Fulbright-FAPESP Postdoctoral Awards
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 FAPESP Postdoctoral awards are pre-arranged affiliations to host early career scholars who conduct research relevant to any of the six public universities in the state of São Paulo.
These universities are interested in hosting postdoctoral scholars and having them engage with students, faculty, and the broader community. Postdoctoral scholars will conduct their own research and may also 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 host universities.
The applicant must select one of the six public universities in the state of São Paulo from the below list and indicate their choice as the main host university in the application form. If selected, the scholar will carry out their work at the chosen host university.
Awards must be either six months or twelve months in length. Scholars may begin their programs no earlier than July 1, 2027, and must complete their full program no later than September 30, 2028. Please be aware that most institutions in Brazil are in recess between December and January.
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
We encourage candidates to contact the chosen institution, among the six institutions in the state of São Paulo eligible for this award, to discuss interests, project feasibility, and availability to host them for the proposed award period. If you need assistance facilitating this conversation, please reach out to the Fulbright Commission in Brazil.
Candidates should not wait until near the application deadline to contact the Brazilian institution of their choice to obtain a letter of invitation. If that will be your first time communicating with a potential Brazilian host, please be aware that a response can take longer than expected.
The letter of invitation can include:
- Confirmation of the Brazilian institution's interest in hosting the U.S. scholar
- Confirmation that the U.S. Scholar will have access to the institution's facilities and services
- Information about project feasibility in regards to language skills
- Information on how the proposed project will impact ongoing activities at the Brazilian host institution
and what projections are over the long term for the research partners and their institutions.
- Any further relevant information
The letter of invitation can be in Portuguese or English. If the letter is in Portuguese, please submit a translated version and the original with your application.
Researchers and faculty are usually fluent in English, but there can be wide differences in students' English proficiency. Some knowledge of Portuguese or Spanish is helpful in day-to-day life, especially in smaller cities and towns.
The scholar will receive a fixed sum of US$ 3,500 per month to cover all expenses.
The scholar will receive a fixed sum of US$ 1,500 to help pay 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 lower prices in general: https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/country/brazil
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.
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.