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Current U.S. Student

United States citizens who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are eligible to apply.If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a U.S. college or university, you will apply through that institution, even if you are not currently a resident there. Find the Fulbright Program Adviser on your campus.

U.S. Citizen but not a Student

If you are a U.S. citizen, will hold a bachelor’s degree by the award start date, and do not have a Ph.D. degree, then you are eligible to apply. Non-enrolled applicants should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Candidates with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

The Getting Started page will provide information on eligibility and next steps.

Artist

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program welcomes applications in the creative and performing arts. Arts candidates for the U.S. Student Program should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Artists with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Creative & Performing Arts projects fall under the Study/Research grant category and are available in all countries where Study/Research grants are offered.

FPA

U.S. Professor/Administrator

If you are a U.S. citizen and a professor or administrator at a U.S. institution and are interested in applying for a Fulbright Scholar Award, you will need to apply through fulbrightscholars.org.

To support your students in applying for a U.S. Student Program award, please connect with the Fulbright Program Adviser at your institution.

Non U.S. Citizens

If you are a non-U.S. citizen interested in applying for a Fulbright Award to the United States, you will need to apply through the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your home country. Find out more information on the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program or Fulbright Foreign Student Program.

South Pacific Island Nations

3 Open Study/Research Award

Accepted Degree Levels
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Grant Period
Flexible Start
Grant Length
10 Months
Award Type
Open Study/Research Award
Award Profile

This program provides opportunities for students who wish to propose study/research projects in Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, OR Vanuatu. (Note: This is NOT a multi-country award.) Selection will be made based on the quality of applications, rather than on per-country quotas. The distribution of awards to countries in the region varies annually.

Grant Length
10 Months
Grant Period
Flexible Start

Fulbright grantees will begin their 10 month grant period between August 2026 and March 2027, subject to the approval of the U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji; the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; the U.S. Embassy in Apia, Samoa; the U.S. Embassy in Honiara, Solomon Islands; or the U.S. Embassy in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. Grantees must contact the U.S. Embassy prior to arrival to arrange for a security briefing and orientation. Please note that the cost of living in some Pacific Island Nations (particularly Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu) is very high.

Orientation
Pre-Departure and In-Country Orientation
Candidate Profile

All grantees must be prepared to work independently with a minimum of supervision. Candidates must be mature, resourceful and flexible. 

Candidates at all degree levels are eligible, but preference will be given to master's and doctoral candidates. Candidates with only a bachelor's degree must be sure to submit well thought-out and methodologically rigorous proposals. 

What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?

Applicants are expected to research their host country. Application materials should indicate a clear commitment to the host country community and a description of how you will engage with it.

The Fulbright South Pacific Island Nations Open Study/Research Award provides prospective grantees the opportunity to experience life in one of a wide variety of available host countries. Each eligible country for this award offers unique experiences and opportunities to make cross-cultural connections.

One consistency across these countries is that each grantee will likely be either the only Fulbrighter or one of a few in their host country. As such, grantees will need to be independent-minded and proactive about researching their intended host country and community.

Availability of medical services also varies by country. In some cases, grantees may need to travel outside of their host country to access necessary medical services.

As a starting point for learning more about the eligible host countries, please review the information available on their respective pages on the United States Department of State website:

Eligibility
Residency in host country NOT permitted in year prior to grant
Dual citizens of this country are NOT eligible
Indicate how many months is considered residency:
9 Months
Degree Level of Applicant
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Foreign Language Evaluation (FLE) Form

If required, submission of the Foreign Language Evaluation (FLE) form is mandatory, even if you have advanced skills or are a native speaker of the language. Failure to submit the required FLE form may impact your eligibility.

Recommended

Additional Information: Applicants without any local language skills should include plans in their Fulbright applications for language study concurrent with their research projects.

Foreign Language Proficiency Level by Grant Start

If a Foreign Language Evaluation (FLE) form is Required, applicants must have the following proficiency level by the start of the grant period. If a Foreign Language Evaluation (FLE) form is Recommended, applicants are encouraged but not required to have the following level by the start of the grant period.

Intermediate
Fulbright Proposal Types
Independent Study/Research:
Yes
Letter required for independent study or research at deadline
Graduate Degree Enrollment:
No
Affiliation

All candidates must secure a strong and reliable affiliation with a host country university or institution. Candidates must include affiliation letters with their Fulbright applications. This affiliation is a critical component of the research clearance process.

Affiliation Fees/Tuition
Affiliation Fees/Tuition not covered in grant benefits
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
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.

1,900 to 3,000 monthly stipend amount in
$ [US Dollar]

Monthly stipend amount varies depending on host country.

Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu: $2,500 per month

Tonga: $2,500 per month

Samoa: $1,900 per month

Papua New Guinea: $3,000 per month

Solomon Islands: $3,000 per month

Vanuatu: $3,000 per month

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.

$ [US Dollar]
  • Excess baggage fees
  • Research/Materials allowance
  • Settling in allowance
Estimated Cost of Living

Consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country.

Cost of living can vary between the many South Pacific Island nations eligible as host countries for this award. As such, interested applicants are encouraged to research the cost of living for their intended host country. One available website for reviewing cost of living estimates is: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/

Dependents
Dependent financial support is NOT available
Research Clearance and Visas

Grantees will be required to obtain research clearance from the host government. A letter of institutional affiliation will be required. Contact the host institution to begin this process immediately upon acceptance of the Fulbright award, as it can take five months or more to obtain approvals from multiple ministries. 

The host country's embassy in the United States (Washington, DC) should also be contacted immediately upon acceptance of the Fulbright award for visa guidance. 

As the visa/research clearance process can be extremely slow, grantees are strongly warned to start the process as soon as possible and follow through diligently and consistently. Much of the documentation required for the research clearance is identical to the materials submitted with the Fulbright application. 

Fulbright Program Management Contact
FBstudent.EAP@iie.org
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
Fiji: https://fj.usembassy.gov/; Papua New Guinea: https://pg.usembassy.gov/; Samoa: https://ws.usembassy.gov
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Contact
The U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji is responsible for looking after U.S. interests in five Pacific Island Nations: Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu. : PDSuva@state.gov
The U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea is responsible for looking after U.S. interests in three Pacific Island Nations: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. : PDPortMoresby@state.gov
The U.S. Embassy in Apia, Samoa is responsible for looking after U.S. interests in Samoa.: ApiaPd@state.gov