Opportunity for doctoral candi dates to engage i n full-ti me dis sertati on res earc h abroad in moder n foreig n languages and ar ea studies .
Office of Postsecondary Education
The Office of Postsecondary Education's, International and Foreign Language
Education (IFLE) Division is now accepting applications for its
Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation for Research Abroad (DDRA)
grant competition through May 6, 2015!
For 55 years, the DDRA program has offered doctoral
students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of
diverse cultures and broaden their global awareness
through sustained research abroad. The program has
provided life-changing experiences for many participants
including April Strickland (left), a New York University FY
2008 Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad
Fellow. Her story truly illustrates the impact a DDRA
fellowship experience can have on a student, personally
and professionally. Read more below...
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Purpose of Program: The Fulbright-Hays DDRA Fellowship Program provides
opportunities to doctoral candidates to engage in full-time dissertation research abroad
in modern foreign languages and area studies. The program is designed to deepen
research knowledge and increase the study of modern foreign languages, cultural
engagement and area studies not generally included in U.S. curricula. More broadly
this program furthers the development of peace and security for our nation throughout
the world.
Program Features: The institutional project period is 18 months. Students may
request funding for a period of no less than six months and no more than 12 months.
Funds support travel expenses to and from the residence of the fellow and the country
or countries of research; maintenance and dependents(s) allowances based on the
location of research for the fellow and his or her dependent(s); an allowance for
research related expenses overseas; and health and accident insurance premiums.
Projects focusing on Western Europe are not supported.
Eligible Applicants
Institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States are eligible to apply for
grants under this program. As part of the application process, students submit
individual applications to the IHE. The IHE then submits all eligible individual student
applications with its grant application to the U.S. Department of Education. A student
is eligible to receive a DDRA fellowship from their IHE if he or she:

Is a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States

Is a graduate student in good standing at an IHE

Is admitted to candidacy in a doctoral degree program in modern foreign
languages and area studies at that institution when the fellowship period begins

Is planning a teaching career in the United States upon completion of his or her
doctoral program

Possesses sufficient foreign language skills to carry out the dissertation
research project
Story from a former grantee/participant:
My Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation for Research Abroad (DDRA) fellowship
enabled me to conduct my anthropological dissertation research in New Zealand. I
worked with Maori communities, specifically native film and television producers, to
examine the connections between media, sovereignty, and language revitalization.
Maori have one of the most developed media industries in the indigenous world, being
successful both nationally and internationally. The revitalization of the Maori language
is also one of the 20th century’s most successful language revitalizations (another
being Hebrew), and media has been intimately tied to this project. This success in
multiple domains has made Maori and their programs global leaders, as many other
indigenous groups look to them as practical models for what they want to do in their
own communities.
The DDRA fellowship allowed me to work with people on the ground and face-to-face
(or as Maori might call it, “eye-to-eye”), an invaluable experience that contributed to
and enriched my understanding of Maori media practices and how they fit into larger
efforts for self-determination. Attending Fulbright events in both New Zealand and in
the United States also gave me a tremendous network of colleagues, many whom I am
proud to call my friends. On a more personal level, the time I spent in New Zealand
gave me experiences and friendships that I will value for life.
After returning to the United States, I finished my Ph.D. in anthropology at New York
University. I then worked for Oprah Winfrey as the senior academic researcher on her
2015 television series, “Belief,” a 7-part documentary series on cross-cultural belief
systems. Over the course of three years, our production team shot in 35 different
countries and six different continents, compiling a set of stories that are intimate,
beautiful, and emotionally moving. I worked on the series from its conception to its
completion, helping to ensure that the people who were featured were treated
respectfully and accurately.
I now teach courses on indigenous societies in the Pacific and critical understandings
of media, art, and culture in the Sociology and Anthropology Department at Bowdoin
College in Maine, a position that I am fortunate to have, and one that is a direct legacy
of my Fulbright-Hays time in New Zealand.
----April Strickland, a New York University FY 2008 Fulbright-Hays Doctoral
Dissertation Research Abroad Fellow
Visit the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral-Dissertation Research Projects Abroad
webpage to learn more and apply.
To learn more about other programs from OPE's International and Foreign
Language Education Division, you can visit their webpage, subscribe to their
Newsletter and follow them on Twitter @GlobalED.
For a complete list of 2016 grant programs offered by the Office of Postsecondary
Education please visit our Funding Opportunities Page. To learn more about our
divisions, grant programs and policy development you can visit OPE's website and
follow us at Twitter @EDpostsecondary.
Additional Opportunities
OPE Seeks Peer Reviewers! Looking for professional development experience in 2016
or interested in learning more about the Department of Education’s OPE and its
programs? OPE seeks to create a pool of specialists to serve as “peer reviewers” to
read and evaluate its grant competitions! Participation requires up to two weeks with
modest compensation. To learn more and/or apply please visit Peer Reviewers
Information page on OPE’s website.
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