Writing Tips for Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship Applicants: Think About the Five Ws and One H (Who, What, Where, When, Why and How)

If you’re applying for a Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship application and currently working on your Statement of Grant Purpose and Personal Statement, make sure to ask yourself the six journalistic questions. In the words of current Fulbright Public Policy Fellow Taylor Steelman (who recently participated in a Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship Webinar), “Keep asking yourself one question: WHAT skills, knowledge, and experience of yours will benefit the host country or institution, and HOW?”

In writing your Statement of Grant Purpose, describe your relevant background and skills that support why you are uniquely qualified to pursue a Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship. How will those skills be implemented during your grant? How will they help you to engage with your host supervisors and local community?

For your Personal Statement, tell your story and how, personally and professionally, you arrived at the decision to pursue a Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship. This is the essay in which you can give reviewers a better sense of who you are, your leadership qualities, why you’re passionate about your field and what you hope to achieve as a result of pursuing a Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship.

Want more advice on how to write your Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship essays? Review the Tips for Study/Research in Academic Fields on our website. Also, attend an upcoming Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship Webinar.