Fulbright-National Geographic Fellowship - Commonly Asked Questions

The Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship, launched in 2013, is a new component of the U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Program that will support up to five Fellowships for one academic year of travel and multi-media storytelling on globally significant topics. Fellows will focus their stories on one or more of the program’s annual themes. Digital stories produced by Fulbright-National Geographic Fellows will receive editorial support of National Geographic’s editorial team and be published on a dedicated blog hosted on the National Geographic website.  Stories deemed to be of interest or merit may be considered for publication on other National Geographic and Department of State content platforms.

 There are many definitions of Digital Storytelling.  For the purpose of the Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship, it describes the practice of using digital tools to tell a story.  Fellows may produce stories that may utilize or combine text, photography, video, audio, graphic illustrations, and/or social media for the purpose of producing content suitable for a National Geographic blog. 

U.S. citizens of all ages and from all backgrounds are eligible to apply. Applicants may come from a broad range of fields, a variety of academic and processional backgrounds, and have diverse storytelling experiences. Candidates must have completed at least an undergraduate degree by the commencement of the program but may not hold a Ph.D. at the time of application. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated talent for storytelling (including but not limited to publications in print, online or multimedia platforms) and an academic or professional background relevant to their proposed project.

Applications for the Fellowship will be accepted for projects focused on one or more of the general themes below. Applicants interested in the special interest areas identified for under each theme are especially encouraged to apply. Following each theme and list of special interest areas, National Geographic’s editorial staff has provided a NGS Digital Storytelling Frame, which provides further context to the theme and the types of stories that they are particularly interested in having Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellows tell. While applications for any innovative project under the broad themes will be eligible to be reviewed, it is recommended that applicants review this information as they develop their proposals.

• Our Human Story
  Themes: Culture/Geo-politics, Contemporary Social Issues (Sociology, Urbanization, Crisis, Migration)
  As the global human population soars and the planet comes under pressure to provide for humanity’s needs, tensions are rising in many parts of the world. Climate change, water shortages, failing croplands due to disrupted weather patterns, and salination of rivers and groundwater are pushing millions of people to migrate to cities and new countries in quest of a living. These are the stories of adaptation, survival, and of the human condition. How is civilization adapting? What are the stories of societies that are changing? What are the causes of migration and how do migrants view their experience? How can cities, now home to more than half of humanity, morph into new structures and systems? How are different groups navigating this changing world? What are the stories of individuals and groups who have been affected by policies enacted to address these issues?
   
• Our Living Planet
  Themes: Places, Environment, Climate Change, Conservation, Landscapes, Oceans
  As the human population rises to nine, ten, or even eleven billion, there is growing pressure on our planet to provide for our needs. Many parts of the planet are already deeply impacted by over-exploitation of soil, water, oceans, and air. How do we stabilize, if not reduce, our footprint on Earth to restore and maintain a healthy environment? How can we produce food for billions more people within a realistically sustainable resource budget? How can cities lead the way to a more resourceful future? What societies and cultures have adapted to the challenges and what can we learn from them? What impact are government policies and non-governmental actors making to improve issues in this area?
   
• Critical Species
  Themes: Conservation of Species, Extinction (Storytelling in this area should include a public policy frame)
  Thousands of species are under tremendous pressure to survive in the face of loss of habitat, illegal trafficking, poaching, climate change and general exploitation — threats that we as humans are imposing not only on wildlife but ultimately upon ourselves. The decline in some populations has been so rapid that the potentially irreversible impact and the critical consequences have yet to register with the general public. What are some of the inspirational examples of communities, organizations, and government taking steps to halt the decline of critical wildlife species around the world and help restore key ecosystems that they inhabit and depend upon?
   
• New Frontiers
  Themes: Innovations in areas of Health, Medicine, Technology, Space, Energy, Maritime issues
  While we face daunting challenges we also live in an era of unprecedented innovation and a deepening understanding of how Earth's intricate systems function. How are humans working to solve new and traditional challenges through innovation? How are the challenges of disease and basic health being met in different regions? Where is technology making a profound difference to raise education, living standards, equal opportunities for women, and provide sustainable energy for every human being? How are communities taking charge of their marine and territorial natural resources to restore and conserve biodiversity and ensure a healthier environment for many generations to come?

Applicants may submit only one project proposal. Project proposal must be submitted under one main theme or a combination of eligible themes. Discussion of additional themes will not be evaluated as an advantage or disadvantage to the project.

Non- U.S. citizens and permanent residents are not eligible. Please refer to the Eligibility/Ineligibility section for more specific requirements.

Current State Department and National Geographic staff, or persons currently on assignment or who are currently working with grants funded by either organization, are ineligible to apply.

Former National Geographic staff, explorers and grantees are eligible to apply.  Employees of the U.S. Department of State, and their immediate families, for a period ending one year following termination of such employment. This provision does not include part-time or temporary employees, consultants, and contract employees of the Department of State, unless such persons perform services related to the Bureau’s exchange programs.

Applicants with a previous association with National Geographic, State Department, or Fulbright, will be judged strictly on the merit of their projects. No special consideration will be given to applicants with previous ties to either organization.

Candidates may not apply to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program in the same competition cycle.

Candidates may not apply for more than one type of Fulbright U.S. Student grant in a given competition cycle.

No. According to the Fulbright-Hays Act, U.S. citizens and nationals cannot study in the United States through the Fulbright Program. Applications from U.S. citizens will only be accepted for projects outside the U.S. and its territories.

No. The timing, length and multi-country nature of Fulbright-National Geographic grants do not allow sufficient lead time for participation in the Critical Language Enhancement Award Program.

Consistent with other components of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, Fellowships will be awarded for a nine-month academic year, beginning in the Fall and finishing in the late Spring or early Summer.

Applicants may submit proposals for grants to one, two, or three foreign countries. Applicants may not submit proposals for more than three countries.

For the nine month program, you must spend a minimum of three consecutive months in a country. Therefore, if proposing a multiple-country grant, you may split your time in one of the following ways:

• 1 country – 9 months
• 2 countries – 3 months or more must be spent in each country
• 3 countries – 3 months must be spent in each country

Yes. Applications will not be accepted for travel, for any length of time during the Fellowship, to countries where there is not an active Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

No.  Dependent support is not available for Fulbright-National Geographic Fellows.

No. The Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship was created to be for individuals, not teams or tandem couples.  However, Fellows are in no way barred from collaborating on their projects with other Fulbright students and scholars who are in-country at the same time.

Yes. Fellows will be instructed in digital storytelling techniques, including effective news story/blog writing, video production, and photography, by National Geographic staff prior to their departure and will be paired with one or more National Geographic editors for continued training, editorial direction and mentorship throughout their Fulbright grant period. Fellows will be required to provide material for a blog on the National Geographic website, on a frequent and ongoing basis throughout their grant term. In addition to the blog, National Geographic will determine how the submitted material is used on its platforms.  Stories deemed by National Geographic to be of interest or merit may be considered for all National Geographic platforms, including the magazine.  In addition, Fellows will have the opportunity to develop further content for use by National Geographic and the Department of State.

National Geographic will retain the “Right of First Refusal” on all materials produced by Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellows during the period of the award. Fellows will be required to first propose all stories to National Geographic, including those outside of the topic area of the Fellowship. If National Geographic declines to publish a story, Fellows may request approval to propose stories to other media outlets.

While foreign language skills are not strictly required for the Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship, the ability to communicate effectively is critical to success in any country to which Fellows will travel on this program. In some countries and for some subjects, language skills are necessary to function effectively and successfully complete a project. Applicants with relevant language skills may receive preference in the application review process. Project feasibility assessment will be based, in part, upon applicant language capabilities.  In the application, candidates must explain how, given their language capabilities, they will be able to successfully carry out their proposed digital storytelling project.

The majority of Fulbrighters undertaking study/research grants affiliate with host country universities or other types of other host country organizations. Recognizing that Fulbright–National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellows will likely draw upon a number of sources in host countries to collect their stories, applicants for this Fellowship are permitted to fulfil the affiliation requirement in one of two ways: 

1. Submit one letter of affiliation from an institution/individual in each host country with whom the applicant proposes to work. Each affiliation letter should be printed on the organization’s official letterhead and should be signed by the author.  Copies of e-mail correspondence will not be accepted.
2. Submit a list of host country institutions, contacts, and sources (specifying contact names) that the applicant plans to utilize during his/her grant program. This list should be as comprehensive as possible.  Applicants should indicate the level of contact that has already been established.

Funding for this Fellowship is provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, through the cooperating partner organization implementing the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the Institute of International Education (IIE). All fellows will receive standard Fulbright Program benefits, including funds for travel, a living stipend, and health benefits as well as a modest professional stipend. Living stipends will be calculated based on host-country cost-of-living indices. In addition, Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellows will be paired with National Geographic editors who will offer training, mentoring, and guidance. Fellows will receive instruction in digital storytelling techniques, including effective blog writing, video production, and photography, by National Geographic editorial staff prior to their departure. Over the course of the grant, Fellows will engage with National Geographic editors and other mentors on story assignments and submissions.

All applicants for the Fulbright-National Geographic Fellowship are required to submit an application to the Institute of International Education.

Finalists will be notified in late May or early June 2015. Fellows are required to participate in a mandatory pre-departure orientation in Washington, DC, in Summer 2015 and depart for their overseas programs in Fall 2015.

The Department and National Geographic created this award in recognition of the growing importance of digital storytelling and their organizations’ related goals for international exploration and understanding. This award gives U.S. Fulbrighters a unique opportunity to examine pressing global issues and share insights with a broader public around the world.

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the U.S. State Department’s implementing partner for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. IIE will publish the application materials and receive all applications for this Fellowship, administer the selection process in partnership with the U.S. State Department and the National Geographic Society, and provide planning and administrative support to Fellows before and throughout the duration of their fellowship.