Skip to Georgetown India Initiative Full Site Menu Skip to main content
Student walking across rope bridge

Fulbright in India

Students interested in completing a Fulbright experience in India may apply for a Fulbright-Nehru Open Study/Research Award or a Fulbright Nehru English Teaching Assistant Award.

About Fulbright

With the aid of Senator J. William Fulbright, the United States Congress created the Fulbright program in 1946 following the end of WWII. The program is meant to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries through the exchange of knowledge and skills, and to provide American students with the opportunity for professional development and international experience.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest American exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, and teaching. The program currently awards approximately 2,000 grants annually in all fields of study and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide. 

Fulbright-Nehru Awards

Students interested in completing a Fulbright experience in India may apply for a Fulbright-Nehru Open Study/Research Award or a Fulbright Nehru English Teaching Assistant Award. Open Study/Research Awards are open to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students. English Teaching Awards are open to bachelor’s and master’s students. 

The Fulbright-Nehru Open Study/Research Award provides its recipients the opportunity to conduct individually designed research projects in India for nine months. Applicants must have a well-defined research project and must have demonstrated ability to work independently and have a solid foundation in their subject areas. In conjunction with an Open Study/Research Award, students may apply for the Critical Language Enhancement Award (CLEA) to receive three to give months of language study in Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, or Urdu in addition to the 9 months for their study or research grant.​

The Fulbright-Nehru English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Award provides its recipients with a culturally immersive opportunity to teach English in non elite institutions in India. Schools may vary greatly in terms of class size, daily schedules, and holidays. ETAs engage in a mix of co-instruction and independent teaching, depending on the requirements of the school. ETAs will be required to commit to 15 to 20 hours of classroom teaching per week plus additional class preparation time. Candidates with degrees in English, education, or applied linguistics are preferred, but candidates from all majors are welcome to apply.

Application Process

Fulbright applications are due on-campus over a year before the actual grant commences; interested students should plan accordingly. Students looking to go abroad in the academic year following graduation should begin their application in the spring of their junior year. Interested candidates should visit the Center for Research and Fellowships website for more information about the university application process, information sessions, and deadlines.