2008 and 2009 JORDANIAN FULBRIGHT VISITING SCHOLAR (Post-Doctoral) AWARD OPPORTUNITIES

-- The 2008 Fulbright Scholar Interfaith Community Action Program.

-- The 2009-2010 Fulbright Visiting Scholar (Post-Doctoral) Awards to the U.S.

THE 2008 FULBRIGHT INTERFAITH DIALOGUE AND COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM

Introduction:  U.S. institutions are being sought to host scholars/religious leaders for a 10-12 week program focused on interfaith cooperation and community action. Participants will come from Africa, Europe, the Middle East (Jordan), South and Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Overview: The Fulbright Interfaith Dialogue and Community Action Program will provide a group of 10 scholars/religious leaders from diverse religious communities in countries with significant Muslim populations with the opportunity for discussion, debate and collaborative learning centered on interfaith dialogue and community action. Drawing on the knowledge and experience gained through this program, participants will promote tolerance and build communities of people of different faiths working together to seek solutions to social and cultural problems, and to cultivate harmonious societies.

Program Activities:

-- Intensive summer seminar on “Interfaith Dialogue and Community Action” at the Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion, and Public Life, University of California—Santa Barbara

-- 10-12 week scholar-in-residence experience at a U.S. host institution.

Role of the U.S. Host Institution:

U.S. institutions will be invited to host one participant for a 10-12 week period beginning 22 September 2008—following the Santa Barbara summer seminar. Prospective U.S. host institutions will be located in a major American city with a tradition of positive interfaith action and will have close ties to the surrounding local community. Institutions should offer a scholar-in-residence experience that includes professional, personal and community opportunities for participants to enhance their knowledge of and experience with religious diversity and interfaith cooperation from an American perspective. Participants will take part in the life of the host university as well as interact with religious scholars and local community leaders to share experiences of interfaith action within their respective communities. This program will end on 17 December 2008.

Programming should emphasize the unique experiences that the scholar will gain from working with university faculty, students and community leaders on issues involving interfaith dialogue and action. To achieve program goals, the host institution should be prepared to develop an appropriate program within the university as well as identify local interfaith community sponsors that are willing and able to arrange meaningful programs for the visiting scholar. Successful programs will not only respond to, but take advantage of the scholar’s specific interests to ensure a mutually beneficial experience.

Deadline:  The final nominations and applications from Jordan shuld be completed and submitted to the Binational Fulbright Commission in Jordan on 1 June 2008.

The Jordanian Participant Profile:  The Binational Fulbright Commission in Jordan will identify two (2) suitable participants for the program. Jordanian Scholars selected to participate in the program will meet the following criteria:

-- affiliation with an academic institution and/or engaged with an organization committed to encouraging interfaith cooperation (can include NGOs, the media and government agencies)

-- demonstration of a level of education in the field of religious studies or a related discipline of the social sciences or humanities commensurate with participation in scholarly discussion and thinking at the university level

-- engagement in a project or activity which will benefit from interaction with faculty and programs at the U.S. host institution as well as with interfaith community groups

-- evidence of high level of commitment to fostering religious pluralism and the goals of interfaith cooperation

-- fluency in English

Award Benefits: Participants will receive a monthly stipend of $2,500.  Housing will be furnished separately by the participating institutions.  In addition, participants will receive a one-time payment for pre-departure allowance ($500), a professional allowance ($1,000), a settling-in allowance ($500), an excess baggage allowance ($100), and an in-transit allowance ($100).  Participants will also be provided international and U.S. domestic airfare, and will be covered by ECA's Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges. During the initial two week university seminar, meals will be included.  Please note that the grant does not allow for accompanying family members. The program covers all expenses including airfare and provides a complete benefit package to the scholars during the host institution experience. Additionally, a $1,500 allowance will be provided to the U.S. institutions for assistance with hosting the participant and programming the scholar-in-residence activities within the university and community.

For further information and details, please contact:

THE 2009-2010 FULBRIGHT VISITING SCHOLAR (Post-Doctoral) AWARDS TO THE UNITED STATES:

ANNOUNCEMENT:  The 2009-10 Competition Round is now open as of February 2008 with a deadline date of 29 May 2008. 

The 2009-10 Scholar Award details and criteria are described below:

These grants are awarded to Jordanian scholars to lecture or conduct post-doctoral research (or a combination of both) at U.S. academic institutions for a grant period between 4-9 months.

This program is designed for Jordanian scholars interested in pursuing a specific collaborative research project in the United States, for a period of stay ranging from a minimum of four (4) months to nine (9) months maximum.

Only those currently holding a Ph.D. or an equivalent professional degree are eligible to compete for this award.

These competitions are announced in February of each year for the following academic year(s).

Hereunder are Eligibility and Application Guidelines for this Scholarship Competition.

Eligibility:

• Doctoral degree or equivalent professional training or experience at the time of application. For professionals and artists outside academy, recognized professional standing and substantial professional accomplishment is expected.
  
• Proficiency in English appropriate to the proposed lecturing or research project to be carried out in the United States. Applicants may be required to take an English proficiency examination at the Fulbright Commission.
  
• The applicant must be currently engaged in teaching or significant research at a Jordanian university or research institution.
   
  Note:  In some cases, a TOEFL Score Report may be requested. The minimum requirement on the TOEFL Score is 575 or better, or 232 on the CBT-Computer Based Test or, 90 on the new Internet Based Test (iBT). If requested, please contact the AMIDEAST office (Tel. No. 581-0930, Extn. Nos. 111 or 123) immediately to register for the next TOEFL exam, or contact AMIDEAST to sit for the Institutional TOEFL Program (ITP) and submit this score with your application.
    
• The applicant must secure an approved leave of absence from his/her institution.
  
• Generally this requirement is worked-out in favor of those on sabbatical leaves. However, grants are not limited to those on sabbatical.
    
  Note: Grantees are not allowed to take a paying job during the term of their award. The U.S. host institution provides access to its research facilities, equipment, office space, secretarial help, and other assistance. No financial support is expected of the host U.S. institution.
    
• Applicants must hold the Jordanian Citizenship (Nationality), a valid Jordanian Passport and must have a permanent residence status in Jordan at the time of application.
  
• Persons applying for or holding permanent residence in the United States are not eligible. Persons who are citizens of both Jordan and the United States are also not eligible.
    
  Note: Fulbright Scholars enter the United States on an Exchange Visitor (J-1) visa under a Department of State program and are subject to the two-year home-country residence requirement associated with the J-1 visa.
   
• Sound physical and mental health: Those selected for a Fulbright grant are required to submit a Medical History and Examination Report before their grants can be finalized.
  
• The applicant must not be approaching retirement age, at least 10 - 15 years must be remaining till retirement.
  
• Applicants should be representative and responsible citizens who can contribute to a full and fair picture of the culture of their own countries and thereby contribute to understanding between the people of the United States and Jordan.
  
• They should also demonstrate the cross-cultural sensitivity and flexibility needed to adjust successfully to life in the United States.
  
• Preference may be given to those without recent experience in the United States.
  
• Applicants will be considered without regard to race, religion, gender and/or physical impairment.

General Application Guidelines:

At the time of application, you must submit the following:

      -         Application Form
      -         Detailed Statement of Proposed Activity
      -         Detailed Curriculum Vitae
      -         Three References
      -         A List of Publications and Articles
      -         A Letter of Invitation from a U.S. academic institution, if you have one (This is not a requirement)

If you expect to qualify for Fulbright grant consideration, you should take note of and adhere to the following guidelines, (you may also wish to download: Strategies for a Successful Application):

• Fill in the information requested in the FUBRIGHT Application form as completely and in as much accurate detail as possible.
   
  Note: The entire application must be typed or computer-generated. Handwritten applications will not be accepted.
   
• Responses to questions on the four-page application must fit on the pages on which the questions originally appear.
  
• You may wish to attach additional pages to answer these questions.
  
• Treat the application as a unitary whole, with all parts reinforcing the project statement. The flow should be orderly: the candidates' capabilities are listed in the application, further documented in the curriculum vitae and confirmed in the references.
  
• Use the project statement to make the parts interact by referring to items in the curriculum vitae or research bibliography, without being redundant or simplistic, you should make it easier for the reviewer to find the key pieces of information you wish to convey.
  
• A detailed statement of proposed activity for research or lecturing at a US institution. The proposed project should contribute to the development of knowledge in your field and must be effectively investigated within a period of four (4) to nine (9) months in the United States.
  
• Applicants must indicate and list in the Application or C.V. the number of publications, titles and/or co-authorship in academic and professional journals related to your field of specialization or discipline.
  
• Attach official, translated and certified undergraduate, graduate or Ph.D. transcripts, as applicable.
  
• Include a well thought-out biographical essay, in English with the application. Include three (3) letters of recommendation (in English) from persons familiar with your academic achievements.
   
  Note: All items must be in English.
   
• Letter of invitation, if you have one (although this is not a requirement).
  
• Proofread the entire application before submitting it to the Fulbright Commission.
  
• The application should be free of grammatical and spelling errors.
  
• Attach four (4) recent photographs.
  
• Attach a valid, official TOEFL, when needed. (Please refer to the minimum requirements above).
  
• Your Application Form and all requested supporting documents mentioned above should be submitted with a 20 JD fee to the Fulbright office in Shmeisani (Tel.568- 4760) NO LATER THAN 29 May 2008.
  
• Applications received after this date or incomplete applications will NOT be considered.
  
• When using an electronic version of the application, do not change the format of the forms, the pagination, the fonts or the type size.
  
  (Please click here to download the 2009 - 2010 Jordanian Post-Doc Scholar Application Document)
  
  Note: Contact the Fulbright Commission (Fulbright@nets.com.jo) for a hard copy or an electronic version of the application, if you fail to download.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

The Binational Fulbright Commission
P.O. Box 850215
(19, Mahdi Bin Barakah Street - Shmeisani)
Amman 11185, Jordan
Tel.:  (962-6) 568-4760 or 560-4630
Fax:  (962-6) 568-4820
Email:  fulbright@nets.com.jo