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.
Scholars proposing to teach should expect to teach both undergraduate and graduate courses, depending on the needs of the host institution. Undergraduate average class size is 30 to 40 students. Graduate average class size is eight to 10 students. A normal course load is 12 hours per week of teaching. Additional responsibilities may include: contribute to curriculum development and assist with student advising; mentor junior faculty; conduct tutorials and supervise research projects and dissertations; participate in mentorships and curriculum reviews. Scholars may also conduct research in area of specialization, in combination with teaching. Artists or professionals may propose a professional or artistic project.
The Zimbabwe Council for higher education (ZIMCHE) lists all accredited universities. https://www.zimche.ac.zw/
Applicants interested in working with research organizations or non- academic institutions are encouraged to reach out to the U.S. Embassy in Harare to discuss their proposed host institution or to get help in identifying one. Please email for assistance - HararePD@state.gov.
Grants can be either one semester or an academic year in length, beginning either in August/September 2026 or January/February 2027, in accordance with most academic host institution's academic calendar. If a grantee identifies a research institution, the grant period can be flexible depending on host institution's requirements.
Individuals in following areas are encouraged to apply:
The U.S. Embassy in Harare encourages placements that leverage existing (or prospective) partnerships with U.S. universities and research institutions. Zimbabwean institutions must be willing to facilitate the research clearance process and work permit application process and fee payment.
While we encourage all scholars to have a supporting letter for their application, the Embassy can facilitate host institution support, where scholars are flexible and willing to working with identified institution.
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
Interested scholars should write to prospective host institutions (see contact information below) expressing their interest in coming to teach, conduct research or do a professional project in their department/organization. For assistance in reaching university contacts, please contact U.S. Embassy Harare at . HararePD@state.gov or reach out to university registrars on the following email addresses.
Bindura University of Science Education: registrar@buse.ac.zw
Chinhoyi University of Technology: registrar@cut.ac.zw
National University of Science & Technology: registrar@nust.ac.zw
Midlands State University: registrar@msu.ac.zw
University of Zimbabwe: registrar@admin.uz.ac.zw
Harare Institute of Technology: registrar@hit.ac.zw
All teaching will be in English; proficiency in another language is not required.
For teaching and teaching/research proposals, applicants are required to have either a Ph.D. OR a master's degree and five years teaching experience at the university/college level. Professionals are required to have seven years post-graduate experience in their field.
Department chairpersons email addresses can be found in the university website under the department of interest. See university websites below:
Round-trip, economy-class, international travel arranged by travel agent designated by IIE, for scholar and up to two accompanying dependents. A $2,850 allowance will be provided to cover the costs associated with relocation and excess baggage.
$1,000 books and educational materials allowance; if possible, educational materials should be donated to the host institution (or other entity) upon grantee's departure. (For Teaching and Teaching/Research awards)
Additional living and housing allowance is provided for grantees with one accompanying dependent or two or more accompanying dependents. These amounts range from $400/month to $600/month.
In addition, round-trip, economy class travel is provided for up to two dependents.
Dependent education allowance of up to $12,500 per child or $25,000 per family for accompanying dependents in grades K-12 is reimbursed for a full academic year, upon submission of receipts, and depending on funding availability. Amount may be adjusted for shorter grant periods. Reimbursement is based on actual cost of tuition and fees only.
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.
The cost of living in Zimbabwe is moderate to expensive depending on housing options and locations/neighborhoods. Public transportation or taxis are not viable options, and personal vehicles are often necessary, particularly for placements outside of Harare. Access to U.S. dollars, the main currency expected, is scarce and banking options are not very reliable.
When university housing is provided to Fulbright Scholars, grantees will receive a supplemental housing allowance in lieu of a full housing allowance for refurbishments, utilities, and other miscellaneous expenses that arise. The full housing allowance will not be provided to grantees if they elect to decline on-campus or university housing.
Please refer to the figures above for an estimate of total monthly Fulbright award benefits. Benefits may include a monthly base stipend, living and housing allowances, and additional one-time allowances. Benefits may vary based on a scholar's current academic rank (or professional equivalent), the city of placement, the type of award (teaching, teaching/research, or research), and the number of and duration of stay of accompanying dependents. Research-only or Professional Project grantees receive a standard stipend that is not adjusted for academic rank. In most cases, dependent benefits will not be provided to Flex grantees, or to grantees pursuing grants less than four months (or a semester) in length.
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 reserves the right to alter, without notice, participating countries, number of awards and allowances.
The Public Diplomacy (PD) is looking to recruit scholars in the following fields;
The Fulbright program in Zimbabwe aims to leverage the U.S. as a foundation for internationalization of campus communities and a catalyst for university partnerships and research networks with U.S. counterparts.
Zimbabwean universities receive accreditation from the Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education (zimche.ac.zw), however, many Zimbabwean universities do not have formal quality promotion policies or structures to meet the audit requirements. Most universities in Zimbabwe use peer review and external reviewers or examiners as the main mechanism for quality assurance. The Senate/University council is the main custodian of academic quality and acts as a quality assurance body. Leveraging the U.S. excellence and leadership in higher education, Fulbright U.S. scholars can collaborate with Zimbabwean counterparts on curriculum development, teaching and research.
The growth in the number of universities has necessitated differentiation based on unique strengths, including, but not limited to number of faculty with PhDs, research interests, multi-disciplinary collaboration and university location – rural vs urban. Older and more recognized universities have a higher ratio of established scholars whereas younger institutions tend to employ younger, enthusiastic faculty and administrators who are eager and open to engaging with international scholars. Some of the new university mandates are STEM focused to drive the country’s technological development.
During the late 1990’s to early 2000’s the University of Zimbabwe had vibrant, strategic international partnerships and global collaborative research funded by international foundations. The political and socio-economic crisis from the mid-2000s resulted in the end of these partnerships, negatively impacting new universities which had yet to make their international footprints. Today universities actively seek opportunities to engage international scholars. In 2019, the government of Zimbabwe launched Education 5.0, an initiative that adds innovation and industrialization to the three pillars of teaching, research, and community engagement on which all universities functioned. In line with Education 5.0, Zimbabwean universities compete to update existing programs to meet international best practices as a step towards internationalization.
Zimbabwean universities all run on the American semester system; August/September being the start of the new academic calendar. However, some universities have additional intakes that start in March/April and then run concurrently to the mainstream calendar. For purposes of uniformity, all Fulbright scholars operate on the American academic calendar.
COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns negatively impacted academic calendars. As a result, incoming Fulbright Scholars must be flexible and adaptable to a significant amount of uncertainty. Often, these schedule shifts provide opportunities to pursue new programs and research opportunities. Fulbright Scholars are encouraged to consult with the Public Diplomacy Section of the Embassy in the event they need guidance as to their programs, duties or new projects.
Interested candidates can contact the Public Diplomacy Section of the Embassy at HararePD@state.gov if they have questions about the program or the country.
Kristin Kuter (https://kkuter.com/) blog on her time in Zimbabwe
Anette LaRocco
Elizabeth Berkeley
Innocent Awasom
Jennifer Kyker
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.