2018-2019 Fulbright Irish Awards offer funding in diverse fields, from Museum Fellowships for students to HealthImpact Professional Awards
The 2018-2019 Fulbright Irish Awards supporting Irish and E.U. citizens to study, research or teach in the USA are now open for application.
These globally-recognised and prestigious awards, operating between the United States and 155 countries, were founded by Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946 “to expand the boundaries of human wisdom, empathy and perception” through educational and cultural exchange. Fulbright Awards were first offered in Ireland 60 years ago giving rise to a rich and diverse fellowship of Irish and U.S. Fulbrighters. Their value is as evident today as it was when they were first offered.
The Fulbright Commission in Ireland is seeking applications from all disciplines – projects relating to Big Data, Sustainable Development and Diaspora Interactions are particularly welcome for selected 2018-2019 awards. This year, the Commission partners with several agencies to offer funding in the areas of Museum Studies, Health, Geoscience, Marine Studies, Agriculture, Environmental Protection, Business Innovation, Law and Irish language.
Successful candidates will receive a monetary grant, accident and emergency insurance, visa administration, cultural and professional programming, ongoing support while on their Fulbright Award in the United States, and introduction to a vast international professional and academic network. The application deadline is 4pm, 31st October 2017.
The diversity of the 2018-2019 Fulbright Irish Awards ranges from the Fulbright-Creative Ireland Museum Fellowships – offering post-graduate students the opportunity to complete short-term research at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, or the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. – to the Fulbright-HRB HealthImpact Awards, supporting health professionals to undertake research or professional development at a U.S. institution of their choice.
This Fulbright Commission in Ireland recently launched its new website and a promotional video called “Across the Waves” created by IADT student Gary Boyd. Visit www.fulbright.ie for further information and to sign up for information webinars.
The U.S. Embassy Chargé d’affaires Mr. Reece Smyth said: “We are delighted to launch the 2018-2019 Fulbright Irish Awards application period! The new Fulbright-Creative Ireland Museum Fellowships link the Creative Ireland Programme with some of the most renowned museums in the United States. These fellowships will harness the transformative potential of creativity, scientific inquiry and heritage preservation through innovative research collaborations. In addition, the 2018-2019 Fulbright-TechImpact Award call focuses on a number of themes, including Diaspora Interactions, and we look forward to seeing tech projects that will serve to explore and strengthen U.S.-Ireland ties for the next generation.”
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Mr Simon Coveney T.D. said: “The Fulbright Awards continue to play a central role in deepening educational links between Ireland and the United States, allowing students and researchers to develop their talents and expertise in a range of areas. This year’s call for applications includes a focus on Sustainable Development and we are particularly interested to see the outcomes of research in this area."
Dr Sarah Ingle, Chair of the Board of the Fulbright Commission in Ireland said: “As a previous Fulbright awardee, I encourage students and scholars in all disciplines to review and consider the variety of awards on offer this year, in the 60th Anniversary of the programme in Ireland. Fulbright offers a huge opportunity for professional and personal advancement and the Commission welcomes applications from suitably qualified, well-rounded individuals with the capability to undertake the role of an Irish cultural ambassador.
Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission in Ireland, Dr Dara FitzGerald said: “Fulbright has always been about people, the excellence they share and the issues that matter. Important themes such as Big Data, which is now threaded through almost all disciplines, are important in Ireland and the US. Such themes provide an opportunity to create impacts in a diverse way and we encourage applicants to consider them fully. The Fulbright programme in Ireland is wholly supported by government, agency and higher education institutions. We remain grateful for this support as we continue to grow the programme.”
*Note to Editor:
The Fulbright Programme was set up by Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946 and is the largest and most prestigious U.S. international exchange program in the world. It offers opportunities for educational exchange in 155 countries worldwide. The Fulbright Commission in Ireland annually awards grants for Irish citizens to study, research or teach in the United States and for Americans to do the same in Ireland. Since its formation over 2,000 postgraduate students, scholars, professionals and teachers have participated in the program between the United States and Ireland.
PREASEISIÚINT
LE SEOLADH LÁITHREACH
Cuirtear maoiniú ar fáil do réimse leathan taighde ó Chomhaltachtaí Iarsmalamm go Dhámhachtaithe Gairmiúla HealthImpact leis na Dámhachtaithe Fulbright 2018-2019.
Déardaoin an 31ú Lúnasa: Tá na Dámhachtaithe Fulbright do shaoránaigh Éireannacha agus Eorpacha chun stáidéar a dhéanamh nó taighde a dhéanamh nó teagasc sna Stáit Aontaithe oscailte d’iarratais.
Tá clú agus cáill bainte amach ag na dámhachtaithe seo ar fud na cruinne. Cuirtear ar fáil iad idir na Stáit Aontaithe agus breis agus 155 tír eagsúil. Bhunaigh an Seanadóir J. William Fulbright an clár in 1946 “chun cuir le teorainn gaoise, ionbhánna agus léargais” trí mhalarthú oideachasúil agus cultúrtha. Bronnadh Dámhachtaithe Fulbright in Éirinn den chéad uair 60 bliain ó shin. Tugann siad deiseanna do chomhaltacht saibhir agus eagsúil de Fhulbrightóirí Éireannacha agus Meiriceánacha. Tá luach na ndámhachtaithe fós le feiceáil chomh soiléir inniu is a bhí sé nuair a bhí siad tairgthe den chéad uair.
Tá Coimisiún Fulbright na hÉireann ag lorg iarratais ó chuile réimse – tionscadail a bhaineann le hOlltiomsú Sonraí, Forbairt Inbhuanaithe agus Idirghníomhaíochtaí Diaspóra ach go háirithe le haghaidh Dámhachtaithe faoi leith do 2018-2019. I mbliana, chuaigh an Coimisiún i gcomhpháirtíocht le cúpla gníomhaireacht le maoiniú a chuir ar fáil maidir le Staidéar Iarsmalanna, Sláinte, Geo-eolaíocht, Staidéar na Mara, Talamhaíocht, Cosant Comhshaoil, Nuálaíocht Gnó, Dlí agus an Ghaeilge.
Bainfidh na hiarrathóirí a éiríonn leo deontas airgeadais, árachas timpistí agus éigeandáil, riarachán víosa, seisiún tionscnaimh cultúrtha agus gairmiúla, tacaíocht leanúnach agus iad ar an Dámhachtán Fulbright sna Stáit Aontaithe agus fáiltiú go dtí an greasán gairmiúil agus acadúil atá ag Fulbright. Is é an 31ú Deireadh Fómhair ar a 4i.n. an spriocdháta.
Tá an-eagsúlacht sna Dámhachtaithe ag dul ó chomhaltacht iarsmalanna- ag cuir deiseanna ar fáil d’iar cheimithe chun tabhairt faoi thaighde gearrthéarmach san Exploratorium in San Francisco, Ionad Harry Ransom in Austin nó an Smithsonian in Washington D.C.- go dtí na Dámhachtaithe HealthImpact a thacaíonn le daoine gairmúla chun tahbairt faoi thaighde nó forbairt ghairmiúil in institiúid sna Stáit Aontaithe a roghnaíonn siad féin.
Le déanaí sheol an Coimisiún Fulbright a suíomh idirlíne nua agus “Across the Waves” an físean phromóisean a chum mac léinn IADT Gary Boyd. Is féidir cuairt a thabhairt ar www.fulbright.ie le haghaidh tuilleadh eolas agus chun clarú le haghaidh eolas ar na seimineár gréasáin.
Dúirt Chargé d’affairs Ambasáid na Stát Aontaithe in Éirinn, Mr Reece Smyth: “Tá athas an domhain orm na Dámhachtaithe 2018-2019 a sheoladh! Leis na iarsmalanna Fulbright Creative-Ireland, nascfar roinnt de na hiarsmalanna is fearr sna Stáit Aontiathe. Bainfidh na fellowships seo leas as crutháin, eolaíochta agus caomhnú oidhreachta trí chomhoibriú nualaíoch taighde. Sa bhreis ar seo, díritear ar théamaí eile faoi leith leis an Fulbright TechImpact, san áireamh tá idirghníomhaíochtaí diaspóra, agus táimid ag súil le tionscadail tech a neartóidh agus a chíoróidh an caidreamh idir Éirinn agus na Stáit Aontaithe le haghaidh an chéid ghlúin eile”.
Dúirt an tAire Gnóthaí Eachtracha agus Trádála an tUasal Simon Coveney: “Go fóill tá na dámhachtaithe Fulbright ag imirt ról lárnach i gcur chun cinn an nasc oideachasúil idir Éirinn agus na Stát Aontaithe- ag ligint do mhic léinn agus taighdeoirí a bhuanna agus a thaithí a fhobhairt i reimse leathan ábhar. I mbliana táthar ag díriú ar an bhforbairt inbhuanaithe agus tá spéis faoi leith againn torthaí an thaighde sin agus an mallarthú a fhéiceáil sa spás seo”.
An Dr. Sarah Ingle, Cathaoirleach Choimisiún Fulbright na hÉireann: “Mar dhuine a bhain dámhachtain Fulbright amach, is mian liom mic léinn agus scoláirí i ngach réimse a spreagadh chun súil siar a ghlacadh agus smaoineamh faoi na gradaim ar fad atá ar fáil i mbliana: an 60ú bliain den chlár in Éirinn. Le Fulbright tugtar deiseanna ollmhóra i dtaobh dul chun cinn gairmiúil agus pearsanta. Fáiltíonn an Coimisiún roimh iarratas ó dhaoine cáilithe, dea-oilte atá in ann a bheith mar Ambasadóirí Cultúrhta.
Dúirt Stiúrthóir Feidhmiúcháin an Choimisiúin, an Dr. Dara FitzGerald: “Is mar gheall ar dhaoine agus is sin mar a bhí a riamh atá Fulbright: baineann an tábhacht leis an sármhaitheas agus na topaicí a roinneann siad. Tá téamaí ríthabhachtacha ar nós Olltiomsú Sonraí, atá anois mar chuid de chuile réimse, tá siad tábhachtach in Éirinn agus sna Stáit Aontaithe. Tugann téamaí mar seo seo chun torthaí cruthaíoch a bhaint amach i mbealaí eagsúla agus iarann muid ar na hiarrathóirí smaoineamh futhú. Tacaíonn rialtas na hÉireann, Gníomhaireacht agus Institiúidí um Ard-Oideachas leis an gClár Fulbright in Éirinn. Táimid buíoch dóibh as ucht na tacaíochta seo agus muid ag cuir leis an gclár i gconaí”.
*Nóta don Eagarthóir
Bhunaigh an Seanadóir J. William Fulbright an Clár Fulbright in 1946. Is é an clár Meiriceánach malarthú oideachas is mó agus is cailiúla ar fud na cruinne. Leis an gclár, cuirtear deiseanna malartú oideachas ar fáil i 155 tír ar fud na cruinne. Go bliantúil, bronnann Coimisiún na hÉireann do sharánaigh Éireannacha chun staidéar a dhéanamh, nó taighde nó teagasc sna Stáit Aontaithe agus do Mheiricéanaigh chun amhlaidh a dhéanamh in Éirinn. Ón uair a bunaíodh Fulbright, tá breis is 2,000 mac léinn iarcheimithe, scoláire agus daoine gairmiúla agus múinteoirí tar éis páirt a ghlacadh sa chlár idir Éirinn agus na Stáit Aontaithe.