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 undergraduate and graduate courses in a wide range of disciplines. Assist with thesis advising, graduate seminars and conferences. Conduct research in area of specialization. Grantees are likely to teach two classes, advise graduate students and devote 40 percent of their time to research. It is also advised that grantees participate in additional activities to enrich their time in Senegal. Research-only proposals are not permitted under this award.
Grants are for one academic year and may begin in October 2026 in accordance with the host institution's schedule.
The award is open to any discipline taught at the host institution, including all natural and earth sciences, computer science, economics, civil or mechanical engineering, environmental sciences, foreign languages, geography, humanities, law, linguistics, mathematics, medicine, philosophy, physics and sociology.
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
The U.S. Embassy in Dakar can provide assistance to applicants looking to connect with a host university. The U.S. Embassy contact person is Aminata Samb, Email: (Public Affairs Section)..sambaf@state.gov
Applicants are encouraged to consult the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) “Can-Do Statements” to determine if they are qualified.
Applicants must register qualified language evaluator, such as a language instructor or a translator, to conduct the external assessment in the application. Being a native speaker alone does not qualify an individual to conduct the assessment.
Applicants who are native speakers do not need to complete an external evaluation.
Non-native speakers must submit a language proficiency evaluation. French language proficiency is required for teaching in all disciplines except for American Literature. Conversational French is needed for daily life.
Scholars with at least three years of postdoctoral university or college teaching experience are preferred.
Round-trip, economy-class, international travel arranged by travel agent designated by IIE, for scholar and up to two accompanying dependents. A $2,050 allowance will be provided to cover the costs associated with relocation and excess baggage.
$1,000 books and educational materials allowance; if possible, educational materials should be donated to the host institution (or other entity) upon grantee's departure. (For Teaching and Teaching/Research awards)
Additional living and housing allowance is provided for grantees with one accompanying dependent or two or more accompanying dependents. These amounts range from $200/month to $600/month.
In addition, round-trip, economy class travel is provided for up to two dependents.
Dependent education allowance of up to $12,500 per child or $25,000 per family for accompanying dependents in grades K-12 is reimbursed for a full academic year, upon submission of receipts, and depending on funding availability. Amount may be adjusted for shorter grant periods. Reimbursement is based on actual cost of tuition and fees only.
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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.
When university housing is provided to Fulbright Scholars, grantees will receive a supplemental housing allowance in lieu of a full housing allowance for refurbishments, utilities, and other miscellaneous expenses that arise. The full housing allowance will not be provided to grantees if they elect to decline on-campus or university housing.
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.
General Country Background
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country in West Africa, on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. Senegal is bordered by Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, Guinea to the southeast and Guinea-Bissau to the southwest. Senegal nearly surrounds the Gambia, a country occupying a narrow sliver of land along the banks of the Gambia River, which separates Senegal's southern region of Casamance from the rest of the country. Senegal also shares a maritime border with Cape Verde. Senegal's economic and political capital is Dakar.
Senegal is notably the westernmost country in the mainland of Africa. It owes its name to the Senegal River, which borders it to the east and north. The climate is typically Sahelian, though there is a rainy season. Senegal covers a land area of almost 197,000 square kilometers (76,000 sq mi) and has a population of around 18 million. The state is a unitary presidential republic; since the country's foundation in 1960, it has been recognized as one of the most stable countries on the African continent.
The state was formed as part of the independence of French West Africa from French colonial rule. Because of this history, French is the official language, but it is understood only by a minority of the population. Over 30 languages are spoken in Senegal, and Wolof is the most widely spoken one, with 80% of the population speaking it as a first or second language, acting as Senegal's lingua franca alongside French. Like other post-colonial African states, the country includes a wide mix of ethnic and linguistic communities, with the largest being the Wolof, Fula, and Serer people. Senegalese people are predominantly Muslim.
Senegal is classified as a heavily indebted poor country, with relatively low HDI ranked 170th in the Human Development index. Most of the population is on the coast and works in agriculture or other food industries; other major industries include mining, tourism, and services. The country does not have notable natural resources, but the basis of its development lies in education, where almost half the state's budget is spent. Senegal is a member state of the African Union, the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States. Internationally, Senegal is best known in the sporting world for the Paris-Dakar Rally.
Senegal is a politically stable country with a history of peaceful transition to power. The bilateral relationship between the United States and Senegal is strong and Senegalese have an overall positive opinion of the United States.
While terrorism and violent extremism have not affected Senegal to the same degree as in neighboring countries, Senegal is focused on preventing violent extremism and terrorism from spreading.
Senegal has also prioritized increasing economic growth. The new government of President Faye which came to power in March 2024 unveiled a new economic development plan named “Senegal 2050”, replacing the former President Sall’s Plan Senegal Emergent. The new plan's objective is to increase per capita income by 50 percent in five years and to extend life expectancy by three years, while reducing the deficit and debt. It also aims to strengthen decentralization and prioritizes the digitalization of legal services. The plan sets an ambitious target of 7% economic growth by 2029. To achieve this, the government will implement fiscal reforms, consolidate the budget, and broaden the tax base. They also plan to improve the targeting of electricity subsidies and manage debt more effectively. In 2023, 57% of mobilized revenues were allocated to debt service, a situation the new administration aims to address. Additionally, it aims to improve the business environment through digital transformation. These efforts aim to create a just, prosperous, and sovereign Senegal, as envisioned by the new leadership.
A large youth population combined with a failing education system (universities are often closed due to strikes) and a limited job market present a major challenge.
The health sector is improving but improvements are needed to better prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases as well as to improve overall healthcare.
For decades Senegal has been the lead in the field of Education, especially higher education, among its African counterparts. Every citizen is given the privilege to attend school to learn, read and write. Senegal possesses 7 public universities, and multiple private universities. There are about 806 foreign students in Senegal. 28.4% of Senegal’s youth population attend a university, while 20% of the population has at least a university degree, or certificate from the tertiary institutions.
However, the system has been facing many challenges due to the increased number of students in public universities. This brought a lot of instability throughout the country’s higher education institutions. To overcome those challenges, the government created the Virtual University of Senegal (UVS) to allow each student to attend university in their home region, rather than moving to Dakar to attend the main university. Most recently, a new public university called Ahmadou Makhtar Mbow was inaugurated and will focus on teaching sciences, technology, and engineering. The government of Senegal has a goal of opening four other new universities in the coming years.
U.S. Embassy Priorities
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.
Universities in Senegal offer many research opportunities. The school calendar for public universities can be unpredictable due to student strikes. For health-related research, applicants will be required to obtain health research clearance from the Senegalese Ministry of Health.