Fulbright Specialist Awards

The host institution receives no monetary benefit in hosting a Fulbright Specialist. The Specialist will receive their international flights and a daily honorarium, and the host institution will need to provide (either through monetary or in-kind contributions):

• Accommodation;
• Meals; and
• In-country transportation (i.e. travel to and from lodging and project activity site).

For Specialists

All Fulbright Specialists receive:

• Roundtrip, economy-class airfare to New Zealand;
• Enrolment in a limited health benefits programme; and
• A daily honorarium (payable upon completion of the grant and submission of a final report and travel expense report).

In addition, the host institution should provide (either through monetary or in-kind contributions):

• Accommodation;
• Meals; and
• In-country transportation (i.e. travel to and from lodging and project activity site).

• The award must be approved by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in Washington, DC
• The period of the award is two to six weeks (14 – 42 days)

For Institutions

• Host institutions should be prepared to provide the Specialist with lodging, meals, and in-country transportation, either through monetary or in-kind contributions, throughout their full stay in country.
• The planned arrival of your Specialist must be at least 12 weeks after the application closing date (1 April or 1 August annually), and their exchange must be commenced within 12 months of application;
  • For application closing date 1 April 2025 Specialists can arrive in New Zealand from 1 July 2025 to 31 March 2026.
  • For application closing date 1 August 2025 Specialists can arrive anytime from 1 November 2025 to 31 July 2026.

For Specialists

• Fulbright Specialists will engage in one or more of the following activities:

– Conduct needs assessments and surveys;

– Take part in specialised academic programs and conferences;

– Consult with administrators and instructors on faculty development;

– Present lectures at graduate and undergraduate levels;

– Participate in or lead seminars or workshops;

– Develop and/or assess academic curricula or educational materials; and

– Conduct faculty-training programs.

• The planned arrival of your Specialist must be at least 12 weeks after the application closing date (1 April or 1 August annually), and their exchange must be commenced within 12 months of application;
  • For application closing date 1 April 2025 Specialists can arrive in New Zealand from 1 July 2025 to 31 March 2026.
  • For application closing date 1 August 2025 Specialists can arrive anytime from 1 November 2025 to 31 July 2026.

• The Specialist:

– must travel on a US passport, and New Zealand immigration documentation must be completed from within the US;

– may be required to fulfil some Fulbright New Zealand media requirements during their exchange; and

– must provide Fulbright New Zealand with copies of any articles, research papers or theses resulting from your award.

• International travel will only be funded between the US and New Zealand, and must be on either an American or New Zealand carrier.

• • Prospective host institutions must submit a project proposal via World Learning’s online portal;
  • Instructions for New Zealand host institution applications Host Institution Application Instructions;
  • Applications from host institutions must provide detail about how the cost-share arrangements will be met. That is, the host institution must cover the cost of the Specialist’s accommodation, food and in-country transport. Specialists are not to self-fund any part of their stay in New Zealand.  Note that there is no monetary benefit to the host institution for this award; the Specialist receives international flights, insurance and an honorarium enabling them to work in New Zealand on the proposed project.
  • After a project proposal is received, it will be reviewed by Fulbright New Zealand.  Only project proposals that are completed in their entirety will be reviewed.  Please note that Fulbright New Zealand typically receives more project proposals from prospective host institutions than it is able to support with limited funding. Therefore, not all proposals submitted will be approved;  The Fulbright New Zealand review and approval process takes up to four weeks.
  • If your project proposal is approved by Fulbright New Zealand it must then be approved by multiple offices within the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This takes a further four-eight weeks: Therefore the Specialist’s planned arrival should not be earlier than twelve weeks (three months) after the deadline date.
    • For application closing date 1 April 2025 Specialists can arrive in New Zealand from 1 July 2025 to 31 March 2026.
    • For application closing date 1 August 2025 Specialists can arrive anytime from 1 November 2025 to 31 July 2026.

* 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.

For further information, contact the Programme Manager at [email protected]