All Disciplines
Moldova
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.
Teach at a higher education institution (e.g., university-level, master's) in the grantee's area of specialization. Assist with curriculum design, program development, and other activities as requested. Attend and participate in conferences, seminars, and workshops as requested.
Conduct research in the area of specialization.
Scholars selected for this grant will be required to attend a mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation in Summer 2025.
Any appropriate institution.
Four to five months for a one-semester grant; 9.5 months for a two-semester grant. For Flex grants, see Flex Option box.
One-semester grants must begin in September 2025 or January 2026; two-semester grants must begin in September 2025.
Flex awards are offered for teaching/research grants.
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).
Applicants are encouraged to contact universities of potential interest for a letter of invitation, though this is not required. The U.S. Embassy will facilitate arranging affiliations.
All teaching will be conducted in English. Some knowledge of Romanian or Russian is useful for living in Moldova.
For research, language proficiency sufficient to complete the proposed project is required. For applicants without local language proficiency, feasibility of conducting the project must be demonstrated in the project statement.
We will consider applicants with a Master's degree and significant teaching experience or appropriately qualified professional applicants, in addition to applicants holding a Ph.D.
Grant benefits include a monthly maintenance allowance, comprised of a base stipend and living and housing allowances. The base stipend varies based on a scholar's current academic rank (or professional equivalent). Living and housing allowances vary based on the city of placement, and the number of accompanying dependents. Dependent housing and living allowances will not be provided to Flex grantees.
$4,550
For Flex grants: round trip travel will be included for each segment of the grant for the grantee.
$1,500 books and educational materials allowance; should be donated to the host institution (or other entity) upon grantee's departure.
Additional living and housing allowance is provided for grantees with one accompanying dependent or two or more accompanying dependents. These amounts range from $155/month to $365/month. In addition, travel allowances are provided for up to two dependents: $3,500 for one dependent, and $7,000 for two or more dependents.
Reimbursement for dependent education expenses may be available on a limited basis, depending on funding availability and grant duration. Grantees should confirm with IIE that proposed expenses meet eligibility criteria; however, availability of funds may not be known until the end of the academic year.
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.
Please refer to the figures above for an estimate of total monthly Fulbright award benefits. Benefits may include a monthly base stipend, living and housing allowances, and additional one-time allowances. Benefits may vary based on a scholar's current academic rank (or professional equivalent), the city of placement, the type of award (teaching, teaching/research, or research), and the number of and duration of stay of accompanying dependents. Research-only or Professional Project grantees receive a standard stipend that is not adjusted for academic rank. In most cases, dependent benefits will not be provided to Flex grantees, or to grantees pursuing grants less than four months (or a semester) in length.
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 reserves the right to alter, without notice, participating countries, number of awards and allowances.
Moldova
Moldova is a small country in Eastern Europe at the crossroad between east and west. It is surrounded by Ukraine to the northeast and Romania to the southwest, with a population of over 3.5 million people. Once known as "the garden" of Soviet Union, it is famous for its wine, the world’s largest wine cellars and its charming countryside. Safe and welcoming, it is one of the few countries with a bilingual population (Romanian- and Russian-speaking) with two different alphabets: Cyrillic and Latin.
Moldova has a fascinating history; it was part of Romania during the interwar period, and incorporated into Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Previously it had been an independent nation under Ottoman rule and annexed by Tsarist Russia. Today, Moldova is an independent republic with an autonomous region called Gagauzia and a strip of break-away territory called Transnistria, which has not been recognized by any country. Transnistria is an example of a frozen conflict, which has existed in a state of limbo since 1990. It is distinctive by its Soviet architecture, posters and pro-Russian sentiments. Transnistria State University, located in its capital Tiraspol, offers internationally accredited courses and features satellite campuses in the towns of Rybnitsa and Bender.
Overall, there are 19 universities in Moldova, 11 of which are state institutions and 8 private. The majority are in the capital, Chisinau, including Moldova State University, Technical University, Pedagogical University, Medical University, University of Arts, Academy of Economic Studies, and Agricultural University. There is also one state university in the northern city of Balti; one in Comrat, the capital of the Gagauz region; and another in Cahul, in the south of Moldova. The largest and oldest private university is Free Independent University of Moldova (ULIM) in Chisinau.
In 2005, Moldova joined the Bologna Process, which aims to enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of European higher education and create a European Higher Education Area. As part of this process, Moldova reformed and modernized its higher-education system. Reforms included introducing two cycles of higher education (three to four years of undergraduate studies and one to two years of master's studies), implementing the European transferable credits system and bringing Moldovan legislation in the field of education to European standards. As Moldova progresses through the Bologna Process, the principal issue on the current agendum is assurance of quality throughout the higher education system.
A Fulbright placement in Moldova is a great opportunity for someone who is looking for direct interaction with a multi-ethnic republic and its Soviet and Romanian heritage. The Embassy strives to provide opportunities for all Fulbrighters to engage with partners throughout the country, including in Chisinau, Tiraspol, Cahul, Comrat and Balti, regardless of their host institution.
Bob Eckhart (2022-2023 U.S. Scholar grantee) discusses life in Moldova with a Youtuber here.
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.
For additional information, contact Program staff at U.S. Embassy Chisinau: Education-Moldova@state.gov