Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award in Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen Production
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 scholar will collaborate with faculty members, postdocs, graduate, and undergraduate students in research projects and technology transfer from lab to real applications. The research areas include Environmental Technologies, Renewable Energies, and Green Hydrogen production. Teaching activities - lectures and advanced seminars - are welcomed and will be offered to researchers in Chemistry, Material Sciences, Renewable Energies, and Mechanical Engineering. Teaching activities should not exceed three hours per week.
The host institution, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), supports cutting-edge research that provides novel insights on renewable energies. Such research encompasses various disciplines from the molecular to the industrial level, including fundamental, empirical, experimental, and modeling approaches. Publication of results obtained in peer-reviewed journals and international scientific meetings are an expected outcome of this international collaboration.
For further information about this award, please visit the Fulbright Commission website.
The Institute of Chemistry at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), the campus of Natal, with research priorities in Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen Production.
3 or 4 months for non-Flex awards. 4 months total for Flex awards, spread across two segments (2 months + 2 months).
First possible start date: July 1, 2023
Last possible start date: May 31, 2024
Be aware that most institutions take a recess between December and January. For Flex awards, please see the Flex Option section.
Flex awards allow the stay to be split into two visits of two months each between July 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. There must be a period of at least two months between the two in-country stays.
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.
Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen Production:
Photovoltaic and Wind energies, Batteries, Hydrogen Fuel Cells, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC), and Green Hydrogen Production
For the award period, UFRN will arrange housing at no additional cost for the scholar. Estimated housing costs at a medium priced hotel or Airbnb in a good location is U$ 1,200 per month. UFRN will also provide an English speaking student to help the scholar settle in.
Candidates can contact the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) to discuss their research projects and plans and explore shared interests. Feel free to contact Professor Carlos Alberto Martínez-Huitle at the Institute of Chemistry. Would you please copy the Fulbright Commission on your UFRN messages?
You will not be at a disadvantage if you do not communicate with UFRN before applying.
Preference for tenured faculty.
The scholar will receive a fixed sum of US$ 5,400 per month to cover all expenses but housing. The Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) will arrange housing for the award period at no additional cost to the scholar. Estimated housing costs at a medium priced hotel or Airbnb in a good location is U$ 1,200 per month.
Scholars who opt for two visits of two months each (Flex award) will receive a total of US$ 2,400 for two international roundtrip tickets. Scholars on three or four-month awards will receive US$ 1,500 for an international roundtrip ticket.
Information on the following website can help scholars figure out the cost of living, meals, and incidentals in different capital cities in Brazil. There can be significant differences in smaller towns, with prices being less high. https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/country/brazil
UFRN will arrange housing for the award period at no additional cost for the scholar. Estimated housing costs at a medium priced hotel or Airbnb in a good location is U$ 1,200 per month. It will also provide an English speaking student to help the scholar settle in.
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, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, México, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay). The Regional Travel Program covers travel to and from the destination; lodging may be offered by the hosting institution. Scholars may only apply for this grant once 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 at 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.
Brazil
Summary
Up to 40 awards are available in Brazil. This includes up to 30 All Disciplines awards for early and mid-career scholars, professionals, artists, and 10 Distinguished Scholar Awards in all regions in Brazil. The Distinguished Scholar Awards are opportunities for mid-career and senior academics with experience in Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Education and Reducing Inequalities, Medical Sciences, Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen Production, Sustainability, and Urban Studies.
Fulbright Interdisciplinary Network (FIN)
To promote proficuous dialogues about contemporary issues in the Brazilian context from a U.S. perspective, the Fulbright Commission and the U.S. Embassy in Brazil have created the Fulbright Interdisciplinary Network (FIN). FIN is an opportunity for Distinguished Scholars to connect with five Brazilian universities during the award period and enrich their experience through online and onsite discussions, working collaboratively with faculty, and advising students from all regions of Brazil.
Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, and it is similar in size to the continental United States. It is also the largest country in South America and the largest Portuguese-speaking country globally, with around 211 million people and 43% living in its Southeast region. As to ethnic background, like the United States, Brazil has a very diverse population. According to the Brazilian Statistics Bureau, Brazilians self-identify as White (42.7%), two or more races (46.8%), Black (9.4%), and of Indigenous or Asian descent (1.1%). The most important economic sectors are agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and services. In spite of poverty reduction achievements over the last decades, inequality remains at high levels in one of the world's largest democracies and economies.
After achieving universal coverage in primary education, Brazil is now struggling to improve the educational system's quality and outcomes, especially at the lower and upper secondary levels.
Brazil has a wide range of higher education institutions with over 200 universities, 3,472 master’s programs, and doctoral programs with 122,000 graduate students. There are currently over 37,000 research groups around the country, with more than 200,000 researchers. Its leading research centers in Agriculture, Energy, Biotechnology, Environmental Sciences, and Epidemiology attract scholars and students worldwide. Among the top 20 universities listed in the Times Higher Education 2020 ranking, 13 are from Brazil. Also, Brazil is responsible for 52% of Latin American publications in indexed journals, which places the country as fourteenth worldwide by the Scimago Journal and Country Rank.
The extended coverage of Fulbright U.S. Programs in the country has been possible thanks to the significant contributions from Brazilian strategic partners such as the Brazilian Government through the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES).
- Blog from 2019-2020 U.S. Scholar to Brazil Theresa Robbins Dudeck in Theater Studies in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais: https://www.theimprofessor.com/single-post/2019/11/29/impro-in-brazil-endings
- News from 2019-2020 U.S. Scholar to Brazil King Chung in Audiology in Joao Pessoa, Paraiba and Bauru, Sao Paulo:
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.