Visiting Scholars Program for Professor and Researchers (Morocco)

The application process begins with the Moroccan researcher contacting an American university or otherwise scientific colleague who agrees to host the Visiting Scholar at their university or institute for the entire grant period.

Applicants must have adequate spoken and written English to conduct research, collaborate with colleagues in the USA, and get to navigate everyday life in the United States. They must state why the proposed research needs to be conducted in the United States rather than Morocco as well as the expected benefits of the research.

Benefits 

• Round-trip, economy-class airfare
• A monthly stipend
• A settling-in allowance, a professional allowance, and, if necessary, an allowance for dependents
• Health insurance

Eligibility Criteria 

• Permanent residents of the United States (holders of the “Green Card”) or Moroccan-American dual nationals are not eligible
• Like all Fulbright programs, the Visiting Scholar must pledge to return to Morocco upon completion of the program
• Individuals who are employees or close family members or dependents of employees of MACECE, the MACECE board, the US Embassy or the US Department of State or its cooperating agencies are ineligible to apply for the program.

Selection Criteria 

• The Following Selection Criteria are taken into consideration by the Selection Committee Members when reading the Applications of the Candidates for Fulbright Visiting Scholar Grants:
  • Scholarship: The Selection Committee looks for academic leaders through evidence of the quality and quantity of the candidates’ academic contributions in their fields. The following elements are carefully assessed: a) candidates’ record of serious publications and papers presented at conferences; b) candidates’ level of involvement in institution-building, curriculum and program development; c) their role as citizens in community-based service organizations.
  • Vision and Intent:  The proposal should be clear and feasible in terms of goals, and methods.  It must show academic rigor in its content and format. It should demonstrate possible long-term benefits for building or reinforcing existing bilateral institutional relations and for strengthening the candidate’s home institution.
  • Application to Moroccan Context: The proposal should highlight the relevance of the proposed field of research and topic to Morocco’s national objectives for institution-building, educational reform, sustainable development, and technological progress.
  • Leadership and Cultural Ambassadorship: The candidate should demonstrate his or her involvement in civil society, academic associations, and non-academic activities which provide evidence of candidates’ engagement in the community. Candidates’ history of taking on responsibilities at their universities is also considered.
  • For repeat grant candidates  (who have satisfied the minimum five-year waiting period between grants): Proposals from candidates who are past recipients of Fulbright grants will be reviewed with particular rigor with a view to giving preference to candidates who have never had a previous grant. The relevance and importance of the research topic is assessed in light of priorities of both countries. In addition, candidates must show they maximized the impact of their previous grant in academic/scientific terms (publications and/or papers given at conferences, as well as curriculum and course development) and in terms of outreach in their home communities. The committee also strives to determine the possibilities of other sources of funding available to the candidate (often the Fulbright Program is the only possible source).
  • Project length: All visiting scholars have to stay in the US for a period of 6 months.

For more information, visit Fulbright Morocco.