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.
Research, Teaching, Teaching/Research, and Professional Projects are welcomed. Collaborative work with local scholars is desirable. The teaching to research ratio for the combination (teaching/research) award should be 50:50, though this can be adjusted depending on the host institution preferences/needs.
Any accredited institution or research center in Uruguay.
3 months for non-Flex awards. 4 months for Flex awards only. (Please see the Flex Description section for additional details on Flex award parameters.)
Grants can start anytime between July 2026– September 2026 or anytime between March 2027 – May 2027. Grants must be within the academic calendar. In Uruguay, the academic year runs from March through December, with a break in July. Universities are closed during January and February. Grant dates are flexible and should be determined with the host institution as specific research areas may require the scholar to arrive during the months of October through February.
Short-term Flex grants for teaching and/or research, consisting of two-month segments over two consecutive academic years, are available during the fall and/or spring semesters. Final approval of Flex grants will be contingent upon available funding.
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 Commission for Educational Exchange between Uruguay and the United States will provide contact information for applicants seeking assistance with affiliation at Uruguay's universities: University of the Republic (Uruguay's comprehensive public university); UTEC (Technology University); University of Montevideo; ORT University; and Catholic University.
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 are encouraged to 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.
Exceptions to the language requirement will be considered by the Commission if the grant activity, as planned together with the host institution, consists of teaching classes in English. However, all applicants must submit the language evaluation.
You may be asked to participate in an interview as part of the in-country selection process.
The interview will mostly be conducted in English, with only one question in Spanish.
$2,600 per month, payable in U.S. dollars. Monthly housing and living allowance of $900-$1,350, based on the number of accompanying dependents. Dependents must accompany grantee for at least 80 percent of the grant period to be eligible for benefits.
International travel for the grantee up to $1,800; dependent travel of $800 for one dependent if dependent accompanies the grantee for at least 80 percent of the grant period. For Flex grants round-trip travel up to $1,800 will be included for the grantee only for each segment of the grant. One-time relocation allowance of $300.
Allowance of $500 for educational materials to be donated to host institution upon grantee's departure. The allowance may also be used for research related expenses.
Monthly housing and living allowances are adjusted based on the number of accompanying dependents.
One-time educational allowance of $250.
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.
This site provides an idea of the estimated cost of living in Montevideo and in other cities in Uruguay: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Montevideo?displayCurrency=USD
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.
Uruguay is often referred to as the hidden gem of South America. It is a country that consistently ranks #1 in Latin America in all international indexes referring to Democracy, Low Corruption, Respect for Rules, Transparency, Civil Freedoms and Social Mobility.
Uruguay also has a strong commitment to the environment that is embodied in laws and state policies. The country is ranked #2 worldwide in wind and solar energy.
With a literacy rate of 97.9 percent, Uruguay was the first country in the world to provide free laptops for every child and teacher of public schools.
Traditionally, Uruguay had only one public university, the University of the Republic, founded in 1849. In 2015 a new public technological university, the UTEC , started offering undergraduate degrees in Dairy Production and Management, Information Technology and Mechatronics. UTEC is a university educational program aimed at the development of advanced human capital, applied research, technological development and innovation in order to strengthen the development of the different regions of the country. Undergraduate education at the University of the Republic and UTEC is free.
Uruguay has four private universities: Universidad Católica del Uruguay, Universidad ORT Uruguay, Universidad de Montevideo, and Universidad de la Empresa. There are other higher education institutions such as CLAEH, the Latin American Center for Human Economy and BIOS. While most university campuses are located in the capital city of Montevideo, UTEC campuses and a few university campuses are located in the provinces.
The academic year runs from March through December with a break in July. U.S. citizens traveling on a regular passport for a visit of less than 90 days do not need a visa. U.S. citizens traveling for a visit of more than 90 days need a visa.
U.S. scholars will find a peaceful, accessible and welcoming educational environment and the country’s small size will allow for interaction with a broad range of specialists beyond their host institution. It has a vast cultural, gastronomic and educational offer, and its capital Montevideo has been consecutively chosen as the city with the best quality of life in Latin America, according to the Mercer Index.
The goal of the Fulbright Scholar Program in Uruguay is to ensure scholars have a highly valuable experience, both academically and culturally, promoting mutual understanding between our two countries.
To learn more about Uruguay as a destination, visit: and or https://www.turismo.gub.uyhttps://www.uruguayxxi.gub.uy/es/centro-informacion/articulo/presentacion-uruguay-hub-de-negocios-e-innovacion-1-america-latina//
If you are interested in learning about the impact of the Fulbright Scholar Program in Uruguay: https://fulbright.org.uy/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Informe-60-a%C3%B1os-Fulbright.pdf
If you have any questions please email Program Officer Patricia Vargas pvargas@fulbright.org.uy
As you prepare your Fulbright application, we encourage you to read the information on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.
Applicants seeking contacts in Uruguay or those without a good command of Spanish should contact the commission to discuss possibility for projects in technical fields.
Note on citizenship/residency requirement: Those permanently residing in Uruguay at the time of application would be ineligible. Those visiting Uruguay on a tourist visa--for less than 90 days--at the time of application or thereafter would still be eligible to apply, as they are not considered residents.