Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award in Law at the University of Trento
Italy
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.
The activity entails 80% teaching and 20% research.
The Fulbright Scholar is expected to teach:
- 1 undergraduate course, for approximately 42 hours (6 hours a week), to classes of 10-30 students
- 2-3 seminars for doctoral students for a total of 6-8 hours to classes of 5-10 students.
The Scholar is expected to prepare reading assignments for her/his students, and to prepare and grade the exams at the end of the undergraduate course.
The Scholar may conduct a research project of their choosing in conjunction with their teaching obligations.
Other activities:
The Fulbright Scholar is encouraged to advise students who might be interested in the Scholar's fields of interest, and also to cooperate with the University of Trento teaching staff in similar research and teaching areas.
Facoltà di Giurisprudenza, Università degli Studi di Trento, Trento
The Faculty of Law of the University of Trento includes a large number of scholars working with a focus on comparative and international law who speak English, so there are good opportunities for developing research and teaching synergies with faculty members. In 2017-18 the Law School started a three-year course in Comparative, European, and International Legal Studies (CEILS), taught entirely in English. Moreover, the Faculty of Law works together with other institutions of the University, particularly the School of International Studies (https://www.sis.unitn.it/), a graduate school that offers three master's programs and one Ph.D. program in International Studies taught by lawyers, economists, political scientists, historians, and philosophers. Therefore, there are good opportunities for cooperation in the broader context of the social sciences.
Three months. The grant will begin in March 2026. Grantees who will need to stay longer will have the option to stay, though the total number of months cannot exceed four. The Commission will sponsor their study visa application; however, they will not receive an extension of their Fulbright stipend.
Comparative Law, International Law, Legal History, Economic Analysis of the Law.
The University of Trento has institutional links with a variety of institutions, such as Opera Universitaria, which runs a variety of services (housing, canteens, scholarships, recreational activities, renting of bikes, etc.) and the Centro Universitario Sportivo (CUS, University Sport Centre), which offers a wide variety of sports facilities and sports courses, both in town and outside. Moreover, the local agency for tourism (Azienda promozione turistica, APT) offers information and services related to all kinds of touristic activities, such as hiking, dining, lodging, etc.
https://international.unitn.it/it/incoming/living-in-trento
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
Students attending classes understand and speak English, so no language other than English is required and no interpreter is needed. Conversational Italian is helpful to integrate better in the community, but is not mandatory.
The Law School in Trento favors flexibility, emphasizing the personal qualities of individual scholars. Tenure in law is required.
https://international.unitn.it/it/incoming/living-in-trento
https://www. visittrentino. info/en
https://www.comune.trento.it
Contact persons at the U.S.-Italy Fulbright Commission: Barbara Pizzella, Senior Program Officer, bpizzella@fulbright.it; and Chiara Petrilli, Program Officer, cpetrilli@fulbright.it
Monthly stipend of €9,666 for a total of €29,000 for three months (approximately $10,584 and $31,755, the amounts may change depending on exchange rate fluctuations). The award, which is a maintenance allowance for the entire period, is disbursed in Euro currency. In addition, the University will provide free housing, which includes Wi-Fi, water, electricity and gas costs.
International Travel allowance of €1,100 (approximately $1,204, the amount may change depending on exchange rate fluctuations). The allowance is disbursed in Euro currency.
Information about services and facilities in Trento can be found at the following link: https://international.unitn.it/it/incoming/services-and-facilities. This information is intended for incoming students, but there is also some general information, for example in the sections “Cost of living” or “Health Insurance” and others.
As a rule, large cities in the North and the Center of Italy are more expensive, while living in the South is less costly, even in larger cities. An average monthly budget for two persons could range between €1.400-€2.500 ($1.533-$2.737 approx.). Rent is usually the major expense, ranging between €600-€1.500 ($657-$1.642 approx.). Individuals’ lifestyles, and choosing to live downtown or on the outskirts of a city can make a difference. The following websites could help navigate the costs of living in Italy. While none of them is sponsored by official institutions, the information is provided mostly by international visitors themselves and ex-pats:
https://wise.com/gb/blog/cost-of-living-in-italy; https://internationalliving.com/countries/italy/cost-of-living-in-italy/; https://www.mondayfeelings.com/cost-to-live-in-italy/; https://www.internationalcitizens.com/living-abroad/costs/italy.php; https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Italy; https://www.forextradingitalia.it/costo-della-vita/italia.html
The University will provide free housing to the Fulbright Scholar (value: monthly rent €700-€1140, approx. $766-$1248). Utilities such as electricity and gas are also included; weekly change of linen is provided; internet connection is available.
The apartments, which are usually for two persons although a few may be for three persons, are all furnished and located in the city center or close to the Department; parking space is available.
The University will provide office space, a personal computer, access to the computer network and data banks, and access to the library. The University can provide canteen vouchers to have lunch in one of the university's cafeterias.
The Fulbright Scholar will be eligible for the Fulbright Inter-country Travel Grant Program, http://www.fulbright.it/fulbright-intercountry/, and to receive a travel grant to lecture, hold workshops, and conduct other relevant outreach activities at other Italian and European academic institutions.
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.
Italy
To learn more about Fulbright U.S. Scholar awards in Italy for 2024-25, please view our archived webinar and slides to hear directly from the Fulbright Commission, IIE staff, and U.S. Scholar alums regarding award details, the scholar experience, and application guidance.
The program in Italy is open to scholars and professionals from all disciplines; preferences are indicated under individual award descriptions. Scholars may be invited to give occasional lectures or seminars at various Italian universities. Some of the awards offer free housing (paid for by the host institution), or a financial contribution to offset housing costs.
Preference for candidates who have not already had substantial experience (5 years or more) studying or teaching in an Italian university.
The academic calendar, which is usually divided into two semesters, is generally October to June. However, dates may vary depending on the university.
Entry Visas to Italy: Selected grantees must enter Italy on a study or, in some cases, a research visa covering the authorized length of the grant. Information about the two visas and their application process is available on the Italy Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. The possibility of staying for longer periods and/or being accompanied by dependents is subject to the provisions and restrictions of Italian Law. Italian embassy and consulates are the sole authorities in matters pertaining to visa issues.
Basic Visa Information: U.S. grantees must apply for a Study Visa (D) at the Italian Embassy or Consulate having jurisdiction in the State where they reside. The Commission will support their application with a letter that will be sent to grantees after they have signed the official grant authorization but will not be able to assist grantees in their application procedures.
Due to restrictions in the Italian Immigration Law, there are potential challenges related to the duration of grantee stay in Italy, and the visa and permit-to-stay for their dependents.
The requested duration of the grantee's stay in Italy should not be much longer than the official grant period. In case of significant discrepancy (more than 30 days overall), the Consulate may reject the grantee's visa request.
Grantees who wish to be accompanied to Italy by their family dependents should be aware that the Commission cannot sponsor their dependents’ visas. Available options are:
1. Dependents may stay in Italy without a visa for 90 days
2. Dependents may enroll in an Italian language course and apply for their study visa (the Commission cannot assist in identifying the course, nor does it have the funding to allocate for this purpose)
3. Dependents could apply for a Ricongiungimento Familiare. The procedure entails that grantees travel to Italy on their own and once they arrive in Italy they must request a nulla osta per il ricongiungimento familiare. The nulla osta will be issued within 180 days from the request, which may exceed their grant length. Only then will dependents be able to travel to Italy to join the grantee and to apply for a permit to stay for ricongiungimento familiare.
Enrichment activity during your stay: Each June, the U.S.-Italy Fulbright Commission hosts a meeting where U.S. grantees returning to the States after their grant and Italian grantees departing to begin their grant meet, interact, network, and often start relationships that continue in the United States. The Meeting--a celebration of the Fulbright experience--is held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of the United States. Italian alumni are also invited to participate in the day's activities.
HELPFUL LINKS
A listing of Italian universities and access to their homepages can be found at A valuable search engine can be found at https://cercauniversita.cineca.it/ https://www.universitaly.it/
Useful links with information about the Italian academic system can be found at and the MIUR website. https://www.cimea.it/EN/
To view more about life in Italy, visit here: https://madeinitaly.gov.it/en/
For further information on the awards, contact Barbara Pizzella, Senior Program Officer at the Commission, at bpizzella@fulbright.it, and Chiara Petrilli, Program Officer, at cpetrilli@fulbright.it.
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.
Academic calendar: First semester: mid-September – mid-December; Second semester: February – May
Holidays: Winter break approximately from December 22nd to February 8th (part of December, January and part of February being exams session); Spring break: one week, including Easter; Summer break: August (June and July being exams session).
Courses taught by Fulbright scholars are shorter than regular core courses at an Italian university and scholars will be able to complete all academic activity during the award period.