The Fulbright Austria Expert Award pairs highly qualified Austrian academics and professionals with US host institutions to share their expertise, strengthen institutional ties, gain international experience, and learn about US culture while building capacity at their US host institutions. Candidates are competitively selected to join the Fulbright Austria community based on their knowledge, skill sets, and ability to make a significant contribution to their host institutions.

• $1,000 per week for 2–6 weeks
• Travel and relocation allowance of €1,500
• Costs of any university health plan that the host institution might require visiting scholars to purchase
• Visa application fee
• Fulbright Austria orientation, support, and guidance
• Invitations to enrichment activities organized by Fulbright Austria throughout the year

The following items are not covered by the grant:

• Visa sponsorship (The US host institution is responsible for visa sponsorship.)
• Affiliation fees, service fees, or similar fees that some US institutions require visiting scholars to pay in order to receive visiting-scholar status and/or get access to libraries, laboratories, IT services, etc. (Fulbright Austria recommends that you contact your prospective host institution's international office to ask them if visiting scholars are subject to such fees.

Upon completion of their projects, Austrian experts are able to contribute their newly gained knowledge and intercultural competencies to their home institutions and organizations once back in Austria. Program participants also become part of a network of thousands of accomplished Fulbright Austria alums, opening the door to additional grant possibilities, enhanced career development, and alum networking and leadership opportunities.

Through the Fulbright Austria Expert Award, Austrian academics and professionals can apply their knowledge and expertise to a diverse array of activities, including but not limited to:

• delivering a seminar or workshop
• consulting on faculty or workforce development
• developing academic or training curricula and materials
• lecturing at the graduate or undergraduate level
• mentoring graduate students and junior faculty
• advising research groups or clusters
• developing new exchange programs or other institutional cooperation
• conducting needs assessments or evaluations for a program or institution

The program does not fund individual research projects; projects must be collaborative in nature and benefit both the expert and the host institution.

By implementing a project in collaboration with an Austrian expert, host institutions:
 

• gain global perspectives from experienced academics and professionals,
• execute projects that require a rapid response or flexible timeline through short-term, year-round exchanges, and
• establish or expand sustainable relationships with individuals and institutions in Austria.

This award is open to academics and professionals with a PhD or equivalent, appropriate teaching experience (if applicable to the project), and relevant expertise.

All applicants must have Austrian citizenship. Dual citizens of the US and Austria are eligible and will be considered under special circumstances and in cases where project proposals are of exceptional merit. Residency in the US (i.e., living in the US for six or more months) is NOT permitted in the year prior to the grant.

Applicants should possess excellent English skills, but no English profiency test is required.

Potential applicants should bear in mind that it is not possible to receive this Fulbright Austria grant while also receiving a stipend from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) or the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW).

The following documents must be submitted with the application:

• Curriculum vitae/résumé
• Letter of support from the applicant’s home institution
  • The letter should evaluate the potential for collaboration between the home and host institutions as well as the applicant’s suitability to be an ambassador of Austrian academia. The letter should also reflect the home institution’s commitment to support and facilitate the applicant’s visit to the US.
• Letter of invitation
  • The letter must come from a US institution and confirm the institution's interest in institutional collaboration and its ability and intent to host the applicant including confirmation of the host institution's ability and intent to sponsor the applicant's US visa.
• Project proposal
  • The proposal should not exceed five pages and should include syllabi if teaching is a component of the visit.
• Three letters of recommendation
  • Recommenders must upload their letters of recommendation directly. Once the applicant has entered the recommenders' information in the application system, recommenders will receive an email with further instructions.
• Signed GDPR statement

Fulbright Austria expects applicants to take all possible measures to avoid plagiarism. For resources on plagiarism, please visit these external resources:
 

• The Austrian Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research’s Best Practice Guide for Research Integrity and Ethics
• The Austrian Agency for Research Integrity’s website

If you have questions about the grant, please contact the scholar program officer at Fulbright Austria.