Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships

Scholarship Overview

The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships are designed for outstanding Indians to pursue a master’s degree program at select U.S. colleges and universities in the areas of Arts and Culture Management including Heritage Conservation and Museum Studies; Economics; Environmental Science/Studies; Higher Education Administration; International Affairs; International Legal Studies; Journalism and Mass Communication; Public Administration; Public Health; Urban and Regional Planning; and Women’s Studies/Gender Studies. These fellowships are for highly motivated individuals who demonstrate leadership qualities, have completed the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, have at least three years professional work experience, and are committed to return and contribute to their communities. The fellowships are for one to two years.

Applicable course, university, and country

• This scholarship is applicable for Masters Degree
• This scholarship is applicable for all universities in USA
• The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships are designed for outstanding Indians to pursue a master’s degree program at select U.S. colleges and universities in the areas:
  • Arts and Culture Management including Heritage Conservation and Museum Studies
  • Economics; Environmental Science/Studies
  • Higher Education Administration
  • International Affairs
  • International Legal Studies
  • Journalism and Mass Communication
  • Public Administration
  • Public Health
  • Urban and Regional Planning
  • Women’s Studies/Gender Studies

Scholarship amount details

Scholarship amount can be used for:

Type of Expense	Indicates if the scholarship can be used for this type of expense
Application	× Not covered in scholarship
Tuition & Fees	✔ Scholarship amount can be used for this
Living Expense	✔ Scholarship amount can be used for this
Accommodation	× Not covered in scholarship
Air Fare/Travel Expenses	✔ Scholarship amount can be used for this
Spouse/Child Care	× Not covered in scholarship
Health Cover	✔ Scholarship amount can be used for this
Others	× Not covered in scholarship

The fellowship will provide the following benefits:

• J-1 visa support
• Round-trip economy class air travel from fellow’s home city to the host institution in the U.S
• Funding for tuition and fees, living and related costs
• Accident and sickness coverage per U.S. Government guidelines
• USIEF funding may not cover all costs and the scholar may need to supplement grant benefits with other resources

Restrictions:

The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships provide no financial support for dependents

Eligible student nationality

This scholarship is applicable to students from India.

Appication Process for this scholarship

• Applications must be submitted online at https://apply.iie.org/apply/?sr=b29b205d-36bc-44e5-8e02-1d3e90c567a4
• Placement of successful candidates is done by the Institute of International Education (IIE), New York
• Recommended applicants are not required to apply to U.S. institutions on their own
• IIE/Fulbright Program will apply to four different institutions on their behalf, taking into consideration the candidates’ preferred institutions and the candidates’ competitiveness
• If a recommended candidate has previously applied to U.S. institutions and has requested a deferral from the institution, the candidate must notify USIEF immediately

Scholarship Application:

This scholarship needs a separate external application.

Important Dates & FAQ info:

Info	Date
Scholarship Deadline	17th May 2023
Interview Date	August 2023
Scholarship Decision date	July 2023
USIEF forwards applications of recommended candidates to the U.S. for J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) approval and placement	October 2023
USIEF notifies the finalists about the FFSB approval	March/April 2024
Pre-Departure Orientation	May/June 2024
FAQ Link:	https://www.usief.org.in/FIC-FAQs.aspx

 

Application Documents:

• Letter Of Recommendation: 3 references are required
• Personal Statement: This personal statement should be a narrative statement describing how students have achieved their current goals
• CV: The curriculum vitae describes academic credentials and demonstrates a record of scholarly achievements (document should not exceed four (4) pages
• Upload scanned photocopies of proof of work/professional experience
• Upload study plan/research objectives
• Upload scanned copies of mark sheets or transcripts and diploma/degree certificates
• Upload the passport bio pages (pages with photo, name, passport number, date of issue and validity, etc

Additional Information:

• If employed, should follow the instructions carefully regarding the employer’s endorsement. If applicable, obtain the endorsement from the appropriate administrative authority on the FNMasters Employer’s Endorsement Form. The employer must indicate that leave will be granted for the fellowship period
• If the applicant has letters of admission, letters of invitation, deferral requests, or other correspondence from a school, especially a preferred program, please forward a copy (not the original) of this correspondence to masters@usief.org.in

Scholarship Eligibility

Eligibility:

The applicant:

• Must be a responsible Indian citizen who can contribute to a full and fair picture of the culture and civilization of India, and thereby help to promote understanding and friendship between the peoples of the United States of America and India
• must not be residing in U.S. during the recruitment and placement cycle
• Must have a high level of academic/professional achievement
• Must demonstrate proficiency in the English language to undertake the proposed project/program and adjust to life in the U.S.must inform USIEF well in advance if the applicant needs to travel abroad (e.g., conference, fellowship etc.) during the application cycle
• Must be eligible for leave, if employed
• Must be in good health
• Must not be applying for or holding permanent residence (green card) in the United States
• Must give the undertaking to return to India on the completion of the fellowship

Exams Details:

Exam name	Indicates if exam is required and cutoff (if any)
12th	Required
UG	Required (minimum score 55.0%)
TOEFL	Required (minimum score 83)
GRE	Required
Interview	Required
Work experience	Required(minimum of 3 years)

The rating is done considering various factors

Frequently Asked Questions

The frequently asked questions about the scholarship are:

How and when do we get information on Fulbright-Nehru fellowships?

Announcements inviting applications for Fulbright-Nehru happen in February every year.

Do we submit paper applications or online applications?

Applicants for the fellowship categories are required to complete an online application. Application instructions can be downloaded from the USIEF website www.usief.org.in.

How many letters of reference/recommendation do I need to submit?

Depending on the grant category, applicants are advised to request two to three referees to send in their recommendations or complete those online by the application due date.

If I am employed, do I need my employer’s approval as part of my application?

If the applicants are employed, they are required to route their application through proper channel.

If selected, when can I begin my fellowship in the U.S.?

For the 2024-2025 cycle, the Fulbright fellows will begin their grants in August/September 2024.