Dear Socrates list,
We received this email from Kaitlyn Innes, Program Officer for recruitment and outreach, Fulbright Canada. This is a great opportunity for students and faculty!
"I am writing to you today to draw your attention to some very exciting scholarship and fellowship opportunities available to your students and faculty. Fulbright Canada, a member of the prestigious worldwide Fulbright family, offers a wide range of residential exchange opportunities for American undergraduates, graduate students, and scholars.
Canada is an excellent option for students at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Students are able to study at low cost at internationally accredited academic institutions that adhere to rigorous standards of scholarship and offer easily transferable course credits. For scholars, Canada offers world-class research facilities and networks, along with unique opportunities to do comparative work and develop long term collaborations. In addition, Canada’s universities are predominantly located in Canada’s vibrant, multicultural urban centres, offering a unique experience to students and scholars from around the world.
All Fulbright Canada grantees become part of a well-organized, highly integrated program. In addition to the cash award, Fulbright Canada provides basic health insurance and a range of administrative services. Additional benefits include a three-day orientation program in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, the opportunity to apply for mobility funding ($800) for in-country professional development, and the opportunity to apply for our Eco-Leadership Program ($2,000-$4,000) and Community Leadership Program (up to $8,000). Finally, award recipients join the prestigious Fulbright family, representing a program that has celebrated academic excellence and achievement, as well as community service and leadership, for more than sixty years. As I’m sure you are aware, the networking and reputational value of Fulbright cannot be underestimated.
We would be most grateful if you would assist us in communicating information about these exciting exchange opportunities in Canada to your students and your faculty. Please note that faculty sabbatical, leave-of-absence, or retirement pay may be used concurrently with Fulbright support. I have attached the Fulbright Canada Newsletter, page 7 has an overview of our program including the opening and closing dates for each competition. As we progress through the year, we will be sending you recruitment materials and reminders for our various programs and asking you to circulate the materials as you deem appropriate. We are happy to provide additional materials, either electronically or in a more traditional format, and would be pleased to tailor materials to reflect your institution’s existing scholarship recruitment strategy.
At this time, we would encourage you to circulate information about our scholar program, the competition opened February 1st. Please encourage scholars to look at thetraditional awards, our Visiting Research Chairs, and our Specialists Program.
Please note that you should expect materials for our graduate student program (including the Fulbright Canada Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Award) in May, and our undergraduate program (Killam Fellowships Program) during the fall. We will send reminders throughout the competition (particularly as we approach the various application deadlines), and we will be available to take questions or provide supplementary materials whenever you require assistance.
In addition to any direct recruitment efforts, we would also encourage you to add a link to Fulbright Canada’s website on your institution’s awards, research, and/or international exchange web pages. You likely already have links to the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars (www.cies.org) as well as the Institute for International Education (www.iie.org) which provide information on the Fulbright programs to scholars and students respectively. However, Fulbright Canada’s website (www.fulbright.ca) offers more comprehensive information about all of our programs, as well as direct contact information for the officer responsible for each program.
In addition to providing information on your website, would there be additional opportunities to promote these awards amongst your students and faculty throughout the spring? Many institutions host events (study abroad fairs, award information sessions, or special panel presentations) to promote these types of opportunities. If you are interested, we can send information flyers about the program.
Please understand that our goal is to work with you throughout the award cycle to help you reach your target audience and make sure your students and scholars are aware of these exciting and valuable opportunities. I look forward to working with you and your colleagues, and I welcome any comments or suggestions you might have. If there is someone else at your institution with whom I should be working, please advise me of their name and contact information at your earliest convenience. I encourage you to contact me directly with any questions regarding student and scholar recruitment for Fulbright Canada. I can be reached by phone at 613-688-5517 or by email at kinnes@fulbright.ca."