Fulbright 2012-2013

[kgba]

Be strong!!! I have been checking everyday for you guys!

Awww, thanks! May 1st is going to be our day, it must!

[mrog1016]

And yet another day of angsty email checking begins...

[oa0176]

And yet another day of angsty email checking begins...

yea now the wait is getting to me again because i don't have anything to keep me occupied

[vodochile]

WOOO! Full grant to Slovenia, Balkan film history. Finally. Good luck to everyone waiting on the Caribbean/Baltics!

[kay12]

I just found out that I received the full grant to Lithuania!!! I got an email at 12:01. The wait is over!!

[djb1599]

WOOO! Full grant to Slovenia, Balkan film history. Finally. Good luck to everyone waiting on the Caribbean/Baltics!

I just found out that I received the full grant to Lithuania!!! I got an email at 12:01. The wait is over!!

Congrats! Glad to hear the Eastern Europe dry spell seems to be ending!

[lm05anti]

Yay! Go Balkans and Eastern Europe!

I am dancing with you!

[lm05anti]

I just found out that I received the full grant to Lithuania!!! I got an email at 12:01. The wait is over!!

Neighbors! (Sort of!)

[kgba]

Alternate to Lithuania. Congrats everybody.

[Radley14]

Alternate to Slovenia. Email at 12:07.

Congratulations, vodochile. Where will you be in Slovenia?

[Biz]

Alternate to Latvia.

It's been real but I'm going to take a nap, go to the beach, and graduate.

[rtlc06]

Hi Caribbean and CA friends. The following is an attempt to figure out why we are among the last ones to find out from the board.

Our countries do not have to give out Fulbright grants/ETA's. Unlike other countries, such as Mexico and Argentina, our countries do not have a specific number of grants they must give out every year, whether apps were good or not. The board must first guarantee funding for those countries that MUST grant scholarships every year in accordance to international accords. Hence, the board deals with our budgetary issues last, since there is no pressure to grant scholarships in our area. If they run out of funding prior to reaching our area, there is no penalty, for international accords with Caribbean and CA countries do not obligate the State Dept. to grant scholarships to those countries. We are basically to deal with the leftovers. And that is why Caribbean and CA countries, according to data, are always, or almost always, last to receive final word from the board.

Interesting. How did you figure this out? I wonder why this is the case... and are we the only ones in this situation? And I wonder... does this mean that we're the ones who have to bear the majority of the brunt of funding cutbacks? For example, if Germany is required to fund 30 grants, but the budget is reduced from 2011-2012, do they fulfill the Germany commitment at the expense of Caribbean scholarships? Or do they just reduce grant amounts across the board...

Well, if it's that case that our funding is contingent upon other regions, we should be hearing aaaaany minute (day?) now... Are we officially the last region to hear? Or are there others out there still waiting.

[AFX^79]

Interesting. How did you figure this out? I wonder why this is the case... and are we the only ones in this situation? And I wonder... does this mean that we're the ones who have to bear the majority of the brunt of funding cutbacks? For example, if Germany is required to fund 30 grants, but the budget is reduced from 2011-2012, do they fulfill the Germany commitment at the expense of Caribbean scholarships? Or do they just reduce grant amounts across the board...

Well, if it's that case that our funding is contingent upon other regions, we should be hearing aaaaany minute (day?) now... Are we officially the last region to hear? Or are there others out there still waiting.

Venezuela has not determined principal candidates yet either

[Awapuhi]

Wait, is this a hypothesis, or did you get this information from somewhere? Super scary!

I was under the impression that Central America/Caribbean (as a collective) have a somewhat set number of grants they give out each year and then they decide how to allocate the number of grants to each country (depending on quality of apps, political situation, etc.). Perhaps I'm very mistaken. =/

Hi Caribbean and CA friends. The following is an attempt to figure out why we are among the last ones to find out from the board.

Our countries do not have to give out Fulbright grants/ETA's. Unlike other countries, such as Mexico and Argentina, our countries do not have a specific number of grants they must give out every year, whether apps were good or not. The board must first guarantee funding for those countries that MUST grant scholarships every year in accordance to international accords. Hence, the board deals with our budgetary issues last, since there is no pressure to grant scholarships in our area. If they run out of funding prior to reaching our area, there is no penalty, for international accords with Caribbean and CA countries do not obligate the State Dept. to grant scholarships to those countries. We are basically to deal with the leftovers. And that is why Caribbean and CA countries, according to data, are always, or almost always, last to receive final word from the board.

[eesti14]

Full research grant to Estonia!!!!!! Couldn't be more excited.

[FSChina]

For what it's worth:

I'm a faculty member (but not the same person as Hkf322) who applied for a Fulbright Scholar (teaching) grant for China. I received notification via email (about 12:15 p.m EDT) that I have been selected for a Fulbright grant.

(This, despite the fact that we had been told that notifications would come via standard mail.)

[meli12]

I'm still waiting! Plenty of people still in the dark!

[vodochile]

Alternate to Slovenia. Email at 12:07.

Congratulations, vodochile. Where will you be in Slovenia?

Hey Radley14, I'll be mostly in LJ but traveling regionally for the 2nd half. Best of luck getting moved up!

[AMD3]

Wait, is this a hypothesis, or did you get this information from somewhere? Super scary!

I was under the impression that Central America/Caribbean (as a collective) have a somewhat set number of grants they give out each year and then they decide how to allocate the number of grants to each country (depending on quality of apps, political situation, etc.). Perhaps I'm very mistaken. =/

Interesting. How did you figure this out? I wonder why this is the case... and are we the only ones in this situation? And I wonder... does this mean that we're the ones who have to bear the majority of the brunt of funding cutbacks? For example, if Germany is required to fund 30 grants, but the budget is reduced from 2011-2012, do they fulfill the Germany commitment at the expense of Caribbean scholarships? Or do they just reduce grant amounts across the board...

Well, if it's that case that our funding is contingent upon other regions, we should be hearing aaaaany minute (day?) now... Are we officially the last region to hear? Or are there others out there still waiting.

This is certainly only a hypothesis -- a personal train of thought. When I began my application process I was particularly captivated by the program's treatment of the Caribbean and CA countries vis-a-vis other Latin American nations.

Guys, at the end of the day, the intention of Fulbright is to paint a positive image of the US to the world through our nation's most valued agents -- us (young and intelligent individuals, right?). Hence, the State Dept. uses the program strategically and politically to gain points with other countries. A country might ask the US to grant X number of ETA's per year in exchange for land, program, economic exchange etc. At least in my case, my research outcome will benefit my host country directly and indirectly. Hence, Fulbright scholars are actually quite valued by foreign nations.

[rll2866]

Any ETAs know their specific placement? Besides just the country?

[CairoKid]

COME ON, TURKEY!!! So impatient.

[Hkf322]

accepted to China via email on May 1

This is an impressively supportive forum and thanks so much for maintaining the helpful spreadsheet.

[kokorohitotsu]

The dreaded n/s, Luxembourg full.

Back to the drawing board!

[euphoria*]

FYI: Did a little research and so far have counted 4 people on the alternate list for a research grant to Morocco. (Not ETA).

[msafiri]

Wait, is this a hypothesis, or did you get this information from somewhere? Super scary!

I was under the impression that Central America/Caribbean (as a collective) have a somewhat set number of grants they give out each year and then they decide how to allocate the number of grants to each country (depending on quality of apps, political situation, etc.). Perhaps I'm very mistaken. =/

My understanding is that about the same number of grants are given out in the region each year (at least for full grants) but the distribution across the region varies from one year to the next. For example, I'm currently on a Fulbright in a Central American country and we were told at orientation that this year was a fairly big group for that country, even though our group is smaller than those of several nearby countries.

At any rate, sorry to hear that you all are still waiting. It's like a month later than we were notified last year. I'll try to check back in periodically but, if anyone headed to CentAm/Caribbean has any questions, feel free to send me a PM.