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Ecuador
Number of recipients
In addition to being a prestigious academic exchange program, the Fulbright Program is designed to expand and strengthen relationships between the people of the United States and citizens of other nations and to promote international understanding and cooperation. To support this mission, Fulbright Scholars may be asked to give public talks, mentor students, and otherwise engage with the host community, in addition to their primary activities.
Grantees may propose a professional project, conduct research, teach undergraduate or graduate courses, participate in conferences, and advise students or faculty members, among other activities. Teaching/Research grantees are expected to give public lectures and/or advise on university curriculum and administration, based on the needs of the host institution.
For Teaching/Research projects, the usual ratio is 40% teaching and 60% researching, but variations of this can be determined between the candidate and the host institution.
All accredited higher education institutions, research institutes, and NGOs based in Ecuador.
Grants will not be approved for areas with a U.S. Travel Advisory indicating "Do Not Travel." Review updated information here.
Grant period is three to four months.
The grant must be initiated and completed between July 2025 and September 2026. For flex grants, the first segment of Flex grants must be completed before September 2026. Grantees may choose the most suitable grant dates according to their availability and arrangements with the host institution within these parameters. A schedule of grant activities should be included in the Statement of Purpose.
Ecuador has two academic calendars:
- Highland Region (Sierra): August/September through May/June
- Coastal Region (Costa): March/April through January/February
Flex grants cannot exceed four months in total and all segments must be completed by September 2027.
The Flex Award is designed for scholars who require multiple visits to the host country. This option allows grants to be conducted over two or three short segments. Applicants must select Flex in the application form, and clearly describe their plans for Flex in their project statement, including a project timeline. Flex grantees may be asked to give public talks, mentor students, and otherwise engage with the host-country academic community.
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
The Fulbright Commission in Ecuador supports affiliations with all accredited higher education institutions, research institutes and NGOs based in Ecuador. If you need assistance contacting an institution, the Commission can help. Please write to programs@fulbright.org.ec.
Depending on an applicant's proposed affiliation institution and area of work, knowledge of English may be sufficient. For example, working with certain universities or research institutes may not require Spanish. However, working in certain fields of study or communities in Ecuador may require knowledge of Spanish or an indigenous language. Applicants should address the feasibility of their proposed project with respect to language in their project proposal.
For further information, please visit the website for the Commission for Educational Exchange between the U.S. and Ecuador.
Additionally, the Fulbright Commission in Ecuador will be offering monthly office hours to all applicants to respond to inquiries about the specific requirements for Ecuador, affiliations, visas, grant benefits, and more. Office hours will take place the last Wednesday of each month, from 3-4 (Quito, Ecuador time). Participants can join the office hours using this Zoom link.
The Ecuadorian economy is dollarized. Amounts are in U.S. dollars:
- Full professor or equivalent rank: $4,050 per month.
- Associate professor or equivalent rank: $3,900 per month.
- Assistant professor or equivalent rank: $3,720 per month.
- International travel costs are covered by the Commission for the grantee only.
- For Flex Awards, round-trip travel is included for each segment of the grant for the grantee only.
- Excess baggage allowance up to $200.
Books and educational materials allowance up to $500.
- $190 per month for one dependent
- $300 per month for two dependents
Dependents must accompany the grantee for at least 80% of the period abroad and a minimum of one semester in order to qualify for additional dependent benefits. Dependent benefits are not provided to Flex grantees.
A furnished apartment lease in a small city is around $400 and is between $700 - $850 in a big city (Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca). A family of 4 can expect utilities of $150, including water, electricity, internet, gas, and cable tv services.
Transportation is very inexpensive, public transportation fare costs 35 - 50 cents. The minimum fare for a cab is $2.
Groceries can be as low as $90 per week for 2 adults and 2 children. Meals for every taste range from $4 for a daily menu to $70 in a good restaurant, including drinks.
A visit to a doctor can go from $40 to $75. Medicine is less expensive than in the U.S.
Education costs can widely vary from public schools to international schools.
Clothing in Ecuador can be a bit more expensive than in the United States but it all depends on where you shop.
Up to $400 for in-country travel to lecture at other Ecuadorian institutions or to spend in domestic travel related to the grant project.
During their grant period, Fulbright U.S. Scholars in the Western Hemisphere (WHA) region may apply for a short-term regional travel grant for activities such as workshops, seminars, presentations, lectures, performances, exhibits, curricular advising and similar projects at institutions in eligible WHA countries. (Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados and Eastern Caribbean, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Uruguay).
The Regional Travel Program covers travel to and from the destination; lodging may be offered by the host institution. Scholars may only apply for this grant once they are in country on their Fulbright grant. Scholars who apply for the Flex award are ineligible for the Regional Travel Program. Additional information can be found on the Regional Travel Program website.
Final grant amounts will be determined prior to the start of the academic year and are subject to the availability of funds. The United States Department of State and the Fulbright Commission in the host country reserve the right to alter, without notice, participating countries, number of awards and allowances.
Ecuador
Ecuador is a paradise where life can be experienced to the fullest. Its privileged location creates four diverse regions with different elevations, climates, and microclimates. The coastal region has tropical weather, outstanding cuisine and unique Montubio culture. The highland region displays snowcapped mountains and volcanoes and is home to millenary indigenous communities with distinct languages. The Amazon region comprises large extensions of primary forests and conservation hotspots of remarkable biodiversity. The Galapagos Islands, the land of Darwin, are a living laboratory of evolution and discovery.
In Ecuador you will find cities that have been declared as UNESCO World Heritage for their well-preserved architecture, rich culture, languages, and traditions, creating textured social and cultural environments inviting of study and exploration.
Entrepreneurship is a growing phenomenon in Ecuador, and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) has highlighted the country’s active and dynamic entrepreneurial environment. With many success stories in cacao and chocolate production, dairy products, and world-class coffee, you will find business incubators of innovation at different universities.
Ecuador offers grantees quality of life. With a land size similar to the state of Nevada, you can find completely different surroundings in a few hours' drive. The economy is dollarized and all conveniences can be found in cities like Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Ambato, and Salinas. Finding a place to live is easy through different websites that offer short- and long-term leases. A fully furnished place can go from $400 per month in small cities to $700-$850 per month in big cities. Food services and restaurant dining offer a wide selection of menu items and price, which can range from $6 to $70 U.S. dollars per person, drinks included. Ecuadorian gastronomy is as diverse as its regions and you will find flavorful experiences to fall in love with. To give you an idea about the cost of groceries, fruits and vegetables for two adults and two children can be purchased for $60 a week in local markets (mercados). Transportation is inexpensive; taxi fare starts at $1.50 for a short ride.
If you have children and are planning to have them attend school in Ecuador, there are many opportunities in the public, municipal or private schools. You will find international schools in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Ambato and Manta. With respect to healthcare, though foreigners cannot access the public health system, there are good private hospitals in many cities. A visit to a doctor can cost between $50 - $80. Medicines in Ecuador cost a fraction of what you would pay in the United States. In addition, banking in Ecuador is convenient, as there are ATMs in almost every city and at almost every gas station across the country.
Finally, the most important reason why people come back to Ecuador is its people. We are sure you will find friends and a community here!
(Judy Blankenship with Kori Guamán. Photo by Buddy Terry.)
Judy Blankenship, U.S. Scholar, 2000 and 2015
Cañar, Ecuador
FULBRIGHT EXPERIENCE
I came to Ecuador for my first research/teaching Fulbright research/teaching as an independent scholar in 2000, and you could say I am the one who stayed. With my project as a documentary photographer in the province of Cañar, in the south of Ecuador, I taught photography and began long-term work documenting the indigenous Cañari culture. My host institution at the time was Museo Pumapungo, the ethnographic museum in Cuenca.
I returned in 2005 with a second research/teaching Fulbright to continue and expand my documentary work with Cañari organizations. At the end of this grant period my husband and I decided to buy a small piece of land in Cañar, build a house, and return every year for six months. This is our sixteenth year.
Between my first Fulbright and now, I have published two books about our lives in Cañar with University of Texas Press; initiated an audio-visual archive in Cañar, El Archivo Cultural de los Cañaris; worked with the Smithsonian and contributed digital archival materials to the Archive of Indigenous Languages of Latin America (AILLA) at University of Texas, Austin. My collection of audiovisual materials from my years in Ecuador will eventually be housed at the Benson Library Center for Latin American Studies, University of Texas, Austin.
Thank you, Fulbright Ecuador!
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.
Candidates may be invited to participate in a virtual interview as part of the host country review process.