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Fulbright Scholar Awards to the USA

As part of the Fulbright Visiting Scholar programme, our Scholar Awards provide the only scholarships available to UK-based academics and other professionals to lecture and/or research in any discipline at any accredited US university.

Applications are now closed for 2025-26.

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Scholar Awards to the USA

All Disciplines

Lecture and/or research in any discipline.

Elon University

Teaching and pursuing independent research in any subject area.

Fulbright-National Archives and Heritage Science Fellowship

Research and pursue professional development in science

Lloyd's

Research in any discipline related to risk

Royal College of Surgeons of England

Research into a number of surgical areas.

Stephen Lawrence Award

3-month research project on law enforcement & race

Rutgers University-Newark

Teach and pursue research on issues of the contemporary urban environment.

Royal Society of Edinburgh

Lecture and/or research in any discipline.

Scholar Award grant periods last from 3 to 12 months. Depending on the Award, our grants generally offer:

  • Generous monthly stipends
  • Limited sickness and accident coverage
  • Logistical and visa support
  • Cultural enrichment programmes and events
  • Membership of national arts and culture organisations
  • Academic journal database packages

Monthly stipends vary from year to year and are typically enough to comfortably cover the cost of living in the USA.

UK Scholar Award Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must:

In the first instance, non-UK citizens are required to apply through the Commission/Post in their country of citizenship. 

If you are ineligible to apply through your country of citizenship, you should contact the US-UK Fulbright Commission (programmes@fulbright.org.uk) before making an application.

Applications from non-UK citizens based in and committed to a life and career in the UK may be considered if you are not able to apply for a Fulbright award through your country of citizenship.

Some Fulbright Awards are open to any non-US citizen currently residing and committed to a career in the UK. Such exceptions, if any, will only be found on the individual award pages on this website.

A note on previous experience in the USA: 

The US-UK Fulbright programme aims to foster cultural understanding between our two countries. Preference may therefore be given to applicants who do not have extensive experience (six months or longer) in the USA.

Applicants with extensive US experience should explain in detail how further experience in the USA will fulfil the Fulbright mission in ways that their prior visits did not.

We welcome applications from all disciplines and fields. If you are interested in a partner award, visit their webpage for additional details.

You are not eligible for a UK Scholar Award if you are:

A dual US-UK citizen, US Green Card holder, or are resident in the US at the time of application.

What we're looking for in an application

The Fulbright Scholar programme looks for applicants who can engage with the USA in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity and intellectual freedom, thereby promoting mutual understanding.

We assess more than the intellectual merit of proposals. The best applications are from well-rounded applicants who can demonstrate:

  • Strong academic proposals and/or research projects
  • Ambassadorial skills and intercultural sensitivity 
  • Genuine desire to learn more about the USA and to share aspects of UK culture
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Community involvement
  • Leadership potential
  • Plans to further the Fulbright mission and give back to the UK upon returning

Selection committees and interview panels will be looking for clear reasons for selecting your US university preference. We expect candidates to conduct a thorough university search and to identify institutions that are a strong fit for their academic, personal and professional goals.

Get to know Ade Solanke: an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and academic who is a Fulbright Distinguished Scholarship recipient at Emerson College.

How to Apply for a UK Scholar Award

Choose an Award to apply for

There are several Scholar Awards available each year. We recommend applying for an Award that best fits your experience and research/teaching interests.

Review the UK specific application information


Step 1. Review the eligibility criteria

Step 2. Read the UK-specific application instructions

Step 3. Read the UK-specific terms and conditions

Step 4. Review the Fulbright Commission Privacy Notice

The online application is used by Fulbright programmes around the world, and Awards differ greatly from country to country. There are many fields and instructions which do not apply to UK applicants. 

Therefore, you must read the UK specific application information listed above before you apply to ensure you submit a complete application in the correct way.

Please note, applications for 2025-26 are now closed.

Complete an online application


You can access the online application form here.

The online application includes: 

  • Biographical information
  • Academic, professional and extracurricular accomplishments
  • Fulbright project plans
  • Details of the US institution(s) to which you will be affiliated
  • Three referee nominations

The online application requires you to upload the following documents:

  • Scanned passport photo page
  • CV
  • Letter of invitation from your prospective US institution (this must be sought independently by you from the institution/department)
  • Creative writing or artwork sample (if applicable)

Complete a Separate Online Supplemental Form


You can access the US-UK Fulbright Commission Supplemental Form here.

This is a required part of the application, and your application will be considered incomplete without it. Please follow the link above to access the form.

Note: Arranging With a Host Institution


You must make separate arrangements with your chosen US host institution(s), the timeline and for which will vary from the Fulbright application. You do not need to have a host firmly in place before submitting your Fulbright application, but you must have a confirmed host affiliation in order to receive your Fulbright grant, if successful.

UK Scholars Application Timeline

In general, the Fulbright Scholar Awards competition for British citizens follows the below timeline each year. Candidates must make their own independent applications to US institutions. Applications for academic year are closed for 2025-26.

Timeline for academic year 2025-26

5 August 2024

Applications open

5pm GMT, November 4th 2024

Applications close

November – December 2024

Initial screening and review of applications are done by the US-UK Fulbright Commission and review panels. You should not expect to hear from the Commission during this time, and staff will be unable to comment on the process or an individual application’s status.

Early-mid February 2025

All candidates notified of their status. If short-listed, successful candidates must be available for interview in this period. Interviews are likely to be held virtually on zoom.

March 2025

All candidates will be notified of the interview outcome.

March-Early April 2025

Fulbright Finalists' Workshop

March-July 2025

Fulbright and J-1 Visa paperwork

Late June-July 2025

Fulbright 2-3-day Pre-Departure Orientation

From August 2025 onwards

Independent departures, your Fulbright exchange begins.

Webinars

Catch up on our webinars below to learn more about our Fulbright Partner Awards and completing your a Scholar Award application.

You can also stay informed by signing up to our UK Awards mailing list.

This session provides a brief overview of the different partner awards available this year and some guidance on our online application.

This webinar includes a presentation and Q&A about what we look for when reviewing applications.