Fulbright to Award Largest Cohort in 70 Years

The largest cohort of Australian-American Fulbright Scholars in 70 years will be announced during a ceremony at Parliament House, Canberra on Thursday 28 February, as the Fulbright Commission continues to expand its program of exchange scholarships.

The 2019 cohort of Fulbright Scholars comprises 66 Australian and 24 American high-achieving students, researchers, and professionals from a broad spectrum of academic fields. Their proposed study and research projects are equally diverse – from improving Indigenous educational outcomes to treating neurogenetic conditions in children.

This increase in scholarship awards comes via a significant boost in philanthropic funding, and new partnerships with Australian and U.S. universities. In 2017, a generous donation from The Kinghorn Foundation enabled the creation of the Fulbright Future Scholarships, providing new bilateral exchange opportunities in the U.S. for students and researchers seeking to contribute to the health and prosperity of Australians.

Two U.S. universities, Florida Polytechnic University and the University of Wyoming committed to new funding arrangements that will send Australian scholars to the U.S. for collaborative research in the STEM and public policy fields.

Deakin University, Monash University, and CQUniversity Australia have also launched new Fulbright partnerships over the last 18 months, adding specialty awards in their own focus areas to a burgeoning catalogue of bilateral scholarship opportunities for Australians and Americans.

“We are very grateful for the support and generosity demonstrated by our partners, both here in Australia and across the Pacific,” said Thomas Dougherty, Executive Director of the Australian-American Fulbright Commission.

“Since 1949, the Fulbright Program has awarded more than 5,000 scholarships to Australians and Americans, and the opportunity to accelerate this support in our 70^th anniversary year is truly a landmark moment.”

The new Fulbright Scholars begin their study and research in 2019. The next round of Fulbright Scholarships are open now, and will close on July 15 for Australian applicants. Applications can be submitted online at www.fulbright.org.au