Fulbright-Cognition Scholar Award in Education Research

The Fulbright-Cognition Scholar Award in Education Research is for a New Zealand educator or researcher to pursue research in the US designed to have an impact on New Zealand early childhood education or primary/secondary schooling and student achievement. One award valued at up to US$37,500 is granted each year, towards three to five months of research.

Closing date: 1 July 2013

This award is offered in partnership with the Cognition Education Trust, a not-for-profit which, through its granting, supports the innovative people and initiatives that collaboratively work together to help create a system which is responsive to the individual learners’ needs and aspirations, thereby contributing to New Zealand’s social and economic health.

The award is available to applicants involved in one or more of the research, practice and policy contexts of early childhood education and primary/secondary schooling. The recipient will have an active interest in the broader education sector and use the award to:

a) establish key relationships with credible education researchers or research organisations in the US, and
b) collect, collate, analyse and use data available in the US for a research project.

The award is available to emerging or established researchers. We strongly encourage practitioners/teachers to apply.

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Eligibility

To be eligible, you must:

• have a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent professional training or experience;
• have a specific research project on which you propose to work on during the award, on a topic associated with early childhood education or primary/secondary schooling development and/or improving student achievement in New Zealand; and
• meet the citizenship requirements for this award.

Citizenship requirements

You are eligible to apply for this award if you:

• are a New Zealand citizen;
• and are not a permanent resident or citizen of the US;
• and are not currently living in the US.

Preference for Fulbright scholar awards is given to candidates who have not previously received a Fulbright scholar award, or had extensive recent experience in the US. (ie. have not studied, taught, researched or worked in the US for a period aggregating more than nine months/one academic year during the past five years)

Fulbright awards will not be granted for medical programmes which include any clinical activities involving direct patient care.

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Entitlement

• International travel of US$3,000 for the grantee and US$2,000 for one dependent;
• Stipend of US$3,000 per month for the scholar and up to one dependent, for 3-5 months*;
• A family allowance of US$500 per month for two or more dependents†;
• The opportunity to participate in various programmes and activities available to Fulbright scholars in the US, and to apply for supplementary awards where applicable;
• A basic health benefit plan covering a maximum of US$50,000 per sickness or injury.

* These entitlements are set on the basis that scholars will receive financial assistance in the form of paid leave and/or research grants during their award. Higher stipend entitlements will be provided to scholars not receiving financial assistance in the form of paid leave and/or research grants during their award, to a maximum of US$6,000 per month.

† The family allowance is not available if your partner is receiving an income during the award.

Applicants who wish to teach two concurrent semesters from January to December are advised that they will be unpaid for a period of approximately 40 days during the university’s summer break, for which they should utilise independent financial resources or seek other sources of financial support.

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Award conditions

• Your award must be approved by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in Washington, DC;
• You will be required to provide Fulbright New Zealand with evidence of financial support (or not) from your home institution before the value of your award can be confirmed;
• The period of your award is three to five months;
• Your award must be taken up in the calendar year (1 January-31 December) following official confirmation of the award. Note that you will be eligible to arrive and depart from the US 30 days either side of your award dates;
• You will be required to undertake a full medical examination before applying for your visa;
• You must travel on a New Zealand passport, and US immigration documentation must be completed from within New Zealand. Grantees must use the DS-2019 form provided by Fulbright New Zealand to obtain an Exchange Visitor (J) non-immigrant visa to enter the United States. You will be required to attend a visa interview at the US Consulate in Auckland in order to obtain your visa;
• International travel will only be funded between New Zealand and the US, and must be on either an American or New Zealand carrier;
• You may be required to fulfil some Fulbright New Zealand/Cognition Education Trust media requirements before your departure for the US, during your exchange and/or on return to New Zealand;
• While in the US you will be expected to conduct the proposed research as well as develop ideas in cross-fertilisation and develop professional links with educational contacts. You will also aim to enhance the profile and development of New Zealand education;
• On returning from the US you will be expected to have completed, or substantially completed, a body of research whose results or outcomes are then published and disseminated through the Cognition Education Trust in the New Zealand education sector and other relevant arenas;
• This award may be used for research towards a New Zealand academic qualification, but not a US academic qualification;
• You must provide Fulbright New Zealand with copies of any articles, research papers or theses resulting from your award. A final report must also be completed before you depart from the US;
• Fulbright grantees must travel to the US on an Exchange Visitor (J) non-immigrant visa. A requirement of this visa is that you must return to your home country for a cumulative total of two years at the end of your exchange visitor programme before becoming eligible to apply to live in the US. This home-country foreign residency requirement is in keeping with the philosophy of the Fulbright exchange programme, that you return to New Zealand to share your experiences. Note that you will not be prohibited from travelling to the US for short-term visits on the visa waiver program or a non-immigrant visa.

Fulbright mission

It was Senator J William Fulbright’s mission to build peace through the mutual understanding of cultures. Fulbright applicants and grantees are expected to understand and support this mission and be effective ambassadors for New Zealand. In addition to the monetary, educational and cultural exchange benefits made possible by the award, Fulbright grantees carry the prestige of the Fulbright programme along with them throughout their careers. Alumni are expected to succeed and be ‘thought leaders’ in their respective fields/careers, and to support and remain engaged with the Fulbright programme for the rest of their lives.

Cognition Education Trust purpose

It is the Cognition Education Trust’s responsibility to:

• foster and encourage and assist with fostering and encouraging quality education research dedicated to improving and developing the quality of teaching and learning in New Zealand schools;
• disseminate and assist with disseminating completed research, with a view to improving and developing the quality of teaching and learning in New Zealand schools;
• promote the use of and assist with promoting the use of research in New Zealand schools and other educational institutions or educational organizations, in order to promote the advancement of education in New Zealand.

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Application process and forms

• You must complete and submit an online application by the application deadline*;
• You must also submit all required support documents to us by the application deadline;
• Interviews will be held in Wellington in August 2012. Fulbright New Zealand will pay the costs of travel to Wellington only for applicants residing in New Zealand. Applicants outside New Zealand who are unable to attend an interview in person may be disadvantaged;
• We will advise you of the outcome of your application by late August.

* Note that if the application deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday, the deadline is extended to 5:00pm on the next business day.

Application advisers

We encourage applications from all of the education sector, including academics, practising teachers and policy makers. If you are inexperienced at writing grant applications, please feel free to contact one of these appointed advisers for advice and guidance on preparing your application:

Application form and support documents

Applicants must complete both the official online application for the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program (which requires support documents to be uploaded and the names and email addresses of three references to be registered), and the supplementary application form enclosed in the following information pack:

• Fulbright-Cognition Scholar Award in Education Research information pack and supplementary application form (MSWORD, 619.50 Kb)

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Further information

For further information, contact our Programme Manager for this award, Ron Mitchell - ron@fulbright.org.nz / (04) 494 1500

Fulbright New Zealand has Campus Advisers stationed on all major New Zealand campuses. Our Advisers are all Fulbright alumni who are available to discuss their exchange experiences with students and staff, as well as to give basic information about our awards.

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