The candidates will be selected through open, merit-based competition to participate in quality graduate level programs (master's and research) in any field except clinical medicine.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• have Romanian citizenship
• hold a University degree with good academic standing
• demonstrate that they will benefit professionally from a course of study in USA
• present letters of reference from 3 university professors and/or other acknowledged Romanian or foreign professionals
• be in the early stage of their careers
• have English proficiency (interviews will be conducted in English; TOEFL and GRE/GMAT will be required after the interview)
• be in good health and present medical certification upon request
• if applying in law, candidates must hold a degree in that field

THE APPLICATION PACKAGE consists of the online application form, letters of recommendation (online or hardcopies) and supporting documentation such as certified university transcripts and graduation diploma. The supporting documents must be accompanied by complete official English translations. A complete medical report and official test scores are mandatory only for the applicants who passed the Fulbright interview in September.

THE DURATION OF JUNIOR FULBRIGHT GRANTS is generally one academic year (9-12 months) beginning in August or September. Candidates appointed to certain types of Fulbright grants may be required to arrive during the summer for an introductory course or intensive English program prior to the academic year. The length of a degree program exceeds the available funding and sponsorship the Fulbright grant covers. Candidates may be able to arrange funding through the American university for a second year.

(Note: files which are not complete or are not postmarked by deadline will not be considered.)

First Phase:

The Screening Process: applicants are evaluated by 2 specialists in their respective field. This is an evaluation of the professional level of the applicant's proposal, based on the following criteria:

1. Significance of the proposal research/study theme to the field
2. Importance of the project to the home country
3. Clarity of the proposal
4. Academic credentials
5. Evidence that residence in the US is necessary to accomplish the project
6. Feasibility of project in terms of available time and resources
7. Plans to disseminate research findings in Romania (to be taken into consideration only for research projects).

Specialists: for each field the Commission makes the selection of the specialists which is subsequently approved by the Commission's Board and kept confidential.

Specialists can be American or Romania but must fulfill the following criteria:

• Have at least a Ph.D. --for seniors-- or M.A.- for juniors in the same field or academic area as the person screened
• Be in leading positions in their departments or fields
• Be members of highly regarded academic institutions (e.g. Romanian Academy)
• Have a sound ability to read and speak English
• Be available and willing to participate in the process
• Keep confidential our collaboration

Frequently screening specialists

• have U.S. academic experience
• are Fulbright alumni
• are recommended by Fulbright professors whose judgment we trust

The interview: The evaluators on the interview panel are American and Romanian specialists. The members evaluate candidates according to motivation and adaptability, in addition to the criteria used for the screening process (see above). At the end of the interview an average of all the marks for each candidate is established and he/she is then ranked. The Cultural Officer of American Embassy is the president of the interview panel and approves the members proposed by the Commission. Fulbright employees are non-voting members of the interview panel. The names of the members in the interview panel are made public the day of the interview.

The duration of the selection process is approximately 12 months, therefore the Fulbright Junior competition is advertised a year before.

NOTE: When the competition is opened, it will be advertised in the NEWS section of this website. If it is not advertised in News, check TIMELINE for general dates of competition. Application packages will not be considered if they are postmarked after the deadline of the competition.