Taiwan
2 Fulbright Debate Coach/Trainer Award
Accepted Degree Levels
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Grant PeriodSeptember StartGrant Length11 Months |
Award Type
Award Profile
- Help local coaches to build up debate programs at Taiwan’s top public and private high schools
- Build up a local debate circuit and run and judge local tournaments
- Train interested Fulbrighters, including English Teaching Assistants, students, and scholars, how to coach debate
- Travel with teams to tournaments
- Generate and research arguments within a group setting
- Work with other teachers to further develop the debate program
- Organize a debate camp in the summer for interested students
- All coach/trainers must remain for the entire teaching semester(s)
- A stipend and partial housing allowance is provided by the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan) - Please visit the Fulbright Taiwan website for more financial information.
The Fulbright Debate Program aims at not only strengthening Taiwanese students’ oral communication skills in English, but also developing their insights in global trends and cross-cultural awareness between the U.S. and Taiwan’s high schools.
With professional training from our Fulbright coaches, this program will improve Taiwan high school students’ critical thinking skills in English and enhance the promotion of democratic values within Taiwan and the U.S. The debate coach will spend 10-15 hours of teaching per week at selected high schools in Taiwan.
Grant Length
Grant Period
Grants must begin on September 1, 2025 and end on July 31, 2026. Grantees will be in Taiwan in time for the Welcome Meeting (usually the Friday after Labor Day).
Orientation
The post-arrival orientation will be held the Friday after Labor Day.
Candidate Profile
Applicants’ qualifications should include:
- 3+ years’ experience in nationally competitive debate (application should include record of demonstrated achievement in competitive debate)
- Ability to teach Public Forum and Policy Debate
- Cross-cultural experience is an asset
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Experience in coaching/teaching in a high performing high schools preferred, but not required
Applications are welcome from all fields of study, especially political science, law, international relations, and language arts (including communications, rhetoric, and argumentation). Candidates must be willing and able to work with a high degree of independence.
No Letter of Affiliation is required upon application.
Debate Coaches cannot be accompanied by dependents.
What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?
With a thriving economy, buoyed by rapid technological advancement, a healthcare revolution, and a vibrant media landscape, Taiwan boasts top global universities and academic departments equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
Taiwan features a foreigner-friendly environment with increasing in-bound travel and immigration, thriving international trade, and democratic institutions and freedoms. While Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language, Taiwan citizens are capable in basic English. Taiwan places emphasis on education, with an adult literacy rate over 98%.
There are three types of higher education institutions in Taiwan: private and public universities, junior colleges, and technical institutes. There are about 1.3 million students of higher education attending more than 160 institutions. Taiwan seeks to bolster the quality of instructors in the coming years. Through these efforts, Taiwan believes a comprehensive curriculum will be truly beneficial for students entering the job market.
Taiwan’s health care system is often measured against the world’s best. With its comprehensive medical facilities, convenient clinical visits, quality medical system, friendly service attitude and state-of-the-art-equipment, medical costs are very competitive in comparison with other advanced countries. Taiwan has become a leading choice for overseas medical treatments. Our U.S. grantees are offered Taiwan National Health Insurance during their grant periods after receiving the Taiwan Alien Resident Certificate (ARC). Also, they are exempted from Taiwan visa application fee (US$160) - it also applies to their dependents, and Taiwan Income Tax on the Fulbright stipend. In addition, there are airport pick-up and drop-off services provided.
Taiwan is considered to be a safe country and has high quality of life with great food, comfortable accommodations, extremely convenient transportation (there are metro systems in Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taoyuan, New Taipei, and Taichung), fast internet, and beautiful scenery. The cost of living in Taiwan is relatively low and is a great place to learn Chinese. The weather is nice most of the time throughout the year. Winters are not too cold and summers have lots of sunshine.
The academic year runs from mid-September to late June. The first semester is from September to January; the second semester is from late January or early February to late June (depending on the lunar calendar).
Please visit Taiwan’s Government Portal to learn more about Taiwan, including history, politics/diplomacy, economy, science/technology, and education/culture. Also, for our former U.S. grantees’ reflections (including research, teaching, and reflection of their living in Taiwan), please refer to the Reflection and Research website.
Eligibility
9 Months
- Candidates currently residing in Taiwan (or those who will be living there during the 2024-2025 academic year) will not be considered.
- A candidate who has lived outside the United States for five or more years in the six-year –period preceding the date of application will be ineligible.
- Individuals with dual U.S.-Taiwan citizenship or permanent residency are not eligible.
- All Fulbright U.S. Student award recipients to Taiwan are required to travel to Taiwan on a J-type visa for academic and cultural exchange programs. Please note that individuals with dual U.S.-Taiwanese citizenship or permanent residency are not eligible to meet these document requirements. It is the responsibility of the applicant to determine whether they have dual citizenship and how it effects their eligibility prior to submitting their application for a Fulbright award.
- All Fulbright U.S. Student award recipients who were born in China must have obtained U.S. citizenship for at least 4 years. When they apply for J-type visas at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the U.S., they are required to provide additional documentary evidence to certify that they have resided in the U.S. for a duration of 4 years and above. The Fulbright Program cannot guarantee that they will be granted a J-type visa. All applicants must meet Taiwan’s entry requirements for applications of Taiwan visas. Please directly contact the TECO to get details on the visa application.
Degree Level of Applicant
- Bachelor's
- Master's
Special Application Instructions
Applicants must select “English Teaching Assistant Award” in the Award Type field of the application.
Foreign Language Proficiency
A working knowledge of Mandarin or Taiwanese is useful, but not required. Mandarin study in Taiwan is highly encouraged.
Placement Type
- Secondary School
Coach/trainers will be institutionally housed at Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (FSE).
The debate coaches will teach at the high schools in the following areas of Taiwan: Taipei City, New Taipei City, Hsinchu City, Taichung City, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City.
Placement Locations
- Capital City
- Regional City
Learn more in each city/county in Taiwan, please visit the local governments website.
Supplementary Project
Award Benefits
- A stipend broadly based on the cost of living in the host country. These funds may be used by the grantee to support housing, meals, and incidental costs during the grant period.
- International travel benefits
- Accident & sickness health benefits
- 24/7 mental health support line for urgent and non-urgent situations
- 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status within the federal government
- English language teaching preparatory course
Stipend Amount
This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.
Total monthly Stipend: NT$50,000
- Base Stipend:
- NT$22,000 per month - Living Allowance:
- NT$15,000 per month - Partial Housing Allowance:
- NT$10,000 per month - Incidental Allowance:
- NT$3,000 per month
Note:
- Currency exchange rates are subject to fluctuation (usually between NT$27 and NT$32 to the US dollar).
- Funds are paid in NTD to a local Taiwan bank account.
One-Time Allowances
This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.
- Excess baggage fees
- Settling in allowance
Settling-in allowance and baggage allowance of NT$36,000, upon arrival.
The funds will be paid in NTD case upon arrival. It is paid to help meet some innediate expenses and cover the costs of extra baggage brought to and taken from Taiwan.
Additional Grant Benefits
- Diversity Coordinator on Post/Commission staff
- Health insurance (in addition to ASPE)
- Mid-year seminar
- Transportation pass
Note:
- A direct roundtrip economy-class air ticket will be provided to the grantee.
- After receiving the Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) in Taiwan, the premium for our grantees is paid each month by Fulbright Taiwan directly to Taiwan’s Bureau of National Health Insurance during the effective period of their grant.
- After accompanying qualifying dependents obtain the Taiwan ARCs, national health insurance will also be provided.
- Exemption from Taiwan visa application fee (US$160).
- Exemption from Taiwan income tax on the Fulbright stipend
- Orientation
- Thanksgiving Dinner
- Mid-year Conference
- Farewell Reception
Estimated Cost of Living
Consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country.
Currency: The New Taiwan dollar is the official currency of Taiwan. The currency code is TWD and this is commonly abbreviated as NT$ or NTD$. Cash payment is common in Taiwan though many shops also accept credit cards, Easy Card and iPass. Checks are not normally used in Taiwan for payment of everyday expenses. Most banks offer foreign currency exchange and bank services in NT dollars. Foreigners with the Alien Resident Certificate can open a Taiwanese bank account. The minimum monthly wage is NT$26,400 (US$880) and the average regular monthly income is NT$43,570 (US$1,458) in 2022. The minimum cost of living per month is NT$22,536 (US$751) in 2022. The cost of living is low – as it is really affordable for foreigner to live, travel, and study.
Transportation: There are currently five MRT systems in Taiwan: Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taoyuan, New Taipei and Taichung. Urban train system is inexpensive and efficient - you can get to one side of the city from the other for NT$60 (US$2). Bus fares cost even cheaper for NT$15-25 (US$0.5-0.8). During daytime, the starting amount for a cab in Taipei is NT$70 (US$2.3), and NT$20 (US$0.7) is about a 1-kilometer ride. An Easy Card or iPass can be purchased at all MRT stations and convenience stores. They not only can get through all the public transportation around Taiwan, but also can be used as a payment card in many stores. The Easy Card and iPass cost NT$100 (US$3.3). After you got the card, you can top up as many amounts as you want via machines in the MRT station or the convenience stores.
Rent: Housing standards in Taiwan are generally quite acceptable, but apartments are usually smaller than you might be used to, especially in big cities like Taipei. Rent varies considerably depending on location, sharing arrangements, and quality of apartment. The majority of our international students in Taipei and Taichung pay between NT$8,000 (US$267) and $16,000 (US$533) per month. Elsewhere, rent is cheaper. Apartments usually come unfurnished, but sometimes the landlord or the previous occupants leave basic furnishings. Air conditioning is common, but central heating is very rare as there is little need for it.
Phone and Internet: Some of the largest mobile providers in Taiwan are Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, FarEasTone, and T Star. Their websites have detailed price plans and the full list of services available to customers. A mobile phone contract will give expats a much more permanent solution to communications in Taiwan, with more services and talk time with monthly bills. Most apartment rentals include cable and internet service.
Food: Taiwan is world-known for its great varieties of cuisine, and the cost is quite affordable. You can easily find local rice, noodle, soup, or dumplings dish for between NT$40 (US$1.6) and NT$100 (US$3.6). A Big Mac, fries, and soda set from McDonald’s costs about NT$180 (US$6). Dinner for two in a good restaurant will cost about NT$1,000 (US$33.3). Supermarkets sell local and imported products at average prices. Finding vegetarian food is not very difficult. The cost of food and drinks is about NT$400-500 (US$13.3-16.7) per day.
Entertainment: Movie tickets cost about NT$250-330 (US$8.7-$11) base on which city you are living. The cost for the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), or the National Palace Museum are NT$30 (US$1), NT$50 (US$1.7), and NT$350 (US$11.7) admission respectively. Taiwan has many great hiking trails and most of them are free for charge. If you have an Easycard or credit card, you can rent a Ubike in all major cities of Taiwan. The process is very easy and the rate is affordable.
Cost of Medical Care: Grantees are insured by Taiwan’s National Health Insurance program. The health system in Taiwan is extremely advanced, convenient, and affordable. Clinics are readily accessible. Every visit costs about US$6-US$16 (co-pay) and this covers all the bills including medication.
Dependents
Housing Arrangements
The Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan) will book the grantees in a hotel for the first four nights close to the office and provide appropriate real estate listing and provide the rental housing-related information. The grantees are offered a one-time-only settling-in allowance, a stipend and partial housing allowance. Please visit the Fulbright Taiwan website for more financial information.
Fulbright Program Management Contact
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
Independent Study
No research or independent study is required. Debate Coach/Trainer awards are not study/research awards, and instructing takes most of the grantee’s time. In applying, the Statement of Grant Purpose should focus on why the applicant wishes to teach English in Taiwan, how being a debate coach has some relevance to what they have done so far, what they would like to do in the future, and how to make it a memorable cultural experience.
All Coach/Trainers must remain in Taiwan for the entire academic year.
Additional Online Resources
Education in Taiwan: https://english.moe.gov.tw/mp-1.html
Learn Chinese in Taiwan: https://lmit.edu.tw/lc