THE SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE (SIR)
PROGRAM
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NOTICE: At the bottom of this page, you will see a 2010 request for a Scholar-in-Residence (SIR) from the Universidad del Sagrado Corazon (University of the Sacred Heart), in Puerto Rico.
The Scholar in Residence (SIR) Program sends Jordanian scholars and professionals from Jordan to lecture in U.S. colleges and universities for one semester or one academic year.
Although preference is given to proposals in the humanities or social sciences, other fields focusing on international issues will be considered.
IMPORTANT LINK REF THE SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM: www.cies.org/sir
The Role of the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence:
The main purpose of the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence program is to bring scholars and professionals from abroad to U.S. campuses that do not usually have the opportunity to host Visiting Fulbright Scholars and that serve student populations that are underrepresented in international exchange programs. Institutions that are given priority for the SIR program include: community colleges, regional universities, and minority-serving institutions (Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges). While some of the institutions are very selective academically, many have open enrollments and their students may not have strong educational backgrounds. Many institutions that are selected for the SIR program are located in small towns or rural areas.
The SIR program provides an opportunity for Visiting Fulbright Scholars to see a part of America that will result in an enriching experience for them academically and personally, and where their presence will make a significant contribution.
Public outreach on and off campus is a very important component of the SIR Program. Fulbright Scholars-in-Residence are lecturers and cross-cultural consultants as well as a researchers. Most importantly, SIRs teach Americans about their country as well as provide a perspective on their particular academic field from the context of their country and culture. By performing public outreach, SIR scholars, in turn, gain an in-depth view of U.S. culture and society. Host institutions arrange public speaking opportunities for SIR scholars.
SIR outreach can take place both on campus as well as off campus:
■ On campus, in addition to classroom teaching and/or lecturing, host institutions faculty or staff will ask an SIR to provide consultation to help them develop new courses, programs of study, exchange activities and/or contacts to make connections with institutions in the SIR’s country.
■ Off campus, an SIR will be asked to give talks to groups of people in the surrounding communities, which may include people who have little or no knowledge about the SIR’s country or culture. SIRs may encounter occasions that are not always welcoming to what they represent. However, it is expected that through public speaking events, an SIR scholar can promote dialogue, learning and improved understanding about his or her country among Americans.
■ SIR Grant benefits are the same as for Fulbright visiting scholars, and include: a monthly stipend, a settling-in-allowance, professional allowance, dependent allowance (where applicable), and round-trip travel for grantee and dependent (where applicable). In addition, many host institutions offer cost-sharing benefits (a salary supplement and/or other accommodations).
■ Announcements for SIR grants are published on this website as they reach us from the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) or your may wish to visit CIES' website at www.cies.org.
■ Applicants for SIR programs will be requested to fill up the same Application Form as that of the: Jordanian Fulbright Visiting Scholars (Post-Doctoral) Program to the United States. Same Eligibility and General Application Guidelines applies, as follows:
Eligibility:
- Doctoral degree or equivalent professional training or experience at the time of application. For professionals and artists outside academe, 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 232 on the CBT-Computer Based Test, or 90-91 on the new iBT - Internet-Based Test. If requested, please contact the AMIDEAST office (Tel . No. 586-2950) 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.
- 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 :
- 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. Use Black 10-point or larger type on all parts of the application. 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. All transcripts must be in English.
- 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 (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 25 JD fee to the Fulbright office in Shmeisani (Tel.568- 4760).
- When using an electronic version of the application, do not change the format of the forms, the pagination, the fonts or the type size.
Note: Contact the Binational Fulbright Commission atinfo@fulbright.org.jo for a hard copy or an electronic version of the application once it is avaialable in 2010.
For more about the SIR program, please contact us at the Fulbright Commission in Jordan (in Shmeisani) via Email at info@fulbright.org.jo or :
The Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program
Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES)
3007 Tilden Street, NW, Suite 5-L
Washington, D.C. 20008-3009
Tel : (202) 686-8664 or 686-7877
Fax: (202) 363-3442
URL: www.cies.org
2010 REQUEST FOR A JORDANIAN SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE:
From the Universidad del Sagrado Corazon (the University of the Scared Heart) in Puerto Rico
Program Summary:
-- Region/Country of requested scholar: Jordan
-- Name of the Scholar: To be recruited
-- Program Dates: August 1, 2010 through 31 May 2011
-- Area of Study: Arabic Language, Middle East Studies
Universidad del Sagrado Corazon (USC) is a co-educational institution in San Juan, Puerto Rico which is home to over 4,500 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students, 99% of whom are Hispanic. The objectives of the university are:
(1) to be able to establish an academic program in International Studies and a Center for Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, beginning with scholars from China and Middle East.
(2) Recruit interdisciplinary faculty to strengthen program offerings and
(3) Develop introductory foreign language offerings in high demand.
With this proposal, USC is seeking the appointment of a Jordanian scholar within the area of Middle Eastern or International Studies from Jordan or Egypt. Preferably the Jordanian scholar should have a Ph.D. level and 10 years of relevant experience.
The purpose of the SIR’s visit will be to develop and teach two new elective courses. The main focus will be placed on the Arabic language class: “Basic Modern Arabic I and II “. These courses aim at providing students with the necessary understanding of the language form commonly used for daily communications and the reality of the region under discussion.
In addition to that, another course will be tailored to the scholar’s expertise to cover topics about: Middle East Culture, Religion and Politics and society. .. The anticipated number of students for these courses is in the mid 20s. Host institution expects an impact upon the students of the Business, Communications and Education as well, who might show interest in joining these classes.
The SIR, in coordination with the USC International Studies Academic Committee, will organize a lecture series on different topics related to Arabic culture, society, arts, history and religion.
The SIR will be encouraged to attend on-campus activities and special events, such as: Arab Cuisine Festival, Arab Film Festival; and will be invited as the honored speaker in a 30 minute Radio/TV talk show several times during his/her tenure at the USC reaching to all regions of Puerto Rico, close to 100,000 cable subscribers. A number of community outreach activities are planned for the visiting scholar to lecture and make presentations at events which will be organized in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Puerto Rico Manufactures Association. The SIR will have the opportunity to meet with members of the Association of Private Schools; be the guest speaker at meetings with the Academy of the Spanish Language where s/he will discuss the Arabic influence on the Spanish language.