Fulbright Scholar Award

Fulbright-García Robles Science and Technology

Mexico

Application Deadline
closed
Award Code
25212-MX
Activity Type
Research
Research includes activities involving scientific research, qualitative research, quantitative research, and practice-based research, including artistic research. Research can take place in locations such as the laboratory, the field, the archives, or an artist residency. It can be experimental, clinical, or applied. It can include examining policies, systems, theories, methods, interactions, and works of art and music, with the objective to evaluate or develop new knowledge or works. Quantifiable (tangible) outcomes can include publications (books, journal articles, scripts, etc.), conference presentations, artistic and musical compositions, exhibitions, performances, films, and patents.
Teaching
Teaching includes classroom teaching, as well as giving guest lectures, workshops, and seminars, and engaging in other related activities. Classroom teaching is typically at the undergraduate and graduate level, and courses may be designed by the scholar or prescribed by the host institution and may be taught or co-taught by the scholar. The teaching load varies by award, as well as the host institution. Scholars may also consult on building research capacity, advise graduate students, and assist with thesis advising.
Teaching/Research
A combination of teaching and research as described above. Refer to the award description for any specifications on percentages of time that should be devoted to teaching vs research.
Degree Requirements
Ph.D. (or other terminal degree) required
Career Profile
Early Career Academics
Awards are open to those who have been working in the capacity of a teacher or scholar for no more than seven years.
Mid-Career Academics
Awards are open to those who have been working in the capacity of a teacher or scholar for more than seven, and less than 13, years.
Senior Academics
Awards are open to those who have been working in the capacity of a teacher or scholar for more than 13 years.

Number of recipients

Up To
4
Award Start Period
August 2026 - September 2026 or January 2027
Award Length
3 months, or 4 months, or 5 months, or 6 months, or 7 months, or 8 months, or 9 months
Flex Option
No
Multi-Country/Area Award
No
Disciplines
Agriculture
Architecture
Astronomy
Biochemistry
Biology
Chemistry
Engineering
Environmental Sciences
Environmental Studies
Geology
Information Sciences/Systems
Materials Science
Mathematics
Medical Sciences
Neuroscience
Nutrition
Oceanography
Paleontology
Pharmacology
Physics
Statistics
Scholars selected for this award can choose to
Advise and/or mentor students
Assist in faculty, curriculum, and/or program development
Conduct a research project designated by the host institution
Conduct a research project of the applicant’s choosing
Teach graduate and/or undergraduate courses designated by the host institution
Teach graduate and/or undergraduate courses of the applicant’s choosing

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.

Award Activity

This award supports scholars who would like to conduct research and/or teach at the university level in Mexico, in the scholar's area of specialization. Scholars can also consult on curriculum, program and faculty development, and conduct seminars and workshops.

Locations
Location Selection: Applicant may propose an appropriate host
Locations Detail

Applications or affiliations located in areas where there is a level 4 U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory in effect will NOT be considered. See the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories webpage for further information.

Award Length and Period

Three to nine months.

Full academic year grants preferred. Nine-month grants start in August or September 2025. One-semester grants must correspond to the host institution's academic calendar.

Areas of Interest

All STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) will be considered. Projects in medical sciences that DO NOT include patient contact will be considered. 

All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).

Citizenship/Residency Requirement
Applicants residing in the award country at the time of application or thereafter are not eligible to apply for this award.
Permanent residents of the award country are not eligible to apply for this award.
Invitation Requirement
A letter of invitation is required.
Invitation Requirement Additional Information

A letter of invitation from a qualified Mexican university, accredited institution, research facility or government agency is required at the time of application close date.

Language Proficiency Requirements
Recommended (Intermediate): Spanish
Required Proficiency

Applicants are encouraged to register qualified language evaluator, such as a language instructor or a translator, to conduct the external assessment in the application. Being a native speaker alone does not qualify an individual to conduct the assessment.

Applicants who are native speakers do not need to complete an external evaluation.

Level of Proficiency
Intermediate
Required Languages
Spanish
Additional Language Requirement

The level of Spanish language proficiency must be commensurate with the requirements of the project. A higher level of Spanish may be required for some projects. Recommended applicants will be invited by the Fulbright Commission in Mexico (COMEXUS) to be virtually interviewed in Spanish by a panel of experts

Additional Qualification Information

Ph.D. or M.D. required. Applicants must be affiliated with a university or research institution in the U.S. at the time of application.

You may be asked to participate in an interview as part of the in-country selection process.

Award Allowances

Monthly stipends depend on a scholar's rank: 

  • Assistant Professors receive $3,200 per month.
  • Associate and Full Professors receive $3,400 per month.
  • Distinguished, Named, Chaired and Emeriti Professors receive $3,700 per month.
Estimated Travel and Relocation Allowance for Grantee

One round-trip international air ticket for the grantee not to exceed $1,000 and a one-time relocation allowance of $1,200.

Do you offer additional dependent benefits
Yes

Additional dependent allowances are available: $250 per month for one dependent, $400 per month for two dependents, and $500 per month for three or more dependents.

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.

Estimated Cost of Living

MEXICO:

The cost of living can vary greatly depending on where in Mexico you will be conducting your research, as well as your lifestyle. Los Cabos in Baja California Sur; Cancún in Quintana Roo, and Mexico City are three of the most expensive cities in Mexico. La Paz, also in Baja California Sur, and Oaxaca are among the most affordable locations in Mexico.

Cost of living in Mexico City: Rent for a comfortable apartment in a modest neighborhood can start at around $450 per month. Rent in a larger apartment in one of the nicer neighborhoods can start at $800 per month and go upwards of $1,500. Rent in Mexico City is, on average, 80% lower than in New York. A single person's estimated monthly costs are approximately $550 USD without rent. A family of four's estimated monthly costs are approximately $1,800 USD without rent.

Cost of living in Oaxaca City: Rent for a comfortable apartment in a decent neighborhood can range between $300-600 per month. A single person estimated monthly costs are approximately $400 USD without rent. A family of four estimated monthly costs are approximately $1,000 USD without rent.

Special Award Benefits

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, México, 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.

Mexico

What is life like for Fulbrighters in your country?

The close, dynamic relationship between the United States and Mexico offers a plethora of opportunities for scholars interested in conducting research or teaching at the university level on issues of relevance for both countries.  Mexico is proud of its ancestral cultural heritage as well as its long history of academic excellence. The opportunities for informed travel and discovery for U.S. scholars are endless. Follow the hyperlinks here to visit the Fulbright Scholar Directory and read more about Fulbright Scholar Alumni Ambassadors Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor and Brian Klopotek.

The site of major Amerindian civilizations - including the Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec, among others, and home to one of the most biodiverse environments, it is no wonder that Mexico boasts the largest UNESCO world heritage in the American continent: 14 cities, 35 cultural and natural sites, as well as an important number of intangible patrimonies. Additionally, Mexico has designated 132 Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns), communities that over time have maintained their original architecture, traditions, history and culture, which enhance the richness of travel destinations.

Mexico was colonized by Spain in the early 16th century and achieved independence three centuries later. Elections held in 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that an opposition candidate - Vicente Fox of the conservative Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) - defeated the party in government, the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). He was succeeded in 2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe Calderón, but Enrique Peña Nieto regained the presidency for the PRI in 2012. Left-leaning politician and former mayor of Mexico City (2000-05) Andrés Manuel López Obrador, from the Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional (MORENA), became president in December 2018. Presidents in Mexico cannot be reelected after their six-year term.

Education in Mexico has a long tradition. The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), which started as Real y Pontificia Universidad de México (Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico), was founded in 1551 and is the second oldest institution of higher education in the American Continent. UNAM has been cited as one of the largest and most important universities, not only in Mexico but in all of Latin America. Its philosophy is closely tied to social responsibility, at the service of the country and humankind by educating academics and professionals to be of use to society, able to organize and carry out research on social and political issues that have vast cultural benefits. All three of Mexico’s Nobel Prize winners, Octavio Paz, Mario J. Molina and Alfonso García Robles were UNAM graduates.

There are six subsystems of higher education institutions in Mexico: public universities, technological institutes, technological universities, teacher training colleges, and other public and private institutions. When all of them are counted, Mexico has 1,250 institutions of higher education. Mexico’s 45 public universities, generate 50 percent of all academic research and produce 52 percent of undergraduates as well as 48 percent of graduate students. There are also one hundred and sixty-eight private universities to be found throughout the country.

There are a few very interesting and original public higher educational institutions unique to Mexico that have been studied and reproduced in other countries. This is the case of the Universidades Interculturales, specifically designed for bilingual and bicultural environments in regions with a strong indigenous presence. There is a world-renowned prestigious agricultural university, La Universidad Autonoma de Chapingo, that boards students from all over the country. The Escuelas Normales Rurales (teacher training in rural areas) are also exemplary educational institutions. All combined, the opportunities for U.S. Scholars to establish relationships with their Mexican counterparts are endless.

The education system is mostly centered in Mexico City, however, there are other important educational hubs that attract students from all over, for example, Puebla, Puebla; Xalapa, Veracruz; Leon and Guanajuato, Guanajuato; Guadalajara, Jalisco and Merida in the Yucatán peninsula.

COMEXUS, the U.S.-Mexico Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange, manages all Fulbright grants in Mexico. Founded in 1990, COMEXUS has a demonstrated record of helping grantees get oriented in their new environment. Since 1992, the COMEXUS Board of Directors established that all of the Mexico-specific scholarships would be officially named “Fulbright-García Robles” in honor of Alfonso García Robles, Mexican Ambassador Emeritus and 1982 Nobel Peace Prize winner. Mexico also shares a multi-country grant with Canada, the Fulbright-Carlos Rico Award for North American Studies, which honors Ambassador Carlos Rico, who served as Mexican Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs for North America from 2006 to 2009. COMEXUS promotes the development of networks of individuals and institutions that stimulate research and teaching on important themes related to the binational agenda.

COMEXUS is particularly interested in projects addressing issues of relevance to U.S.-Mexico relations, including culture, economic integration, society and politics, migration, trade policy, ecological issues, human rights, education, public health, and border issues. While COMEXUS is currently particularly focused on research and teaching projects related to the STEM fields, they also have a long history of supporting projects in the arts (both performance and fine arts) that further dialogue and contact between U.S. and Mexican art communities.

Fulbright-García Robles awards are open to candidates at any academic or professional rank, in all disciplines with the exception of medicine, veterinary medicine, and dentistry. The fields of interest are non-exhaustive and applications from all disciplines are accepted.  COMEXUS encourages applicants looking for postdoctoral research stays in Mexico.

Typically, academic semesters begin in August or September and/or January or February. Grant periods from three to nine months are accepted; nine-month academic-year grants are preferred. All grants are to be completed by the end of June. For grants over 180 days (roughly six months), grantees and accompanying dependents must obtain a visa authorization prior to entering Mexico, which is arranged by COMEXUS. Grantees with dual U.S. and Mexican nationality are eligible to apply and, although they are bound by all laws pertaining to foreigners while in-country, they are required by Mexican law to enter Mexico on a Mexican passport. However, due to Mexican immigration regulations, U.S. citizens with permanent residency or a current work visa are not eligible to apply.

For more information on program details, contact Maria Vallarta or visit the COMEXUS website

The Fulbright Commission in Mexico follows the recommendations of both the Mexican government and the U.S. Embassy when placing U.S. Fulbright grantees in Mexico. Placement may be restricted in certain states or areas of Mexico, dependent on these recommendations. Please consult the detailed U.S. State Dept. Mexico Travel Advisory for information about your prospective location. Projects in level 4 travel advisory areas will not be considered.

Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.