study in the United States.

This program is open to students in all fields of study, except those in which hands-on contact with patients is required. Students in medicine, dental medicine, veterinary medicine, nursing and other programs which involve treatment of patients are not eligible for Fulbright grants.

Awards are limited to students holding a first or second degree before their departure to begin studies in the United States. Before taking up their grants, those selected as program fellows will be required to provide proof that they have been awarded at least a Bachelor's degree.

Individuals who have already received a Master's degree are not eligible to request an Outreach Fellowships in support of study towards the receipt of an additional Master's degree. Students holding an Israeli LLM may be exempted from this rule, if it is their intention to acquire an American LLM in order to be able to undertake further studies in the US towards the receipt of a JSD degree.

Prospective candidates are encouraged to contact the EducationUSA Advising Center of the US-Israel Educational Foundation for information on American universities and the programs of study which they offer. However, candidates should note that Outreach Program Fellows do not apply directly for admission to US universities. Instead, submission of their applications for admission is carried out by a placement agency in the United States.

The highest-ranked candidates will be invited for an interview in Israel in June. All interviews are held on the same day. In order to be considered for an award, applicants must be available for interview in person on the date fixed by USIEF.

Candidates selected by the interview committee will be referred to the Institute of International Education (IIE) for placement at American universities.

The Foundation reserves the exclusive right to determine, within the framework of applicable law and regulations, the qualitative standards for the evaluation of applications and the selection of the candidates to be referred for placement. The Foundation is not under any obligation to provide the reasons for its decisions regarding referral for placement.

It should be noted that referral to IIE by USIEF does not guarantee that a candidate will be awarded a fellowship. The final decision whether or not to award a scholarship will be made by the United States Department of State. It should also be noted that, if it is decided to offer a fellowship to a candidate, the Department of State retains sole authority to select the institution at which the candidate's studies will be supported. Candidate preferences will be taken into account when making such decisions, but other considerations, such as cost, geographic distribution, etc. will also be taken into account.

Candidates should note that receipt of a Fulbright Outreach Fellowship affects eligibility to receive an additional Fulbright Fellowship:

An Outreach Program Fellow who has returned to Israel will not be eligible to apply for an additional Outreach Fellowship or for a Fulbright Doctoral Student Fellowship.

A recipient of Outreach Program support for advanced degree study in the United States may not begin work in the United States as a Fulbright Post-Doctoral Fellow until five years have passed since the conclusion of his/her stay in the United States as a student.

See the regulations regarding repeat fellowships in the Fellowships section above.

Grant benefits

tuition and fees for a maximum of two years

monthly maintenance, book, professional enhancement and equipment allowances for a maximum of two years

limited health benefits for the grantee only for the duration of the grant

roundtrip airfare from Tel Aviv to the US academic institution

pre-departure orientation meeting

Eligibility criteria

Israeli citizens of Arab origin or of Ethiopian origin are eligible. Dual American-Israeli citizens or permanent residents of the United States are not eligible to apply.

Candidates must be resident in Israel at the time of application and must continue to be resident in Israel until the beginning of their studies in the United States as Fulbright Fellows. Students who have already begun their program of studies in the United States or who are planning to begin study in the US before the Fall 2012 semester are not eligible to apply.

Candidates must be in good health. All applicants selected for a Fulbright grant are required to submit a Medical History and Examination Report before their grants can be activated.

Prior conviction or current indictment for a felony may result in disqualification.

Evaluation criteria

Preference will be given to candidates who intend to study for Master's degrees.

Academic excellence is an important criterion for the evaluation of candidates.

Possession of skills required to promote mutual understanding between the United States and Israel is an important evaluation criterion.

Leadership qualities are an important evaluation criterion.

English language proficiency is an important evaluation criterion. All candidates, including those who have studied in English-speaking countries, must have a recent TOEFL score of 79-80 (Internet-based test) or higher.

All candidates must submit a GRE or GMAT score.

Preference will be given to applicants who have not had a substantial, recent, academic experience in the United States, or other English speaking country.

Preference will be given to candidates under 30 years of age.

Conditions of award

Funding is for two years only. It is the grantee’s responsibility to secure funding and visa sponsorship for any period of study beyond the two years supported by the Program. This issue is particularly relevant to grantees in doctoral degree programs.

Grantees must travel on a J-1 Exchange Visitor visa sponsored by the Fulbright program.

Upon the conclusion of the two-year Fulbright funding period, grantees continuing their studies in the US must arrange transfer of their visa sponsorship to their American host institutions and receive approval for such transfer from the Fulbright program.

After completion of a Master’s or Doctoral program, Fulbright grantees may be eligible to remain in the United States for up to 18 months of academic training (provided the fellow has a concrete job offer) or for up to 36 months of post-doctoral research. Those interested must clarify their eligibility with their IIE Student Services office.

It is a condition of the visa that after completion of their Fulbright program, including any transfer of visa sponsorship, grantees must return to Israel and reside in the country for two years before being eligible to immigrate to the US, to take up permanent residence there, or to enter the US with a work permit. The purpose of the two-year home residency requirement is to ensure that exchange visitors return home and fulfill the exchange objectives of the Fulbright program.

Holders of J-1 student visas who have departed from the United States after a stay of six or more months may be required to remain abroad for up to twelve months before being allowed to re-enter the United States with a J-1 professor/research scholar visa.

The above restrictions do not apply to re-entry to the United States as the holder of a J visa in another category (short-term scholar, specialist, international visitor), or as the holder of a student or tourist visa.

Dependents of grantees will enter the US as holders of J-2 visas. Many conditions applying to the grantees as holders of J-1 visas, such as the two-year home residency requirement and other restrictions, also apply to the holders of J-2 visas.

Dependents may not travel to the United States until the conclusion of the grantee's first semester of study, unless the grantee presents extenuating circumstances which justify an earlier arrival.

Unless they have received a waiver of the two-year home residence requirement, Fulbright Students, holding J-1 visas, are ineligible to change their status from J-1 to J-2 while in the US. Similarly, accompanying dependents, who possess J-2 visas, are ineligible to change their status from J-2 to J-1 while in the US, unless they have received a waiver of the home residence requirement.

Grantees must begin their studies in the United States no later than the fall semester of the 2012/2013 academic year. Awards cannot be deferred to the following academic year.

Instructions on the preparation and submission of applications

All required documents must be submitted in English.

All required documents must be computer generated.

The application materials to be submitted to the United States-Israel Educational Foundation (USIEF) by the fellowship candidate him/herself are as follows:

completed application form (including personal statement, statement of study/research objectives, curriculum vitae);

passport photo;

official grade transcripts for all post-secondary academic studies;

an official TOEFL score report, from a testing date not more than two years prior to the application deadline;

an official GRE or GMAT score report, from a testing date not more than five years prior to the application deadline.

Candidates must submit six complete copies of the documentation detailed in the paragraph above. One set will include the original passport photo and original grade transcripts. The other five sets may include photocopies. Each set should be stapled on the left side. Please do not bind application documents in folders.

Three letters of reference written in English on institutional letterhead paper, together with reference forms, must be sent directly to USIEF by those providing references by the final date for submission of the application. Faxed or email copies of letters are acceptable. See application for further details. Do not arrange for submission of more than three references.

Each page of the application carries its own instructions that should be read carefully before proceeding.

Each question must be answered completely and carefully. Please make every effort to limit your responses to the space provided.

The final date for submission of applications is March 31, 2012. The address for submission of applications is: United States-Israel Educational Foundation, POB 26160, Tel Aviv 61261; or 10th Floor, Migdalor Building, 1 Ben Yehuda Street, Tel Aviv. Faxed or emailed copies of applications are not acceptable. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that letters of reference are submitted to USIEF by the application deadline date.

Fulbright Outreach Program
Timetable for 2011-2012

Final deadline for submission of applications	March 31, 2012
Academic referees review applications	April-May 2012
Interview of finalists	June 2012
Candidates notified of results	June 2013
Placement of candidates selected begins	November-December 2013
Nominees notified if accepted to studies by American universities	March-April 2013
Program Fellows begin studies in the United States and awards commence	Fall semester, 2013/2014 academic year

Website: www.fulbright.org.il