1. What is the purpose of the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) program?
The GPA program is a discretionary grant program designed to contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the United States by providing training opportunities for faculty, teachers, and upperclassmen and/or graduate students in foreign countries outside of Western Europe and where the United States has diplomatic representation. Awards are made under the program to conduct overseas group projects in research, training, curriculum development, and advanced foreign language study.
2. Who is eligible to apply?
An individual is eligible to participate in a GPA project, if she/he is:
- A citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States; and
- Currently employed full-time in a United States school system, institution of higher education, local education agency or state education agency (not applicable to students);
And, at least one of the following:
- A teacher in an elementary or secondary school (please see note below);
- A faculty member who teaches modern foreign languages or area studies;
- An experienced education administrator responsible for planning, conducting, or supervising programs in modern foreign languages or area studies at the elementary, secondary, or postsecondary levels;
- A graduate student or junior or senior in an institution of higher education, who is a prospective teacher in the areas of social sciences, humanities and foreign languages. The student should meet the provisions set by his or her local and state education agencies; or
- For the Advanced Overseas Intensive Language Training project, the participating student, other than those planning a teaching career, should be planning to apply his or her language skills and knowledge of countries vital to the United States’ national security in fields outside of teaching, including government, the professions, or international development.
(Note: All GPA participants must be educators or students who fulfill the criteria above and the selection criteria set by their respective projects and are currently teaching and/or studying in the fields of humanities, social sciences, foreign languages, and/or area studies. Area studies is defined as a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a society or societies including the study of their geography, history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, or languages. Project participants may also be working in interdisciplinary areas such as business, health, social work, math, science, counseling, engineering, the environment, and technology. If an educator or student is working in a variety of subject areas, s/he must spend the majority of his/her time working with eligible subjects.)
3. Are there restrictions on participation for individuals who have received previous Fulbright awards?
Yes. Individuals may be awarded a total of four lifetime short-term Fulbright awards (two months or less). Short-term awards would include Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad, Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad, etc.
Short-term award recipients become eligible every two years. For example, a Seminars Abroad 2006 participant could receive a Group Projects Abroad 2008 award and vice versa. A Seminars Abroad 2004 participant could receive a Seminars Abroad 2006 award, etc.
Individuals who are not currently employed and/or studying full-time are not eligible. In addition, individuals who do not meet the GPA program’s eligibility criteria listed above are not eligible, unless they are students.
4. Are there other restrictions on who can join a GPA project group?
Yes. Spouses, other family members, and friends, who have not been selected to participate in a GPA project according to the selection criteria stated in the approved application, are not permitted to join the group at any point during the program.
5. How will participants be selected?
Participants will be selected through a rigorous review process, consisting of a three to five member panel of faculty and staff at Ohio State. Applications will be graded on the strength of the following:
- Past educational and teaching experience;
- Intellectual potential and commitment to the region;
- Likelihood of integrating new course curriculum upon return; and
- The applicant’s current level of language proficiency in Spanish.
6. What are the application deadlines?
The deadline to apply is January 13, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. EST.
7. What level of Spanish language proficiency is required by project participants?
There is no language proficiency requirement for the program, but a basic understanding of Spanish is highly encouraged, as it is an important component of the project.
8. Is an itinerary available?
A program itinerary will be made available January 2017 and a daily syllabus will be made available March 2017.
9. How much will it cost?
The overseas program is paid for in full by the Fulbright-Hays GPA grant. Project participants will be required to pay for travel to and from Columbus, Ohio for a pre-departure orientation, as well as lodging and meals in Columbus during the orientation phase. Although the grant will provide a per diem stipend during the overseas portion of the project, participants will need to pay for any activities outside of the syllabus.
1o. Is the program available to all K-12 educators, including those teaching math, science, or other STEM-related fields?
We are certainly open to including teachers from various disciplines in the program, as we are looking for a participant pool with diverse teaching backgrounds. Please explain in your 500-word statement how you will connect your current teaching curriculum to the program opportunity.
11. Can you clarify what is needed in the letter of commitment from a current supervisor?
The letter of commitment is required just to confirm that your employer/school district/school leadership is aware of your application and committed to allowing you to share your experiences and resources developed from the program with your students and fellow educators. Part of the program will require you to conduct outreach activities after your experience abroad in order to share what you learned with others. We want to make sure that you have the support of your school’s leadership to participate in the program and engage in these outreach activities once you return.
12. Who should I contact if I have additional questions?
You should contact Megan Hasting, assistant director for the Center for Latin American Studies at The Ohio State University:
Megan Hasting
(614) 688-4285
140 Enarson Classroom Building
2009 Millikin Road
Columbus, OH 43212