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 graduate courses offered at the host institution and assist with graduate project supervision, thesis advising, seminars, and tutorials. Contribute to curriculum development and conduct research in the area of specialization. Engage in university outreach and assist with strengthening Ph.D. programs at host institutions.
In addition to being a prestigious academic exchange program, the Fulbright Program is designed to expand and enhance 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 will be asked to give public talks, mentor students, and engage with the host community, in addition to their primary activities.
Only institutions listed below will be considered:
Projects are sought in all disciplines. Some hosts have identified specific areas of interest:
Addis Ababa University:
Applications are sought in all appropriate specializations, but applications in the following specializations are preferred: Anthropology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Information Sciences, Law, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, Psychology, Public Administration, Sociology, Statistics, and Urban Management.
Haramaya University:
Applications are sought in all disciplines but applications in the following fields are preferred: Agriculture, Engineering, Information Science, Health and Medical Sciences, Law, Natural and Computational Sciences, Psychology, Sports Science, and Veterinary Medicine.
Hawassa University:
Applications are sought in all appropriate specializations, but applications in the following specializations are preferred: Anthropology (history of anthropological theories, economic anthropology, political anthropology, ethnography), Business Administration (hotel management and tourism), Economics, Law, Political Science and International Relations, and Public/Global Health (human nutrition and food science).
Jimma University:
Applications are sought in all disciplines but applications in the following fields are preferred: Education (Curriculum and Instruction), Dentistry, Library/information science, Applied statistician/biostatistician, English language, and Psychometry.
Mekelle University:
Applications are sought in all appropriate specializations, but applications in the following specializations are preferred: Architecture and Urban Planning, Construction, Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Geography, Information Sciences, Medical Sciences, Pediatrics and Gynecology, Population and Demography Studies, Technology, and Veterinary Medicine.
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
A letter of invitation is required from the host institution.
All teaching will be in English; proficiency in another language is not required.
Scholars with at least five years of postdoctoral college or university 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 $2,550 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 only.)
Additional living and housing allowance is provided for grantees with one accompanying dependent or two or more accompanying dependent. These amounts range from $200/month to $500/month.
In addition, round-trip, economy class travel is provided for up to two dependents.
Dependent educational 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.
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.
Host institutions will provide housing to grantees in Ethiopia in the form of on-campus housing (e.g. guest house, faculty residences), a rental property off-campus, or hotel accommodations. When the host institution provides housing, grantees will receive a supplemental housing allowance for refurbishments, utilities, and other miscellaneous expenses that arise in lieu of the full housing allowance. If grantees elect to decline housing by the host institution and/or wish to identify their own housing, the full housing allowance will not be provided; grantees will instead receive the aforementioned supplemental housing allowance.
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.
The Ethiopian government has rapidly expanded tertiary education and embarked on an education reform program that has led to the establishment of new universities throughout the country in the past fifteen years. From two universities in 1991 to currently 45 public universities, 5 specialized universities, 10 vocational and technical colleges, and several private universities.
Expanding access to higher education in Ethiopia dramatically increased student enrollment, the number of institutions and disciplines, extension programs, and capital spending over the past decade. However, the quality of education declined due to the lack of qualified and capable university professors. The proportion of faculty possessing a PhD degree dropped from 28 percent in 1995-1996 to just 5 percent in 2009-2010. Under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s leadership, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education is focused on three broad challenges in tertiary education: capacity building, faculty development, and science.
Ethiopian universities are led by young, energetic faculty and an administration eager to host foreign scholars. For newer universities, deans and department chairs may be under the age of thirty-five, hold only a master’s degree, and lack strong managerial, international or leadership experience. Students are eager to learn, to acquire knowledge, and to develop skills that will lead to employment opportunities or post-graduate studies.
The U.S. Embassy, Public Affairs Section (PAS Addis) believes that American scholars can play a key role in Ethiopia’s building capacity and mentoring faculty in the higher education sector. Scholars willing to come to Ethiopia should share their experiences and knowledge by assisting with teaching, curriculum development, research, publications, seminars, mentorship, grant writing, professionalism, intellectual rigor and integrity, and promoting partnerships between U.S. and Ethiopian universities. PAS Addis is focused on strengthening graduate-level programs among first-generation universities in the disciplines of agriculture, business, economics, engineering, journalism and communications, public health and health sciences, information science, law, social sciences, and technology.
PAS Addis encourages prospective applicants to consider host institutions located outside the capital city of Addis Ababa. In regional cities, university facilities and infrastructure, living conditions and quality of life, accommodations, and academic programs have improved, but are still developing. Prospective applicants may wish to contact the host institution and PAS Addis for specific information before submitting an application. Dual affiliations are also encouraged, which enable scholars to teach and research at two universities. Dual affiliations require letters of invitations from both institutions and must be included in the application. Requests to add a second university upon arrival or after a few months will be denied.
Applicants should contact PAS Addis at PASaddis@state.gov with questions about host institutions.
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.
While Ethiopia has made tremendous economic, educational and infrastructure development progress over the past fifteen years, applicants should be aware that Ethiopia remains a developing country. Access to quality healthcare facilities and medications is limited. In addition, Addis Ababa is at an altitude of over 8,000 feet and several other major cities are at similar elevations, which can complicate underlying health issues such as asthma or a heart condition. Power outages and water shortages occur frequently throughout Ethiopia, resulting in inconsistent power and water supply. Strong and reliable Internet and wifi connectivity remains challenging. Bandwidth on campuses is limited, and this requires workarounds such as going to hotels or purchasing a “dongle” or wifi-hotspot from EthioTelecom. Scholars who plan to bring school-aged children need to consult with host institutions for availability of international standard schools in the city where the university is located. Since 2015, ethnic tensions and clashes have increased nationwide, which may delay the start of the academic year and compress the academic calendar.