Fulbright Program in Vietnam

Fulbright New Century Scholars Program

Summary

New Century Scholar theme for 2008-2009 is "The University as Innovation Driver and Knowledge Center"

The deadline for submission of applications is December 5, 2008

The Fulbright New Century Scholars Program (NCS) is a global program that annually brings together 25-30 research scholars and professionals from the U.S. and participating countries around the world. Through a series of three plenary seminar meetings and a Fulbright exchange visit, scholars engage in collaborative thinking and multi-disciplinary research on a theme of global significance. NCS Scholars engage in multidisciplinary collaboration under the leadership of a Distinguished Scholar Facilitator and work together to seek solutions to issues and concerns that affect all humankind and deserve the attention of researchers, policy makers and practitioners.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State is pleased to announce the competition for the sixth Fulbright New Century Scholars Program (NCS). The 2009 program will focus on the role of higher education in national and global economic development with a specific focus on “The University as Innovation Driver and Knowledge Center.”

Scholars with expertise and interest in the 2009 New Century Scholar theme are invited to apply by December 5. Final review and selection of New Century Scholars will be conducted in the U.S. and successful candidates will be notified of their awards in January 2009. International research visits may begin at any time after the May 2009 orientation and must be concluded by April 2010.

New Century Scholar awards include individual travel/research funding in the amount of $30,000, which is intended to support travel to all program meetings, travel and maintenance for the exchange visit, research materials and assistance, and some partial salary. Accommodations and meals for program seminar meetings are covered separately.

back to top ^

Background

In an ever more complex and interdependent world, the knowledge and solutions needed to address many of the major public policy issues we face must increasingly be generated across borders and through the synergetic efforts of governments, the private sector, and the academic community. The Fulbright program has long supported exchange programs that promote cooperation among these sectors to increase mutual understanding and address critical global issues. Accordingly, the New Century Scholars Program offers a collaborative model for scholarly exchange that is multinational and multidisciplinary in scope, encourages the formation of new global networks of scholars and professionals, and pursues the development of collaborative activities with a long-term regional and global impact.

The NCS Program will engage scholars involved in research and project initiatives that advance understanding of the university as innovation driver and knowledge center and contribute to advancing economic prosperity. Sub topics in which scholar applicants might have particular expertise and interest could include the examples listed below.  Other sub-topics may emerge based on specific interests and expertise.

• Opportunities for and barriers to university-based partnerships for innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development. 
• Partnerships in science and technology research and development that move ideas and solutions from the laboratory to the marketplace in fields with global reach such as energy security, food production, the environment, health, transportation, and nanotechnology.
• Partnerships (clusters) that contribute to economic development and improving quality of life in local communities and regions;
• Partnerships that apply multidisciplinary research and social entrepreneurship to community issues (historic preservation, crime and drugs, needs of children and the elderly)
• Partnerships that extend the innovation pipeline to K-12 and adult education and lifelong learning.

As economic and social interaction become increasingly global, the United States and nations around the world are facing shared opportunities and challenges that will require societies to be open to innovation, entrepreneurship, and the generation of global knowledge. Rising prosperity and national well-being require that nations utilize the full creativity and dynamism of all sectors of their economies and societies.

Universities provide the natural nexus for collaboration among government, industry, academic institutions, individuals, and civil society.  The world’s exemplary universities underpin market productivity and economic growth, sustain civil society, and contribute to an improving quality of life.  They are safe harbors for communities of joint research and open exploration and for individual creativity and free expression.  In high-achieving societies, these institutions produce the human capital leadership, the theoretical breakthroughs, and the practical solutions necessary to meet global challenges, such as energy and food security, global health and disease management, and environmental protection.

Countries that create the right policy and regulatory conditions to foster public private partnerships centered in the university community are able to speed the transformation of innovative research into useful product applications, often with a global impact, and contribute significantly to the improvement of the daily lives of the nation’s citizens.
A number of universities in the U.S. and other countries have gained worldwide recognition for their ability to combine cutting edge theory with meaningful applied research in an array of fields, from business and economics to the sciences and technology. Universities with the highest quality programs play an important role serving as knowledge centers that attract private sector enterprises with an interest in building on the research and innovation capacities of the university.  Colleges and universities have long been regarded as economic engines of their local communities and regions; universities contributing to the global network of knowledge are now emerging as drivers of global innovation, problem-solving, and widening prosperity.

The 2009 New Century Scholars Program (NCS) "The University as Innovation Driver and Knowledge Center," will build on this body of research and experience and will advance knowledge and practical solutions to the role higher education can play in national and global economic development.

back to top ^

Program Participant Requirements

New Century Scholars will be expected to:

1. conduct research both within and outside of their home countries including a two- to three-month international visit.
2. participate in all NCS Program seminar meetings of approximately one-week's duration each. Throughout the program year, Scholars will be expected to maintain contact and interact with other participants in the program in order to expand their own research and to explore comparative approaches to the program topic.

back to top ^

General Eligibility Criteria

All candidates for the Program must be able to demonstrate outstanding qualifications and a record of experience and accomplishment in an area clearly related to the New Century Scholar research theme. Individuals in all disciplines are welcome to apply so long as they are conducting current research directly relevant to the theme and are open to exploring international and interdisciplinary approaches to their investigations. Since individuals designated as Fulbright New Century Scholars will have attained a level of national or international recognition for demonstrated professional accomplishments, including mastery of English and currency in their relevant disciplinary areas, their selection will be based primarily on their potential to contribute to the overall Program objectives rather than on a need or desire to receive further training or exposure to developments and trends in their particular field.

back to top ^

Nomination & Selection Criteria

The selection panel will seek to nominate a cohort of scholars who as a group are proposing diverse projects centered on the Program theme, who represent a variety of disciplines, and who come from different world regions.  Within the context of these general Program considerations, the panel will review individual scholar nominations based on the following criteria:

1. Formal qualifications of the applicant, including academic degrees, training, status, and position
2. National and international reputation in his/her field
3. Quality of nominee's professional accomplishments as demonstrated through publications, research grants, and other professional achievements
4. Merits of the research proposal and its relevance to the New Century Scholars research topic
5. Potential for the applicant's proposed research to contribute to a high-level interdisciplinary discussion of the research theme
6. Justification for the proposed international visit and its significance for advancing understanding of the subject
7. Ability of the applicant to carry out the project
8. Oral fluency in English
   

back to top ^

Application Procedures

Please take time to review the application guidelines before completing the applications. Each candidate will be required to submit

a. a New Century Scholars Program application cover page (download here)

b. a project abstract

c. a proposal, not to exceed four typed, single-spaced pages, and one-page bibliography of relevant sources

d. a curriculum vitae and publications list

e. two letters of support

f. letter of invitation from the prospective host institution

back to top ^

Program Activities

To create a platform for collaborative thinking and pursuit of tangible solutions, NCS provides participants with opportunities to come together during the program year. These include:

• An orientation and goal setting meeting
• A mid-term meeting
• A final plenary meeting
• International exchange opportunities of two/three months
• Ongoing discussion and interaction among NCS fellows throughout the program year

NCS Scholars are expected to participate actively in all these activities and to contribute to the collaborative goals of the program throughout the program year.

back to top ^

Timeline

September 2008	| NCS Program announced and application materials available
December 5, 2008	| Deadline for submission of application
December 2008	| Peer review and selection process
February 2008	| NCS Scholars announced
May 2009	| NCS orientation meeting
May 2009	| Exchange visits may begin
October 2009	| Mid-term meeting
April 2010	| Final plenary meeting

back to top ^

Contact

Fulbright New Century Scholar Program
Public Affairs Section - U.S. Embassy, 7 Lang Ha, Hanoi
Email nguyenHT4@state.gov, or phone (04)-3850-5100 (ext. 5089).