Fellowships

 


2025-2026 Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program

The Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (FTEA) is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. It is part of the overall Fulbright Program, named in honor of Senator J. William Fulbright, which promotes mutual understanding among people of the United States and other countries. The Fulbright TEA Program will provide approximately 180 secondary school teachers from 75 countries with a unique opportunity to develop greater expertise in their subject areas, enhance their teaching skills, and increase their knowledge about the United States. The Fulbright TEA program is a six-week non-degree, non-credit academic program at a U.S. University. The international participants will travel to the United States for one of the two six-week professional development programs, either in January 2026 or September 2026. The timing of the program is subject to change, depending on the conditions in the host communities.

 

Fulbright TEA provides general academic seminars focusing on new teaching methodologies, student-centered learning, content-based instruction, lesson planning, and instructional technology training for teachers. Intensive English language instruction will be offered to teachers who need additional practice. The program will also include a practicum of at least 40 hours with a U.S. partner teacher in a secondary school near the host university to actively engage participants in the U.S. classroom environment. Cultural enrichment, mentoring, and support will be provided to participants throughout the program. The program will provide participants with practical resources they can use in their teaching, as well as skills to train trainers. Up to six teachers from India will participate in this program.

 

After returning home, teachers who successfully complete the program will be eligible to compete for small grants awards for essential teaching materials, follow-on training for other teachers, collaborative projects between participating American schools and their home schools, and other activities that build on the exchange experience.

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must:

  • Be full-time school teachers (6th to 12th grades) in a school that serves a primarily local (not expatriate) population;
  • Have completed at least five years of full-time teaching by the application deadline in FTEA teaching disciplines: English, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, or Special Education;
  • Live and teach in India;
  • Have earned a bachelor’s degree;
  • Be citizens of and residents in India;
  • Be present in India at the time of submitting the application and for the interview;
  • Obtain a minimum score of 45 on iBT TOEFL or equivalent English language examination*;
  • Demonstrate a commitment to continue teaching after completion of the program; and
  • Have submitted a complete application.

*TOEFL scores are not required at the time of application. If you are short-listed for interview, USIEF will provide instructions for TOEFL or an equivalent of English proficiency test. A valid passport is required to take iBT TOEFL

 

The Fulbright TEA program promotes diversity in the classroom and in learning. It supports inclusion and strongly encourages teachers with disabilities to apply.

 

Former participants of TEA, the International Leaders in Education (ILEP) program, Partners in Education (PiE), Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program or the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program are not eligible to apply. If you have participated in other U.S. government-funded professional development exchange programs, please talk to USIEF about your eligibility.

 

Applicants with PhDs from India are eligible to apply for Fulbright Teacher Exchange programs, but if you have a PhD in topics that are the focus of Fulbright TEA, this program is likely not suitable for you. FTEA is a program for practicing teachers. Educational administrators (such as representatives or officials of the Ministry of Education) and school administrators who do not teach at least fifty percent of their time, full-time teacher trainers, university faculty, private English Language tutors, and teachers from schools primarily serving expatriates are not eligible. Staff or families of staff at a U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission are not eligible to apply.

 

ECA and IREX prohibit all forms of discrimination or harassment against applicants on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, religion or belief, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related condition, marital or civil partnership status, military or veteran status, genetic information, victim of domestic violence or assault, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, matriculation, or any other characteristic or status protected by law.

 

APPLICATIONS NOT MEETING THE ABOVE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS WILL NOT BE FORWARDED TO THE SELECTION COMMITTEE.

 

IREX reserves the right to verify all the information included in the application. If there is a discrepancy, or information is found to be false, the application will immediately be declared invalid and the applicant ineligible.

 

PROVISIONS OF THE FELLOWSHIP

  • J-1 visa support;
  • A pre-departure orientation in India;
  • Round-trip airfare to and within the U.S.;
  • Academic program fees;
  • Housing and meals;
  • Accident and sickness coverage;
  • Transportation to the practicum school (as needed);
  • A daily allowance for incidentals during the university academic program;
  • A baggage allowance; and
  • The opportunity to apply for alumni small grants for alumni in good standing.

SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA

 

Fulbright TEA fellows will be selected through a merit-based open competition according to the eligibility and criteria below. Top candidates will be interviewed by a selection panel and must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or provide valid results from within the past year (test date no earlier than May 2024).

 

Selection Criteria (not in order of importance):

  • Demonstrated commitment to teaching in the field of secondary education;
  • Demonstrated leadership potential;
  • Professional and educational experience and achievements;
  • Potential for developing long-term linkages between the U.S. and Indian educational institutions and schools;
  • Preparedness (including maturity, flexibility, and ability to function independently) for an intensive U.S.-based training program with very limited free time for personal travel or sightseeing;
  • Willingness and capacity to work and live collaboratively with international peers to foster a positive learning community for professional development;
  • Articulated ideas for applying program experience to improving secondary education in India;
  • Ability to express ideas clearly and effectively;
  • Oral and written English language skills adequate to manage coursework, develop lesson plans, and team-teach in U.S. schools (a minimum score of 45 on internet based TOEFL is required for FTEA participation);
  • Applicants who have had few or no opportunities to travel to the U.S. will be given priority;
  • Preference will be given to applicants who are members of or who work with students from underserved communities or traditionally underrepresented groups including but not limited to women, racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQIA+ community and people from diverse geographical areas of the country; and
  • Preference will also be given to applicants who have not previously received a Fulbright grant. .

HOW TO APPLY

 

You are required to submit an online application along with supporting documents. Candidates can access the online application at https://fulbright.irex.org/. For instructions on completing the online application, please click here.

 

Please note that USIEF will accept only online applications from Indian applicants. Paper applications will not be accepted.

 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 07, 2025


PROGRAM TIMELINE

March 07, 2025 Application Deadline
Early April 2025 Screening of the applications
End April 2025 Interviews and TOEFL testing
September 2025 Notifications of Finalists
December 2025 Pre-Departure Orientation Cohort I
Late January-March 2026 U.S. Program Dates Cohort I
July 2026 Pre-Departure Orientation Cohort II
September-November 2026 U.S. Program Dates Cohort II

 

IMPORTANT:

You can apply for either the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (FTEA) Program or Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers (FDAI) during this competition cycle.

Candidates who apply for both FTEA and FDAI programs will be considered INELIGIBLE.

Plagiarism in the application will lead to disqualification.


Contact Information

If you have any questions,

Teachers teaching in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, and West Bengal should contact Mr. Sumanta Basu, Regional Officer, USIEF Kolkata Regional Office, Kolkata, E: usiefkolkata@usief.org.in; Phone: 033-68276310.

Teachers teaching in the states of Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh should contact Dr. Gayatri Singhal, Indian Program Manager, USIEF, New Delhi, E: Gayatri@usief.org.in; Phone: 011 4209 0949.

Teachers teaching in the states of Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli should contact Dr. Ryan A. Pereira, Regional Officer, USIEF Mumbai Regional Office, Mumbai, E: ryan@usief.org.in; Phone: 022 2262 4603.

Teachers teaching in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana should contact Ms. Pranitha Hemanth, Administrative and EducationUSA Coordinator, Hyderabad, E: usiefhyderabad@usief.org; Phone: 8008465712.

Teachers teaching in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands should contact Ms. Maya Sundararajan, Regional Officer, USIEF Chennai Regional Office, Chennai, E: usiefchennai@usief.org.in; Phone: 044-28574275.