Fulbright New Zealand General Graduate Awards are for promising New Zealand graduate students to undertake postgraduate study or research at US institutions in any field.
Approximately seven awards are granted annually, valued at up to US$55,000 (plus NZ$4,000 travel funding) for up to one year of study or research in the US. 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.
These awards are available for study or research in any field not covered by one of our other, field-specific Fulbright New Zealand graduate awards.
Fulbright New Zealand Graduate Awards can be used towards a Masters or PhD programme, or grantees can participate as a Visiting Student Researcher (VSR). A VSR allows grantees to spend between 6-12 months studying or researching a topic or proposed project in the US, usually as part of a degree programme within New Zealand. This can be an attractive option for those pursuing a graduate degree at a New Zealand institution, when research in the US would supplement or aid their programme. A VSR does not require full graduate school admission into a US institution, and instead requires a letter of invitation from a host institution.
Note: Recipients of this award may be eligible for the Robin W. and Avril Flockton Winks Award. Find out more below.
Flynn Struckmann
Flynn Struckmann from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland will complete a Master of Arts in Security Policy Studies at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Flynn graduated with an LLB (Hons First Class) and a BA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of Otago in 2026.
Emma Sidnam
Emma Sidnam from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, will complete a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing specialising in Fiction at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Emma graduated with an LLB and a BA in English Literature from Victoria University of Wellington in 2024.
Lee Richardson
Lee Richardson from Waihōpai Invercargill, New Zealand will complete a Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design at Yale University. Leegraduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Ilam School of Fine Arts, University of Canterbury.
Hansaka Ranaweera
Hansaka Ranaweera from Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington will complete a Master of Laws at Harvard Law School in Boston. Hansaka graduated with an LLB (Hons First Class) and a BA in Politics from the University of Otago in 2022.
Jovana Nedeljkov
Jovana Nedeljkov from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland will complete a Master of Laws specialising in Competition, Innovation and Information Law at New York University in New York City. Jovana graduated with an LLB (Hons) from The University of Auckland in 2018.
Kaan Hiini (Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa, Te Rarawa)
Kaan Hiini is a design director and strategist from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. He has a Bachelor of Design from Auckland University of Technology. Kaan will be completing a Master of Transdisciplinary Design specialising in indigenous design methodologies at the New School in New York City.