Fulbright Science and Innovation Graduate Awards

You are eligible to apply for this award if you:

• are a New Zealand citizen;
• and are not a permanent resident or citizen of the US;
• and are not currently living in the US.

• A one-off payment of up to US$50,000 towards the first year of study or research. The award will be reduced if the recipient takes up a study or research programme of less than nine months duration.
• Students undertaking multi-year Masters or PhD degrees have the opportunity to apply for additional funding of up to US$40,000 towards their second year of study. Funding for second year study is not guaranteed.
• NZ$4,000 reimbursed towards a return airfare to the US;
• Access to the Institute of International Education (IIE)’s University Placement Services to assist you with identifying the most suitable US university and academic programme, your application and applying for financial support; and IIE’s ongoing support whilst you are in the US;
• Participation in a pre-departure programme run by Fulbright New Zealand before your departure to the US (worth NZ$500), and enrichment seminars run by IIE throughout your stay in the US;
• A basic health benefit plan covering a maximum of US$100,000 per sickness or injury.

The value of the Fulbright award is unlikely to fully fund your entire course of study. For this reason, you should investigate additional funding from any US institutions you plan on applying to and other scholarships and private sources while you await the outcome of your Fulbright application. Fulbright students can often source additional funding through the US institution they attend. We have also compiled a spreadsheet of complementary scholarships available in New Zealand which may be held concurrently to a Fulbright award, and encourage you to investigate these sources of additional funding.

• Your award must be approved by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in Washington, DC
• Your award is conditional on acceptance into an approved institution and course of study or research
• For VSR programmes the period of award must be between 6 and 12 months
• For Masters and PhD programmes, the period of the award will be between 1 and 2 years
• If you are a degree-seeker, your award must be taken up in the American academic year commencing Fall/August, (or July if required by your programme), following official confirmation of the award
• If you are a VSR, your award must be taken up in the American academic year commencing Fall/August, following official confirmation of the award
• You will be required to undertake a full medical examination before applying for your visa
• You must travel on a New Zealand passport, and US immigration documentation must be completed from within New Zealand Grantees must use the DS-2019 form provided by Fulbright New Zealand to obtain an Exchange Visitor (J) non-immigrant visa to enter the United States. You will be required to attend a visa interview at the US Consulate in Auckland in order to obtain your visa
• International travel will only be funded between New Zealand and the US, and must be on either an American or New Zealand carrier
• You may apply for an additional period of practical experience/academic training in the US for up to 18 months upon completion of your degree (conditions apply)
• You may be required to fulfil some Fulbright New Zealand/MBIE media requirements before your departure for the US, during your exchange and/or on return to New Zealand
• You must provide Fulbright New Zealand with copies of any articles, research papers or theses resulting from your award. A final report must also be completed before you depart from the US
• Fulbright grantees must travel to the US on an Exchange Visitor (J) non-immigrant visa. A requirement of this visa is that you must return to your home country for a cumulative total of two years at the end of your exchange visitor programme before becoming eligible to apply to live in the US. This home-country foreign residency requirement is in keeping with the philosophy of the Fulbright exchange programme, that you return to New Zealand to share your experiences. Note that you will not be prohibited from travelling to the US for short-term visits on the visa waiver program or a non-immigrant visa
• Prospective Fulbright participants should be aware that public health conditions, availability of consular services and travel, as well as U.S. institutional operating status and policies may affect their ability to travel to the U.S. and participate in academic programmes.

It was Senator J William Fulbright’s mission to build peace through the mutual understanding of cultures. Fulbright applicants and grantees are expected to understand and support this mission and be effective ambassadors for New Zealand. In addition to the monetary, educational and cultural exchange benefits made possible by the award, Fulbright grantees carry the prestige of the Fulbright programme along with them throughout their careers. Alumni are expected to succeed and be ‘thought leaders’ in their respective fields/careers, and to support and remain engaged with the Fulbright programme for the rest of their lives. To support their understanding of the Fulbright mission, New Zealand grantees are required to attend a pre-departure orientation programme held each June in Wellington.

• You must complete and submit an online application by the application deadline*;
• You must also submit all required support documents to us by the application deadline;
• Interviews will be held in Wellington. Fulbright New Zealand will pay the costs of travel to Wellington only for applicants residing in New Zealand. Applicants outside New Zealand who are unable to attend an interview in person may be disadvantaged;
• We will advise you of the outcome of your application in early October.

* Note that if the application deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday, the deadline is extended to 5:00pm on the next business day.

You should begin researching US institutions as soon as possible while awaiting the outcome of your application, bearing in mind that the closing date for applications to many institutions will fall in December. You should also plan to sit GMAT or GRE tests as required by the institutions you intend applying to. Ideally you should sit the tests in time to include results with your applications (note that for paper-based GRE tests this means sitting the tests by October at latest).

For further information, contact our Programme Manager for this award, Morgan Bach – [email protected] / (04) 494 1500

Fulbright New Zealand has Campus Advisers stationed on all major New Zealand campuses. Our Advisers are all Fulbright alumni who are available to discuss their exchange experiences with students and staff, as well as to give basic information about our awards.

Applications for the 2025 intake (for programmes commencing Fall/August 2025) are now closed.