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 area of specialization or teach and conduct research in area of specialization. Advise on curriculum and program development. Conduct faculty development workshops.
Any educational institution, research institution, or government ministry capable of providing visa sponsorship.
One-semester grants must begin in September 2026 or January 2027; two-semester grants must begin in September 2026.
Fulbright East Asia Pacific Regional Travel Program
As conditions allow, Fulbright Scholars in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region may have the opportunity to apply for funds to support short-term (3-14 days) travel to other countries in the EAP region for activities such as lectures, workshops, graduate or faculty seminars, master classes or recitals, curricular advising, or panel presentations. EAP Regional Travel Program funding covers transportation only. Regional Travel Program activities/host sites should not be included in the initial Fulbright application. Scholars may start the process of seeking out invitations for short-term activities in other EAP countries once notified that they have been selected for a Fulbright grant but will only be able to apply for travel program funds, conditions permitting, once they have actively started their Fulbright grant in their host country. Scholars on Flex grants are not eligible for the regional travel grant.
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
All teaching will be in English. Vietnamese language proficiency is not required. However, teaching/researching applicants without Vietnamese language skills should explicitly address the issue in their discussion of the feasibility of the project in their project proposal.
Terminal degree (Ph.D. or other) is preferred or equivalent professional experience. Both academic and professional applicants must have at least five years of teaching experience at a university, college or community college at the time of application. Teaching assistantships do not count toward this five-year requirement. In addition, applicants in academia should have obtained the rank of assistant professor or higher.
For more information on the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, please visit our East Asia and the Pacific regional webpage and view our schedule of upcoming webinars.
Email the East Asia and the Pacific Team with questions about applying.
$3,550
$1,000 book and educational materials allowance (per semester) to 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 dependent. These amounts range from $350/month to $695/month.
In addition, travel allowances are provided for up to two dependents. These amounts range from $2,250 - $4,500.
Up to $5,000 per child (up to two) per semester, with a maximum of $20,000 per family for accompanying dependents in grades 1-12 is reimbursed for a full academic year, upon submission of receipts. 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.
Language allowance of up to $500 upon submission of receipts.
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.
In Vietnam, education plays a very important role in society. The promotion of learning and respect for teachers are among the traditional values of the Vietnamese people. In the recent years, the education system has continued to expand, but enormous educational needs persist for young Vietnamese citizens.
The national education system consists of formal education and continuing education. Schools in the national educational system are organized according to whether they are public or private. According to the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), as of AY 2021 – 2022, there are 241 universities and colleges, of which 175 are public and 66 are private. (Source)
The administration of education in Vietnam is centralized. MOET has responsibility for all education and training at the national level. However, there are several higher education institutions in Vietnam that are under other national ministries, government agencies or provincial people’s committees. Examples of this are the Hanoi School of Public Health, which falls under the Ministry of Health, and Hanoi University of Industry, which falls under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Additionally, the two National Universities, although nominally under MOET, operate independently as separate entities and report directly to the Office of the Government of Vietnam.
The three regional universities—Thai Nguyen University in the north, Hue University, and the University of Danang in the central region —operate under the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and are geographically managed by their respective provincial People’s Committees.
The Vietnamese educational system is currently undergoing reforms, including of textbooks, curriculum and teaching methods, and its institutions are not always up to international standards, especially in the case of higher education. Out-of-date teaching methods can often be a key issue. Teachers may focus more on discipline with limited discussion and interaction, while students maybe passively attentive. Many Vietnamese see the U.S. higher education system as the global standard.
To facilitate educational reform, the Vietnamese government has established policies to allow educational institutions to set up direct relations with foreign institutions to improve teaching and learning quality in Vietnam.
Because of the dynamic state of Vietnam’s educational system, Fulbright Scholars will have a unique opportunity to help Vietnam build its institutions alongside Vietnamese counterpart. While this can be challenging and may require flexibility, many Fulbrighters in Vietnam find it enormously rewarding and build long-lasting relationships with Vietnamese institutions that lead to future cooperation.
Fulbright Scholars in Vietnam are able to teach or teach and conduct research in all disciplines. For teaching grants, time will also be spent consulting and advising host institutions on curriculum and program development as well as providing staff training.
In response to emerging priority areas identified during the recent historic upgrade in bilateral relations through President Biden's visit to Vietnam on September 10-11, 2023, the Fulbright Program welcomes proposals that touch on themes related to STEM fields, especially proposals that focus on the training and development of a high-tech workforce to improve Vietnam's position in the global semiconductor supply chain.
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.
Schooling opportunities for dependent children are limited.
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 citizen of other nations and to promote international understanding and cooperation. To support the Mission, Fulbright Scholars will be asked to give public talks, mentor students, and otherwise engage with the host community, in addition to their primary activities.