jarp729

Thanks for all of this information! I'll definitely be sure to keep the Fly America Act in mind when I'm going about purchasing tickets! I hope they do make an exception, as once I'm in Lima I have to fly a Peruvian owned airline to get to my destination. This is definitely fun to plan, but really stressful - I'm on a contract until June 27 and I leave for Peru on July 7 so I've got a quick turn around!

That would explain it. I went through all the emails I received from IIE and my host country's commission and the only thing stated was "provides round trip transportation" with no details of amount or how to go about getting in contact with the Fulbright travel agent, etc. I'll write to my contact at IIE. Thanks!

Does anyone have any insight concerning how we go about purchasing flights? I know that the program reimburses you, but is there a price limit? When do we expect to get the money back? Thanks!

Mine is supposed to start in August, but I requested an early start date the first week of July. I don't think this really had anything to do with it though, as I didn't request the change until after I heard back from their commission.

There is one document, the terms and conditions, that you can download from the admitted portal. It's about 10 pages and requires you to initial each page, and sign at the bottom. This can be uploaded to the portal ASAP. Hold on to the pdf. Peru did not contact for almost a week after I was notified. The response time for the email from the commissions is country specific - once you get this email, they should send two or three documents. 1) the terms and conditions (which you've already completed and submitted to IIE hopefully) which you can already return assuming you've saved the copy you uploaded to the people in NYC. 2) The Grant Award document. This was one page for me, and details my grant start date, length, monthly stipend amount, and requires a signature. This will be emailed back to your contact in the commission, and will need to be uploaded in the IIE portal for approval as well. 3) I received a questionnaire asking for details on my passport, photos, expected departure and arrival dates, dependent information, and details on my affiliation for the consulate to get me a research for the duration of my stay. I don't know if all countries include this, but it's a possibility. Hope this helps clarify somewhat. Be patient!

Hi AnnMarie! I'm a Research Finalist for Peru. I study bioarchaeology (i.e. human skeletal analysis, think the TV show bones). In a nutshell, my proposed project is to do skeletal analysis in the Moche Valley on individuals excavated from Moche and Chimu culture archaeological sites. There's a lot more to this, but the idea is baseline my work requires nothing but me and a bunch of dead people... so cultural engagement was going to be a tricky one. The community outreach aspect of my project still incorporates my skill set and research directly. Peru has recently (past generation or so) increased their commitment to cultural heritage and conservation efforts. With this, many Peruvian students are interested in pursuing archaeology in order to help with conservation and preservation of sites. My proposed cultural engagement was two fold - first, the project I am working on tied to a non-profit. This non-profit partners with "villages" (so impoverished that the government sometimes doesn't recognize them) near to the sites they want to excavate. In exchange for "projecting" the Moche sites (i.e. not looting from them), this NGO funds a community-identified service project. In the past, they've built a school, and water filtration system. I noted specifically in my application that my schedule is flexible enough that I am able to participate in any construction efforts by this NGO. Second, there is a field school that excavates at these sites during the summer months. For the first time, this field school will include Peruvian students. Their Archaeological education does not include bioarchaeology. My job during this field school is to train people in bioarchaeology, and effectively contribute to a new generation of individuals that can do this research on their own instead of relying on international researchers. More generally, I stressed the importance of archaeology/anthropology. Specifically its ability to allow a group of individuals to learn more about where they come from, reclaim identity, and form a sense of communal pride. I hope this helps!

Thanks so much! Best of luck for everyone else that's still waiting - I've got my fingers crossed for you all! I'm currently trying to figure out what exactly my research is going to look like now - El Nino has left the city I am moving to in about 6 inches of water... lots of people are devastated by the destruction Just to confirm, I did get the two emails like everyone else. However, "Congratulations" subject line came a good 3 minutes before the (P) subject line, so be aware!

I got Peru research!!!! ??

I'm waiting to hear from Peru, and they seem to be doing notifications roughly by region... Fingers crossed they start doing the rest of Latin America soon!

Looks like Panama ETA just announced, according to the spreadsheet.

Just received this email from the Western Hemmisphere coordinator: Dear (removed) Decisions for Peru are still pending and are expected to be available within the next month. Best, Susan Original: Hello Ms. Muendl, I can imagine now is a busy time with Fulbright notifications underway, but I just wanted to ask whether or not you had an idea of when Peru notifications will be sent out? I know I'm one of many students in this position, but I have a deadline to notify my graduate program whether or not I will be deferring. For peace of mind, I just wanted to check whether or not I'll be able to notify them by their requested deadline. Thank you for your time, and I hope you stay safe with the weather NYC has been experiencing these past few days!

My friend did a Fulbright to Poland. When he went, the stipend was incredibly generous compared to the cost of living. He repeatedly mentioned they lived like kings in comparison to other university aged students in Krakov.

I caved. I called the Regional Manager for the Western Hemisphere to ask about Peru research and got voicemail.

Fortunately, I'm in the same position with this as well. I was clear with my prospective department I had submitted an application for the Fulbright before I ever submitted my application for grad school. They were very happy to work with me around the Fulbright. It definitely doesn't hurt to be in conversation with your department!

Just to put in my two cents on this, it really depends on your ultimate career goals, and the field that you are pursuing. Masters are generally the cash cow of any educational institution. The fact that yours is fully funded is a really big deal, and should definitely be considered a strong positive for that decision. If you anticipate pursuing a PhD in your field, then you can perhaps give the masters a little less weight. With the Fulbright under your belt, you would likely be able to gain entry in to a fully funded PhD program. It's likely that program would grant you a masters in passing if you so desire, but ultimately the masters does not have as much importance to your end goal (i.e., the PhD). If you only need a masters, then the final call really needs to be up to you - the Fulbright would provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to live in a foreign country, fully funded, with minimal stress. You truly get to immerse yourself in a new culture, and have experiences that others literally dream of. The Fulbright would potentially open many doors for better grad schools. The other thing to consider, though, is the better masters program will most likely not fund you. This tradeoff is something to ultimately consider, but on the other hand masters programs aren't going anywhere in the next two years. Your Fulbright offer is more likely to be a one time deal. This is definitely a big decision, I would definitely encourage you to keep asking around (like you have on here! ) to see what people think. Ask your professors or mentors that you respect a lot, and see what new perspectives they may lend. Ultimately, the decision will come down to you. It's your life, your experience, your decision. There will probably be one that just feels better to you, gives you less stress, less questions about "what if?" and your gut will likely tell you the way to go.