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Study/Research grant

U.S. Fulbright

Learning About Solar Energy with an Economic Lens in Bangladesh, By Holly Battelle, 2010-2011, Bangladesh

September 23, 2011

My Fulbright research has taken me to all corners of Dhaka and to some of the most remote places in Bangladesh. Solar technology was first used here in rural areas not connected to the national electric grid. Most of these off-grid homes use kerosene hurricanes for light, which can be expensive, low quality and have negative health impacts. As an alternative to kerosene, some organizations in Bangladesh provide small loans to households for solar home systems (SHS). The systems can provide an average of six hours of electricity for a household to power light bulbs, small fans or TVs in some cases.

My most memorable and rewarding days in Bangladesh have been spent in the countryside biking on narrow dirt paths flanked by never-ending rice paddies, hiking through beautiful green scenery, or sharing a water taxi with locals to talk about SHS. The rural villagers I’ve spent time with and the families with SHS are some of the kindest people I’ve met. I am often the first American they have ever seen, and it’s been an amazing experience to talk about solar or local culture over a cup of tea or cha.  For every question I ask locals, I respond to a question about myself, my family, research and country.

When not in the countryside, I’ve spent my time learning about the budding urban solar industry in Dhaka. Solar is becoming more popular in Dhaka due to new policies and because of frequent power outages. When the power goes out, homes and businesses will usually run a diesel generator. Many residences, however, are turning to solar to supplement their generators.

Based on my economics background, the Fulbright Program has allowed me to explore solar – a completely new interest and area of study for me. In addition to learning about the solar industry in Bangladesh, I have been doing both urban and rural solar cost estimates to determine how soon homes and apartment buildings can break even by investing in solar compared to kerosene and generator alternatives. I strongly encourage all applicants and future grantees to take advantage of their academic and professional backgrounds to discover new interests during their Fulbright year.

My general advice for study or research applicants:

  • Spend time thinking about who or which organization you’d like your host affiliation to be and what your expectations will be when you arrive.  Because it often takes many emails and phone calls to get in touch with a potential host, you should start early in thinking about your Fulbright application. Having a host that is excited about your research and who is willing to support you can really make a huge difference, especially in the beginning. For countries like Bangladesh, try getting in touch with previous Fulbrighters. Ask them if they know anything about your potential host or if they can give you suggestions. When communicating with your potential host, try to be as clear as possible about your expectations and whether or not they will be able to meet them.
  • Be flexible and open to modifying, expanding, focusing and perhaps changing your Fulbright project. This is one of the best parts of having a Fulbright grant. Technology, policies and cities constantly change, and a great deal can change from the time when you apply for your Fulbright to the time when you arrive. Roll with the changes and take advantage of having the flexibility to modify your research as needed.
  • Try hard to learn local languages. Since so much of Bangladeshi culture is intertwined with the language, some of the most rewarding moments during my Fulbright grant have been when I’ve been speaking Bangla. Even though I often struggle to explain myself in Bangla, the effort is always appreciated and can never be fully translated by someone else.

Top photo: Holly Battelle, 2010-2011, Bangladesh, sharing a water taxi with locals en route to a village with solar home systems (SHS)

Bottom photo: Holly Battelle, 2010-2011, Bangladesh, on top of her apartment building in Dhaka which has 1 KW of solar panels

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U.S. Fulbright

Unexpected Rewards: Pursuing Media Studies and Volunteering in Botswana, By April Simpson, 2010-2011, Botswana

September 2, 2011

I didn’t intend to go to Southern Africa on a Fulbright last year to work on HIV/AIDS.  The purpose of my sojourn to Gaborone, Botswana, was to research the development of online news media and to teach media studies classes at the University of Botswana.  But my resolve to invest in both my academic and extracurricular lives brought me to Botswana-Baylor Children’s Clinical Center of Excellence, the first on the continent to focus exclusively on pediatric-HIV.

Through a volunteer gig writing articles for UNICEF-Botswana, I was introduced to the Baylor clinic, which is treating Botswana’s first generation of HIV-positive children to reach adulthood. Soon after I started, I also became a volunteer for the clinic’s Teen Club.  I helped to facilitate monthly meetings and interviewed the group’s young leaders, who shared personal stories of losing their parents to AIDS and felt stigmatized because of their status.

Despite some incredible challenges, many of these young people vowed to realize their goals and inspired me with their strength and honesty.  They could be themselves at Teen Club because unlike most teenagers, they all understood the burden of taking medications at the same time each day.  Many of them feared what might happen if their crushes or closest friends learned of their status and they typically shared this information with few people.  Practicing safe sex was crucial, but how do you tell a boyfriend or girlfriend that you’re HIV-positive?  I gained a wealth of professional experience, a deeper understanding of the challenges facing Botswana, and a greater appreciation for the value of community as I worked closely with and observed young people who were forced to build their own.

That was probably the best part of my Fulbright year — an experience that involved becoming more engaged with my local community – an experience I wasn’t looking for, but one that ended up having a great impact on my life.  If you’re about to depart on your own Fulbright grant, I encourage you to consider how you can invest in your academic and extracurricular lives.  I bet you’ll be at your best — as a student and as a professional — when you’re investing in both.

For those of you preparing to apply for a study/research grant, consider the following:

Relevance

Can the study/research project you’re proposing be done anywhere else besides the country to which you are applying?  If so, why does it have to be carried out there?  In my proposal, I pointed specifically to government documents as well as to public and private investment in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), supporting Botswana’s goal of becoming a regional ICT leader.

Timeliness

What’s happening in your proposed Fulbright country that makes this project relevant right now?  Why is this important?  I observed that the University of Botswana’s Media Studies Department was revamping its curriculum to prepare students for a future in online journalism and that there was very little documented research on new media in Botswana.

Suitability

Why are you best suited to complete your proposed Fulbright research and project?  What have you done in the past that makes this project a logical next step for you academically or professionally?  Before my Fulbright grant, I worked in newsrooms as a reporter and web producer, and started a blog for a nonprofit organization promoting gender advocacy and media training in Cape Town, South Africa.  I aspire to become a leader in the field of international media development.

Photo: April Simpson, 2010-2011, Botswana, at a Gaborone Nursery and Tea Garden shortly before First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at a women’s leadership lunch

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U.S. Fulbright

Learning About Mexican Migrant Culture and Photography – A Fulbrighter’s Story, By Kathya Maria Landeros, 2007-2008, Mexico

August 24, 2011

My Fulbright adventure began with a three-day orientation held in Mexico City. It was not only an introduction to this dynamic city but also an introduction to my colleagues and fellow Fulbrighters. Assembled in Mexico City for the orientation was a diverse group of scholars, artists, scientists, researchers and business professionals. Our fields were equally diverse and included agriculture, anthropology, ethnomusicology, painting and sociology, to list only a few, and yet we were all united by a common interest – Mexico.

My research took me to Mexico’s central states where I photographed migrant culture in an area with high rates of historic migration. As a first generation Mexican-American, it was a familiar topic to me, but I had never lived in Mexico as an adult. Previously, I spent three years photographing Mexican-American culture in the United States, but now I wanted to see how migration had changed the towns’ landscapes to and from which many people migrated over several decades. Some of my fellow Fulbrighters were also interested in immigration research, and this allowed me to learn more from my peers.  In addition, I enrolled in a class on local and regional development at the Universidad de Guanajuato, my university affiliation.  The course gave me an opportunity to discuss with the professor and local students how underdeveloped areas prompted their populations to migrate to Mexico’s urban centers and to the United States.

There were several things I did that made my stay more enjoyable and helped me to feel like I was part of a community. I participated in local “talleres,” or workshops, and learned about some traditions such as making sugar candy for the Day of the Dead celebration. I tutored a student interested in photography and even tried my hand at tae-kwon-do. I quickly decided martial arts weren’t my thing, but I had to appease my curiosity after walking by the class, day after day, on my way down to the “mercado” or market. I traveled frequently to local communities, and my affiliations often helped with my initial introductions to them. Other times, I had to introduce myself to strangers, meet people on the local bus or in eateries and “pensiones,” and do my research on the ground. I can’t be shy as a photographer, but it also helped that many people were so welcoming – inviting me, a stranger, into their homes and allowing me to document their lives. Reflecting on my time in Mexico, I realize that it had been important for me to plan my Fulbright proposal meticulously on paper. The opportunity to photograph some events occurred only once, such as the winter holidays and “fiestas” when migrants return to their hometowns. Yet my plan of action would not have succeeded had I not been curious to learn from those around me and open to some degree of serendipity.

I also see that my time in Mexico was instrumental to my creative and professional growth as a photographer. Currently, I am enrolled in an MFA program in photography at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design where I am still working on projects that involve migrant culture. The Fulbright Program allowed me to dedicate myself, for the first time, entirely to this photographic endeavor. Imagine being given the opportunity to practice your craft on a daily basis. Prior to this, I had held many odd day jobs, balancing my photographic aspirations with the reality of having to pay for rent and other household expenses (not to mention film in my camera). I know many artists in similar situations and it is easy to get discouraged. The Fulbright Program was a much-needed affirmation of my photographic skills and an opportunity to pursue my project.  Aside from my persistence in working on my project, there were many things that I felt were stacked against my favor and that initially kept me from applying for a Fulbright. I was not a recent college graduate. I had changed my career path in my mid-twenties to pursue photography and was self-taught. I was only beginning to develop my resume as a photographer. I was fortunate, however, to have a dear friend who encouraged me to apply and made me realize that the Fulbright Program could offer an opportunity for professional development – especially in the creative and performing arts. I encourage those who are in a similar situation, those who share some self-doubt, absolutely to apply.

My advice to applicants applying for a study/research grant (including artists and writers):

  • Start the application process early and don’t be discouraged by it. The application can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be if you give yourself, and others assisting you, enough time. It doesn’t hurt to contact references and potential affiliations early on and ask for initial support – even if it is only to inform them of your interest in applying. Giving yourself ample time allows for more time to edit and revise your application and to ask for support. Questions are sure to arise.  If you are currently enrolled in an institution, or even a recent alumnus/na, the first person you should contact is your Fulbright Program Adviser.  As you get deeper into the application process, you should also feel free to contact the Fulbright U.S. Student Program Area Managers with any country-specific questions.
  • Attending an information or guidance session is extremely useful in getting an initial grasp on the proposal process and program requirements and will help you to identify and avoid common mistakes. There are also many online resources you should consult and may find helpful, such as the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website, this blog, podcasts, webinars and videos.
  • Cover the five Ws and one H in your proposal (who, what, where, when, why and how). This sounds elementary, but your project needs to be spelled out clearly to reviewers. You have two pages to convince them that what you are proposing can be done in an academic year, so make every word count.
  • Similarly, be sincere and specific about your intentions. The best proposals convey a sense of why the project can and should be carried out in the host country, and why you are the person to work on the project.
  • Affiliations that are well-researched have the potential to offer you much needed support, especially considering how quickly time will pass during your grant period.  They will serve as a point of entry for your research or to your local community, and it is in everyone’s best interest to have well-defined goals and expectations.
  • Remember that the Fulbright Program is about building mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other nations. It was helpful for me to read about Senator J. William Fulbright and the program’s history. Think about the fellowship as an exchange: an opportunity to contribute something positive to your host community in return for the hospitality and generosity that you are sure to receive.
  • Lastly, don’t give up if you don’t receive the Fulbright on the first time. Many people I’ve met applied several times before receiving a grant. There are many resources to help answer questions about the application process, including the folks who work for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, me and the other Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors. Good luck!

Top photo: Kathya Maria Landeros, 2007-2008, Mexico (center), in San Gertrudis, Mexico with some of her photographic subjects

Middle photo: Partial overview of Guanajuato’s buildings nestled in the mountains

Bottom photo: Kathya Maria Landeros, 2007-2008, Mexico, walking through a common “callejon” or narrow street, in search of a place to rent during her Fulbright year

To see more of Kathya’s photos, click here.

Questions for Kathya about her Fulbright experiences?  Feel free to email her at KLanderos.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org.

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U.S. Fulbright

Community Engagement and Mutual Understanding in the Netherlands, By Nathaniel Bastian, 2008-2009, The Netherlands

August 15, 2011

My Fulbright grant was unique in that in addition to being sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, it was supported by the Netherland-America Foundation (NAF), an organization seeking to strengthen the bonds between the United States and the Netherlands through exchanges in the arts, sciences, education, business, public policy and historic preservation.  As a Fulbright-NAF Fellow, I wanted to actively participate in community-wide events that maintained and fostered ties between the Netherlands and United States.

One such event was the 64th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony held at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial. Located in the village of Margraten (roughly six miles from Maastricht), the cemetery is historically significant because of its location near the famous Cologne-Boulogne highway built by the Romans and used by Caesar, Charlemagne, Charles V, Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm II, and Hitler.  As a military officer, I found this battlefield cemetery site, and similar sites such as Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem, fascinating because of the critical roles these battles played during World War II.

As both a Fulbright Fellow studying at Maastricht University and a U.S. Army officer assigned to the U.S. Embassy’s Defense Attaché Office, I specifically supported this event to help connect Dutch locals with fallen American soldiers’ family members.  During the ceremony, I escorted American World War II veterans and listened to a plethora of their war stories.  Additionally, I mingled with numerous Dutch leaders, politicians and business people from the surrounding area.  From my participation in the Memorial Day Ceremony at Margraten, I directly experienced the principal purpose of the Fulbright Program – to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

During my grant, I also had an opportunity to participate in other Dutch-American sponsored events hosted by organizations such as the Dutch Fulbright Center and the U.S. Embassy in The Hague.  Although each event was different, they all enabled me to represent the United States and the Fulbright Program in the Netherlands.  As a Fulbright grantee, my involvement with Dutch communities not only enriched my life but also helped to promote the United States’ diplomatic goals.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program, sponsored by U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is unlike any other fellowship, scholarship or grant offered nationwide because it allows participants to: 1) learn about foreign cultures and customs while developing language and leadership skills, 2) study and conduct research in any field of study with foreign professors at international universities (or with organizations, conservatories, labs, studios and non-governmental organizations – make sure to check the individual country summary requirements before applying), 3) assistant teach English, and 4) serve as U.S. cultural ambassadors.  Not only will your Fulbright experience be highly rewarding to you both professionally and personally, but you will be able to share the knowledge you gained as a Fulbrighter with everyone you connect with throughout your life.

Middle Photo: Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial

Questions for Nathaniel about his Fulbright experience?  Feel free to email him at Nate.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org.

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U.S. Fulbright

Back in Japan for the First Time: My Fulbright Experience, By William Bridges IV, 2009-2010, Japan

August 10, 2011

“I can’t believe you know so much Japanese but you don’t even know this,” my friend Toshi, a native Tokyoite, laughed.  His tone fell somewhere between incredulity and friendly lampooning.  The “this” that I had yet to learn was some wild gesticulation that looked something like the way I imagine a rooster would perform a Shakespearian soliloquy.  Toshi was doing an ippatsugaggu, or “one-shot gag,” a single action performed typically by Japanese comedians.  And ippatsugaggu, to borrow the Japanese articulation, hayaru, or spread like contagion: you would be hard pressed to live in Japan—to watch a little Japanese TV, to look at ads on the subway or to have a conversation with a group of friends as Toshi and I were doing now—without encountering the latest ippatsugagu.  Incredulity was, for Toshi, the only logical response.  I was ten years into Japanese studies and hadn’t seen something that one could spot after living in Japan for ten minutes.

How is it that my studies had deprived me like this?  Toshi was right. I had never seen poultry performing Shakespeare.  Explaining this gap in my knowledge takes me back to the beginning of my decade-long exchange with Japan.  I’d had three extended study abroad trips to Japan and had lived in the country for a total of more than two years.  Each trip was under the auspices of stellar study abroad programs.  My Japanese had, thanks to the remarkable administration of these programs, improved exponentially.  At the final review of each of these programs, however, when the director would meet with all of the graduating participants and brainstorm ways to improve the program for incoming participants, someone would inevitably pose the following critique: we didn’t have enough contact with “real” Japanese people.  Our Japanese had improved, but we hadn’t become a part of Japan.

I’m sure my lack of familiarity with contemporary Japanese popular culture must have caught Toshi off guard during our time together.  I met Toshi during my fourth trip to Japan – when I was a Fulbrighter.  He was a teacher at a local nursery school and invited me to volunteer there.  Toshi’s father, the director of the school, was initially worried about having a non-native speaker as a volunteer.  After hearing that I was a Fulbrighter, his father, convinced that I “would be the ambassador to Japan in no time,” was more than welcoming.  The director’s support of the Fulbright Program was certainly a two-way street: my time as a Fulbrighter was the first time I’d been affiliated with a program that actively supported, encouraged and lauded community-building and international educational exchange.

Toshi and I were talking with a group of teachers and volunteers after the nursery’s track-and-field day when he deployed his ippatsugaggu.  Putting the event together took (almost) as much energy as the kids put into the competition, and Toshi repaid the volunteers with his unique brand of good humor.  I appreciated the thought—and the lesson in pop culture—but becoming a member of the school community as a Fulbrighter was all the reward I needed.

  • Try to write narrative application components in a way that is accessible and engaging to multiple audiences.  Application evaluators come from a variety of backgrounds ranging from American academics to host country entrepreneurs.  Crafting an application that speaks to multiple strata of readers is essential.
  • One way to ensure that your application is suitably accessible is to garner feedback on proposal ideas/application components from a variety of readers: professors, former Fulbrighters, family members, et cetera.  Fulbrighters are known for their intellectual curiosity and commitment to cross-cultural exchange.  Anyone who possesses these characteristics that you know and trust is a potential good source of constructive criticism for your application materials.

Photo: William Bridges IV, 2009-2010, Japan

Questions for William about his Fulbright experiences?  Feel free to email him at WBridges.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org.

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U.S. Fulbright

A Homecoming to the “City of Heroes,” By Dahlia Gratia Setiyawan, 2008-2009, Indonesia

August 3, 2011

I’ve come to admire and enjoy so much about Indonesia since my first visit there in 1999 on an undergraduate semester abroad. Accordingly, returning on a Fulbright grant to conduct dissertation research on Indonesian migration to the United States was in many ways a homecoming. And, as every homecoming is often filled with new discoveries as well as pleasant familiarities, this one met — and then exceeded — my expectations.

My Fulbright year began in November 2008 when I arrived in Jakarta to obtain my research permits with the help of the American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF, Indonesia’s Fulbright commission). After completing these preliminaries and enjoying some time getting acquainted with the city, I was off to Surabaya, the nation’s second largest metropolis, to settle in and begin my fieldwork.

As I soon discovered, Surabaya is an especially exciting place in which to live and conduct historical research. Named the “City of Heroes” in honor of the valiant efforts of its citizenry during the Indonesian National Revolution, traces of the past linger on amidst a rapidly changing urban landscape. Places such as Tanjung Perak harbor, a working port since pre-modern times, the centuries-old ethnic residential settlements known as kampung, a diverse array of still-proud colonial-era buildings, and a wealth of archives, libraries, and museums make Surabaya an ideal site for an historian of any era.

In seeking to analyze episodes of Indonesian migration to the United States, I immersed myself in the city from which so many recent migrants originated and collected their stories. I spent time engaging in a variety of activities. Document hunting at the municipal archives and the Yayasan Medayu Agung library, recording former migrants’ original oral histories and conducting interviews with U.S. Consulate General staff in Surabaya, all yielded outstanding dissertation materials.  Upon reviewing each of the sources I gathered, I’m reminded of the kindness and generosity shown to me during my fieldwork.

Beyond my research connections, additional encounters produced some of my most meaningful Fulbright moments. As a visiting lecturer in the Department of History at Airlangga University, my affiliate institution, I became part of a remarkable community. In appreciation and exchange for the University’s sponsorship, I co-taught seminars, mentored undergraduates, and helped organize an international academic conference on urban history. My colleagues’ unrivalled encouragement and support (and good–natured teasing about my Indonesian pronunciation) as well the opportunity to engage with an extraordinary group of students, are memories I continue to cherish. Off campus, volunteering as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. Consulate General brought me in contact with school children, journalists, and policy makers with whom I talked about life in the United States, Indonesians in America, and my Fulbright experiences. Representing my country in this capacity was truly an honor and has piqued my interest in pursuing a Foreign Service career.

My year in Indonesia prepared me not only to start writing my first dissertation chapters, but to also take on the next chapter of my life. Whether my next travels are to Indonesia or to somewhere entirely new, I’ll be able to transform any journey into a visit to a home away from home by drawing from my Fulbright experiences.

Tips for Prospective Study/Research Applicants:

  1. Design a feasible project and communicate your plans clearly in your application. When working on this step, ask: Can I reasonably carry out these plans within the parameters of the grant period? I found it helpful to envision and describe my project in terms of phases, each with some specific goals, and detail how I planned to accomplish each of them.
  2. Be proactive in reaching out to potential affiliates. Actively seek out affiliations by taking advantage of resources at your disposal, be they contacts at your college or university, online Fulbright resources, or other fonts of information. Once you come up with potential options, don’t be shy about getting in touch and inquiring about the possibility of an affiliation.  Most organizations will be very happy to hear of your interest!
  3. Make the most of your affiliation(s). Once abroad, the organization(s) with which you are affiliated present a great opportunity to gain immersion in the country and culture in which you’re living. Spend time getting to know the people there and volunteering when and how you can. Not only will you achieve the grant objectives of increasing mutual understanding and promoting cross-cultural awareness, you may even gain some new friends and receive a good deal of research support.
  4. Be open to exploring. Whether it’s taking tips from local scholars on lesser-known research sites, allowing for variations in your schedule, or even trying different foods, don’t be afraid to step away from your proposed project agenda now and then to explore and experience new things.

Photo: Dahlia Gratia Setiyawan, 2008–2009, Indonesia (second from right), with her colleagues in Airlangga University’s Department of History

Questions for Dahlia about her Fulbright experiences?  Feel free to email her at DSetiyawan.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org.

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