About
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is designed to give recent bachelor’s graduates, master’s and doctoral candidates, young professionals, and artists opportunities for personal development and international experience. Projects may include English teaching assistantships, independent research, creative/artistic projects, university coursework or degree programs, training in a music conservatory or art school.
Eligibility
U.S. Citizens (no permanent residents); undergraduate juniors and seniors, graduate students, and alumni
Campus Deadline
August 27, 2026
Priority Deadline (OPTIONAL): June 17, 2026
Fulbright Applicants
All undergraduate, graduate students and alumni interested in applying:
- Make an appointment with UI Fulbright Program Advisor Karen Wachsmuth. Please visit our application process page to fill out a Preliminary Application Form required to make an appointment.
- After meeting with Dr. Wachsmuth, you will be given access to the UI Fulbright ICON site, which is a comprehensive library of essential Fulbright resources for UI applicants only.
UI Campus Fulbright Program Advisors
Sylvia Dean, MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
Karen Wachsmuth, DMA
Types of Grants
There are two main types of grants. You must choose one program and one host country during the Fulbright competition cycle. You must apply through UI International Programs.
English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Award
The Fulbright ETA program places grantees in schools overseas to supplement local English language instruction and to provide a native speaker presence in the classrooms. Fulbright assigns grantees to a specific city/region and age-level. ETA grantees also conduct community engagement projects or activities in addition to classroom work.
Eligibility: U.S. Citizen (no permanent residents); Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) at beginning of funding period.
Duration: Varies by country; around 8-10 months.
Study/Research Grants (includes Arts Grants)
Applicants for Fulbright Study/Research grants can propose individual research projects and work with advisers at foreign universities or research institutions, apply for graduate degree programs in the host country, or propose creative/artistic projects and/or graduate research/coursework in the host country.
Eligibility: U.S. Citizen (no permanent residents); Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) at beginning of funding period.
Duration: Varies by country; around 10 months.
When comparing the ratio of applicants to awardees, the University of Iowa ranks third among its peer institutions in the doctoral institutions category, with over 43% of UI applicants receiving these prestigious honors.
Fulbright News
Professor Monica Correia earns Fulbright Scholar Award to research sustainable textile design in France
UI alumna Emma Anderson awarded Fulbright to teach English in Tajikistan
UI alumna Kate Struble awarded Fulbright to teach English in Bulgaria
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Contacting the UI Fulbright Program Advisor
For more information about applying for a Fulbright, please make an appointment with Dr. Karen Wachsmuth by completing and returning the Preliminary Application Form to ip-grants@uiowa.edu. After meeting with Karen, Fulbright applications will be invited to join the Fulbright ICON site to access further application and writing resources.
Incentive Funding for Graduate Students
The Graduate College offers a stipend incentive for currently enrolled UI graduate students to apply for approved nationally competitive grants and fellowships after receiving feedback from faculty and fellowships advisors.
Fulbright Video Tutorials
See these Fulbright video tutorials for more information.
"The writing process is your friend, not a chore... Don't be afraid to write any and all possible ideas out with every draft—the UI Fulbright team will help you find the ones that stick."