Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Awards

 Applications Currently Open

General Information about the Fulbright Program and the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Awards Program

The Fulbright Program: The Fulbright program is a prestigious international exchange program that is administered worldwide.  The Fulbright program promotes mutual understanding between the United States and Sri Lanka through educational and cultural exchange programs. For 70 years, the Fulbright program has witnessed an exchange of students/scholars and professionals between the two countries and provided opportunities for personal, academic and professional growth, built capacity in both countries.  The Fulbright program aims at fostering bi-lateral relationships and bringing the people of the United States and people of Sri Lankan closer together.

Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Awards: The United States-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission (US-SLFC) invites applications from current, full time Sri Lankan secondary-level school teachers of English, English as a Foreign Language, Math, Science, and Social Studies, including special education in those subjects, at institutions serving primarily a local population, for theFulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (Fulbright TEA) Program awards. The Fulbright TEA Program is a six-week, non-degree, non-credit academic program at a U.S. University, to take academic seminars for professional development and to observe and share their expertise with teachers and students at the host university and at local secondary schools. 

The Fulbright TEA Program brings approximately 160 outstanding international secondary-level school teachers from across the globe and provides general academic seminars focusing on new teaching methodologies, student-centred learning, content-based instruction, lesson planning, and instructional technology training for teachers.  Intensive English language instruction will be offered to teachers who need additional practice. The program will also include a practicum of at least 40 hours with a U.S. partner teacher in a secondary school near the host university to actively engage participants in the U.S. classroom environment. Cultural enrichment, mentoring, and support will be provided to participants throughout the program.

The program equips teachers with a deeper understanding of best practices; creates among educators a more nuanced understanding of the U.S.; and develops productive and lasting relationships and mutual understanding between U.S. and international teachers and their students.  The program improves teaching in schools and in communities by preparing participants to serve as stronger teacher leaders, who upon returning to Sri Lanka, will apply and share their experiences and skills with peers and students.  Through the exchange with international teachers, U.S. students will become more aware of countries around the world.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Be Sri Lankan citizens and have continuously resided in Sri Lanka for a minimum of 2 years immediately prior to the award application deadline
  • Have earned a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education qualification
  • Have a minimum of 5 years post-qualifying teaching experience by the start of the Fulbright TEA program, in the TEA teaching disciplines: English, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Social Studies (Civics, Geography, Global Studies, etc.), Mathematics, Science, or Special Education in the disciplines listed above
  • Be full-time school secondary school teachers (6th to 12th grades) in schools that serve a primarily local (not expatriate) population.  Preference will be given to applicants who:
  • Are members of or who work with students from under-served communities or traditionally underrepresented groups including but not limited to, people with disabilities, women, racial, ethnic, religious, and other minorities; and
  • Have had few or no opportunities to travel to the U.S.
  • Demonstrate a commitment and plan to continue working in secondary education for at least 5 years after the conclusion of the program
  • Expected to share the knowledge and experience gained on the program with teachers and students in your home school and within your community
  • Be educators who demonstrate strong leadership potential
  • Demonstrate the ability to function well in an intensive and collaborative learning environment with teachers from around the world
  • Be able to live and work closely with people from a variety of backgrounds and interact in a culturally sensitive way with students (minors) and colleagues in U.S. secondary schools. 
  • Be proficient in English.  If selected, need to obtain minimum score of 61 on TOEFL iBT or equivalent English language examination such as IELTS (TOEFL/IELTS scores are not required at the time of application)
  • Have not had substantial recent experience in the U.S., including study, teaching, research, or employment for a period totaling more than 9-months during the past five years
  • Have not previously received a Fulbright teacher grant.  Alumni of some U.S. government exchange programs are not eligible to apply. If applicants have participated in other U.S. government-funded professional development exchange programs, please contact US-SLFC to inquire about eligibility
  • Must not be applying for or holding permanent resident visas (green cards) in the United States; must not be dual U.S./Sri Lanka citizens; and must not hold work or resident visas in another country.
  • Fulbright TEA is a program for practicing teachers.  Ministry of Education officials, full-time principals or educational administrators, full-time teacher trainers, university faculty, private English Language tutors, etc., are not eligible.
  • Staff or families of staff at a U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission are not eligible to apply.

Duration of Award: 6 weeks. Either Spring (January-March) or Fall (September-November) of award year

Applications: Currently Open

Application Deadline: March 15, 2023 (including all support documents)

Mandatory Interviews (shortlisted candidates only):  April/May 2023

Grant Benefits:

  • Pre-departure orientation program; round-trip economy class air travel from Sri Lanka to the host institution in the U.S.
  • Academic program fees; housing (generally shared with other program fellows) and meals; health insurance (accident and medical/sickness coverage, excluding pre-existing conditions)
  • Transportation to the practicum school (if necessary)
  • Allowance for incidentals during the university academic program
  • A baggage allowance
  • An end-of-program workshop in Washington, D.C.; professional development; and cultural activities.

Application Instructions:

It is strongly encouraged that an online application is submitted to apply for this award utilizing the online application, using the instructions and link below.  A paper application may be submitted using the fillable PDF application below, if you do not have internet access.  The online application or the paper application must be completed fully with all the required support documents submitted via email/mail or uploaded to the online application by the deadline.  Kindly do not submit duplicate applications using both methods.

Online Application:

  • Please read the Online Application Guide for Applicants carefully, prior to starting the online application. All instructions on completing the online application are described in the instructions.
  • Link to the online application form and detailed instructions: 
https://fulbright.irex.org/[a2]
  • You need to have an email address to create a log-in to complete the application.

Paper Application: This method of application should be used only if you are unable to submit the application using the online application

IMPORTANT:

  • Each applicant may not apply to more than one award category during a competition cycle.
  • All successful candidates will be required to reside in Sri Lanka for a minimum of 2 years following the completion of the grant. 
  • Dependents may not join participants on this program.
  • Material misinterpretation (e.g., plagiarism) at any time during the application or grant period is grounds for selection withdrawal or grant termination, as well as ineligibility for application to any US-SLFC grants in the future.
  • Applications (including support documents) received after the deadline will NOT be considered.

Due to the large volume of applications, we receive, we are unable to acknowledge receipt of applications, and only candidates shortlisted for interviews will be notified.