Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence (S-I-R) Program is intended for U.S. higher education institutions to request a visiting lecturer. It offers a Slovak faculty member the opportunity to teach and lecture at accredited U.S. institutions of higher education. A lecture stay may be for one or two semesters. U.S. institutions that do not have a strong international component and/or serve minority audiences are given preference.
Lecturers usually teach at undergraduate level in area studies programs, in interdisciplinary programs focusing on global issues and/or in courses where a foreign lecturer’s services can provide a cross-cultural or international perspective. Beyond lecturing and curriculum development, S-I-Rs are engaged with students, faculty and staff in a range of activities across campus and in community outreach.
Institutions can submit an open or named application, meaning that an institution can request any Slovak lecturer complying with the criteria or can request a specific lecturer by name. The Commission will recruit Slovak lecturers on behalf of the institution. More information about the program can be found here.
The living expenses are calculated based on the living costs estimated for the specific location of the host institution
international economy class airfare via the most direct route from home of the grantee to the authorized destination in the U.S.
J-1 visa sponsorship for grantee and J-2 visa for dependents
Dependents allowance
One-time professional allowance
Settling-in allowance
Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges covering basic healthcare (supplemental private insurance highly recommended)
The Commission helps grantees to prepare for their stay in the U.S. while the Institute of International Education (IIE) provides on-going support over the course of the grant
The Commission recruits a lecturer in the case of an open application or contacts a requested lecturer in the case of named application.
Lecturers are officially approved by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Grant documents are issued. Administrative steps to process visa applications and departure for the U.S. are taken, if grant starts in the fall semester.*
Pre-Departure Orientation is hosted by the Commission.
Visa interviews are conducted for grantees who depart for the U.S. and start their grant in the fall.
* If the grant starts in the spring semester, administrative steps to process visa applications and departure for the U.S. are taken between September and December, and visa interviews are conducted December-January.
I am a Slovak scholar/faculty member, can I apply directly for the S-I-R Program?
The S-I-R Program is intended for U.S. higher education institutions to apply for and request a lecturer. So, the respective institution requests a concrete lecturer or submits an open application and it is the Commission’s role to recruit suitable candidates. We strongly recommend a Slovak faculty to advise their U.S. partners to consider applying for this program.
Does the Fulbright Commission arrange for a leave of absence at home institution?
It is the sole responsibility of the candidate to make sure that they are free to accept a grant and obtain any necessary leave of absence and make other required arrangements to enable them to accept a grant. The awarding of a grant does not constitute endorsement by the Board or the Commission of a leave of absence for the grantee.
Can family members travel to the U.S. with me?
Yes, if they qualify as a dependent – a spouse, or a child who is financially dependent upon a grantee and as long as any such child’s age does not exceed 21 years. There is a monthly allowance for dependents ($200 to $350) and the Commission assists the dependents in obtaining the necessary visa (J-2 visa).
Program, year, host institution:
Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence (S-I-R) Program, 2017-18, Department of Cultural Studies, Evergreen State College.
Current position:
Head of the Department of Ethnology and Museology, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava
Testimonial:
“Participation in the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program was a great experience for me, both professionally and personally. My colleagues were extremely kind and helpful; cooperation with them enriched me in terms of knowledge, but also in terms of pedagogical skills. The experience I gained at the Evergreen State College helps me teach at my home university and improve my teaching practices.”
Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence (S-I-R) Program, 2017-2018
Program, year, host institution:
Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program, 2019-2020, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa College
Current position:
Program Director, Bratislava Policy Institute
Testimonial:
“During my stay at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa College in Hayward, Wisconsin in 2019, I have had an unique opportunity to teach Native Americans of the Ojibwa tribe sociology. The subject "Sociology of Food" became most popular... We finished it by cooking fried cheese and mixing tartar sauce ... The experience of staying at the College that stands in the reservation and is funded by casino, was unrepeatable. As a scholar working on race and ethnicity issues, I had an opportunity to penetrate into a life of Ojibwa tribe and I became an honorary member of it, specifically of a sub-tribe of Bears. People from the wider area gradually started attending my lectures organized for the public. Consequently, I started to be recognized in Walmart or in my favorite "Angry Minnow" pub."
Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program, 2019-2020