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February 2022

Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowships

Competition Now Open! Deadline to Apply: April 6

The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship Program provides opportunities for doctoral candidates to engage in full-time dissertation research abroad in modern foreign languages and area studies. The program is designed to deepen research knowledge and increase the study of modern foreign languages, cultural engagement, and area studies not generally included in U.S. curricula. 

Program Features

Students may request funding to support overseas research for a period of no less than six months and no more than 12 months. Funds support travel expenses to and from the residence of the fellow and the country or countries of research; maintenance and dependent allowances based on the location of research for the fellow and his or her dependent(s); an allowance for research-related expenses overseas; and health and accident insurance premiums. Projects may focus on one or more of the following geographic areas: Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, South Asia, the Near East, Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and the Western Hemisphere (excluding the United States and its territories).

Eligible Applicants

Institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States are eligible to apply for grants under this program. As part of the application process, eligible students submit their individual research narratives and application forms to their home IHE. The IHE compiles all eligible individual student applications for inclusion in the institutional application that is submitted to the U.S. Department of Education. A student is eligible to receive a DDRA fellowship from their IHE if they

• are a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States;
• are a graduate student in good standing at an IHE;
• are admitted to candidacy in a doctoral degree program in modern foreign languages and area studies at that institution when the fellowship period begins;
• are planning a teaching career in the United States upon completion of their doctoral program; or
• possess sufficient foreign language skills to carry out the dissertation research project.

How to Apply

The U.S. Department of Education’s International and Foreign Language Education office (IFLE) expects to make 90 new awards totaling approximately $4.1 million under the fiscal year (FY) 2022 DDRA program competition. The FY 2022 application is available online through the U.S. Department of Education’s G5 system between Feb. 2 and April 6.

Please refer to the official Federal Register notice for detailed information about the FY 2022 competition. 

Application Technical Assistance Webinar and Web Chat

IFLE will post a prerecorded technical assistance webinar on its YouTube channel on Feb. 16 to help students and institutions learn more about the 2022 DDRA program and how to apply. Please subscribe to IFLE’s YouTube channel and check periodically for updates.

In addition to the webinar presentation, IFLE will host a live web chat to answer specific applicant questions. The chat will take place via Microsoft Teams at 2 p.m. ET on March 2. A link to join the web chat on the designated date and time will be posted soon under the “Tips and Assistance” section of the DDRA program “Applicant Information” webpage. Please check there for updates.

Learn More about the DDRA Experience

Hear from Dr. Diana Chioma Famakinwa, a 2019-20 DDRA Fellow, as she speaks with the Go Global ED Podcast about her research abroad and fellowship experience in Nigeria.

Listen to Dr. Matthew Kirwin, a 2008 DDRA Fellow to Burkina Faso, as he shares reflections on his experience in a short video with photos from his time abroad.

If you have questions about the program or application process, please send them by email to DDRA@ed.gov.

* DDRA fellows featured in the image above, from left to right: 

• Colin Cahill, University of California (FY 2013, Indonesia)
• Alison Heller, Washington University in Saint Louis (FY 2013, Niger)
• Scott Hussey, University of Florida (FY 2012, Morocco)
• Caleb Carter, University of California Los Angeles (FY 2012, Japan)
• Morgan Hoke, Northwestern University (FY 2014, Peru)

Where in the world do DDRA fellows conduct research?

Explore our Google map of FY 2021 IFLE grantees to learn about the doctoral students who are currently funded under the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship Program.

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We seek motivated students who are eager to learn and work as part of our team as an unpaid full- or part-time intern during the summer, fall, and/or spring. Visit our website for more information.

Send us your feedback and comments

We want to hear from you! Do you have suggestions for webinar topics? Ideas for things to include in future newsletters? Send them to Carolyn Collins at carolyn.collins@ed.gov.

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