igotmeanewname

the press release says they are offering 80. http://www.iie.org/en/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2011/2011-06-28-Launch-Of-IIE-Graduate-Fellowships-For-International-Study.aspx

i'm rooting for your info to be right, LisaRog. i like that much better.

how i understand it (and i might be wrong, so it would be great if someone else could confirm), the fb hays budget is decided on a yearly basis. fellowship decisions are made based on an assumption that the budget will be the same as the year prior. now that i've written this, it seems a very unpractical way of operating a fellowship selection process. maybe we've been misinformed ...

laska, i think that this one is more relevant to our questions: http://chronicle.com/article/Language-and/127122/ And the relevant text says: "International-education advocates are raising objections to reductions in programs authorized under two federal laws, Title VI of the Higher Education Act and the Fulbright-Hays Act. The budget deal, which would finance federal agencies until the end of September, would slash funds for these Department of Education programs by 40 percent, or $50-million, reducing their allocation to $76-million." But it goes on to say that these programs cover a lot of ground, so who knows where the cuts will come. It's a bit disheartening that the latest "real" news came out on April 13. It seems that someone, maybe, would think that it might be nice to trickle down the info.

i put five imaginary dollars on may 27.

thanks, LisaRog. anyone else singing cheesy 80s songs to get through the final stretch?

lisarog, i don't remember when it was that i tried to get on, but it was a long time ago ... and mine wasn't working. it has to have been at least a month, but i'd put it at closer to two. yours was still working a couple of weeks ago? gaaaaaaaaaah. this process is maddening.

end of this week would very pleasantly surprise me. a faculty member told me mid-may, at the earliest. i hope it´s this week though!

I'm sure that Amy Wilson, whose email is listed on the FAQ and contact page if I remember correctly, could answer questions about this. I feel satisfied with the info above, that is, satisfied as in completely deflated.

Hi Qahira, I didn't get that impression from the article -- especially where it says "Ohio State was expecting to receive $3-million for these programs in the current fiscal year, says Mr. Brustein. He is contacting members of Congress in hopes that the cuts can be reversed, though it's unlikely lawmakers will make changes in the plan at this date." Either way, I agree with you ... even if I weren't to get it and even if it were for next year, since my research is international, this will affect my research in one way or another now or later. Now I must get back to waiting ...

Just to support Lisarog's statement, you can go to http://whoismyrepresentative.com to find your representative and senator's contact info.

Snarkiness aside, in my first message to my representatives, I made sure to explain why my particular research is important to the United States. In my response to his response, I plan on stressing that further. Where possible, I urge everyone to do so. The Fulbright was born out of the same atmosphere as the Defense Language Institute, the USIA, etc. -- that is, out of a need for U.S. citizens & government to understand the world better. While most of us intend to fit within this framework as contributing to "international understanding" and knowledge, it can be argued, I'm sure, that our research also contributes to national security interests. What I'm trying to say, is that by now we've had some practice in spinning our project according to grant/fellowship committee. An effective way of approaching the letters might be to view them as grant applications now spun according to politics.

Thank you for sending this along. I wrote mine when I first heard about this back in February and just finally got a response back last week. The response is actually quite lengthy, so I won't quote the whole thing, but here are some of my favorite parts: "I believe that it is in the national interest of the United States to carefully and strategically provide funding for selected humanitarian, peacekeeping, and diplomatic initiatives around the world. For example, food security is directly related to world-wide economic growth and security. When individuals are able to access affordable and sufficient food for their families, they will be less likely to turn to violence and crime as a way of survival. In this way, our productivity and security are linked to the safety and well-being of other countries. That being said, I am deeply concerned about the future financial stability of our government due to our overwhelming national debt. Regardless of the party, administration, or Congress in charge, our federal government has spent well beyond its means for many, many years. I am committed to fiscal responsibility, and lately our government has been anything but fiscally responsible. There are many worthy goals for us to pursue, but we simply cannot do everything that everyone wants. Our children and grandchildren already will be left with an enormous burden and continuing down this path jeopardizes America's economic standing in the world. With a truly responsible federal budget, I fully believe that we could adequately fund those essential programs that are core federal responsibilities and that enhance the liberty, opportunity and welfare of all Americans. As I suggested before, we need to ensure that our foreign assistance is directed to programs which are critical to our national security interests. The insight you have provided in your letter will certainly help my staff and me more effectively consider this issue as we debate future foreign assistance spending levels." I'll respond. I'm just trying to find non-sarcastic things to say (as in beyond "boy, good thing military spending doesn't lead to violence! or "oh yeah? well I don't think your job is really that important either, buddy!"

thank you! this is good to know!

For those of you who applied last year, did your results come by regular mail or email from your university? I don't expect that we´ll hear til the end of the month or even May, but I'm curious. Also, do you know if Fulbright Hays requires an orientation stateside or in-country meetings throughout?