Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Awards, Interdisciplinary Network
Brazil
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 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Awards, Interdisciplinary Network are pre-arranged affiliations to host exceptional scholars who conduct research relevant to any of five Brazilian partner universities countrywide. These partner universities are interested in hosting Distinguished Scholars and encouraging them to engage with students, faculty, and the broader community. Scholars can conduct their own research, work collaboratively with Brazilian colleagues, guest-lecture, mentor students, network, and promote their research while representing the United States, the Fulbright Program, and their home and partner universities. Teaching activities, if any, should not exceed three hours per week.
The applicant must select one partner university from the list below and indicate their choice in the application form. If selected, the scholar will develop their work at the chosen partner university and be granted the opportunity to join the Fulbright Interdisciplinary Network (FIN).
Fulbright Award in International Relations and Diplomacy at the Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA)
Specializations: National History; International Relations; Independence Processes in Brazil and the United States; Regions and National Borders; Diplomacy; Social Relations; Economics Issues.
Fulbright Award in International Relations and International Governance at the Universidade de Brasilia (UnB)
Specializations: Technological Standards as Instruments of International Governance and Competition; Digital Sovereignty Frameworks: Balancing National Innovation Policies with Global Scientific Collaboration; Knowledge Transfer Mechanisms between International Research Networks and Domestic Technology Ecosystems; Science-based Arbitration Systems for Cross-border Technology and Data Disputes.
Fulbright Award in Law and Political Sciences at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)
Specializations: International Law; Comparative Law; Legal History; Law and Technology. International Politics; Comparative Politics; Security, Peace and Conflicts; Foreign Policy; Political institutions; International Organizations.
Fulbright Award in Sustainability and Responsibility at the Universidade Federal do Para (UFPA)
Specializations: Energy Efficiency; Waste Management; Environmental Management; Entrepreneurial Education; Development and Industrial Policies; Information Technology.
Fulbright Award in Sustainability and Leadership at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)
Specializations: Transition and Energy Efficiency; Ecological Transition; Development of Industrial Policies; Information Science and Technology; Biotechnological Processes; Environmental Management; Digital Transformation for Industry and Services 4.0.
Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA) in Salvador, Bahia
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
Universidade Federal do Para (UFPA) in Belem, Para
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina
Universidade de Brasilia (UnB) in Brasilia, Federal District
The awards can be two, three, or four months long. Two-or four-month awards can be split into equal segments of 1+1 or 2+2 months. Split awards are known as Flex Awards. For additional information, please see the Flex description below.
The Fulbright Scholar must take their award between July 1st, 2027, and September 30th, 2028.
Please be aware that most institutions in Brazil take a recess between December and January.
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.
In Brazil, flex awards allow the stay to be split into two visits of one or two months each. There must be a period of at least two months between the two visits.
Applications are sought in all disciplines as long as the proposed research is relevant to the topics identified by one of the five host universities.
The Fulbright Interdisciplinary Network (FIN) is a unique initiative to promote innovative partnerships, expand bilateral education ties, and strengthen long-term U.S.-Brazil institutional linkages through a qualified dialogue about strategic U.S.-related topics within Brazilian society and disseminate these topics to a larger audience.
To achieve these goals, the Fulbright Commission and the U.S. Embassy in Brazil are funding the FIN. The scholar will be able to participate in online and onsite activities, such as seminars, conferences, and roundtable discussions, at the five partner universities countrywide and diversify their knowledge about Brazil. The Fulbright Commission will cover all events and domestic travel arrangements.
For the award period, the partner university will help the scholar find housing and provide an English-speaking student to help the scholar settle in.
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
Candidates may contact the partner university to discuss their research projects and plans and explore shared interests.
Please reach out to the Fulbright Commission in Brazil for contact information of the partner university of your preference if you decide to reach out to it. You will not be at a disadvantage if you do not communicate with the partner university before applying.
The scholar will receive a fixed sum of US$ 5,400 per month to cover all expenses but housing. The partner university will help find accommodation for the award period. The Fulbright Commission will pay the scholar an additional U$ 1,200 monthly to help with housing costs. This amount corresponds to the estimated housing costs at a medium-priced hotel or Airbnb in a good location.
Scholars who opt for a Flex Award will receive US$2,400 for two international roundtrip tickets. Scholars on non-flex 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 lower. https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/country/brazil
For the award period, the partner university will help the scholar find housing and provide an English-speaking student to help the scholar settle in.
The Fulbright Commission will arrange and cover all Fulbright Interdisciplinary Network (FIN) domestic travel-related activities.
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.
Brazil
To learn more about Fulbright U.S. Scholar awards in Brazil for 2027-2028, 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.
Summary
Up to 52 awards are available in Brazil. This includes up to 10 Postdoctoral awards, 30 All Disciplines awards for early and mid-career scholars, professionals, artists, and 12 Distinguished Scholar Awards in all regions of Brazil. The Distinguished Scholar Awards are opportunities for mid-career and senior academics, artists, and professionals with experience in Education, Linguistics, Medical Sciences, International Relations, Sustainability, and other relevant disciplines.
Fulbright Interdisciplinary Network (FIN)
To foster meaningful discussions about contemporary issues in Brazil from a U.S. perspective, the Fulbright Commission and the U.S. Embassy in Brazil have established the Fulbright Interdisciplinary Network (FIN). This initiative provides Distinguished Scholars with the opportunity to connect with five Brazilian universities during their award period. Scholars can enhance their experience through online and in-person discussions, collaborating with faculty and advising students across 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 approximately 211 million people and 43% residing in its Southeastern region. Agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and services are the most important economic sectors. Despite poverty reduction achievements over the last few 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 quality and outcomes of its educational system, especially at the lower and upper secondary levels.
Brazil has a wide range of higher education institutions, with over 200 universities, as well as 3,472 master’s programs and doctoral programs with 122,000 graduate students. There are currently over 37,000 research groups nationwide, comprising more than 200,000 researchers. Its leading research centers in agriculture, energy, biotechnology, environmental sciences, and epidemiology attract scholars and students from around the world. Brazil is considered by Times Higher Education to be an emerging market in higher education as of 2025. Additionally, Brazil is responsible for 52% of Latin American publications in indexed journals, placing the country in fourteenth position worldwide according to 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).
U.S. Scholar 2025-2026 Charles Martin in Maranhão, Brazil
Since 1982, I’ve been visiting Brazil, always a reward of cultures and people. My first photo exhibition was drawn from my photos of that stay and, since then, I have been fortunate to have had exhibitions and publications in such places as New York, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Cuiabá and São Luís do Maranhão. In 2022 I was elected as a Correspondent Member of Instituto Histórico e Geográfico do Maranhão. Currently, I am a Fulbright scholar and recently spent time as a Fellow in residence at the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, Harvard University. I have retired from teaching, but not from photography, and not from returns to Brazil.
U.S. Scholar 2024-2025 Guofang Wan in Florianópolis, Brazil
My Fulbright research focused on understanding the Brazilian education system and the educational philosophies underpinning its teaching practices. It was inspiring and eye-opening. My Brazilian colleagues and students were highly engaged: eager to learn, quick to ask questions, and responsive in research-intensive settings. In addition, traveling, working, and learning to live with people from other cultures–not just one, but many–gave me a deeper appreciation of global education. That’s one of the greatest values of the Fulbright experience.
Distinguished U.S. Scholar 2023-2024 Judith Salerno in São Paulo, Brazil
Being a Fulbrighter in Brazil has given me fresh perspectives on healthcare systems. I have also immersed myself in Brazilian culture, and know that I have made lifelong friends. It truly has been a great experience. I am now officially a Visiting Professor at the School of Medicine at the University of São Paulo, and the Responsible Investigator for a SPEC grant from FAPESP, the foundation which supports the 5-year grant we received. It would have never happened without my Fulbright!
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.
You must identify the primary host university of your preference in the project statement and on the application form.