Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships (India)

These fellowships are awarded for up to two years to pursue a master’s degree at U.S. colleges and universities.

Focus Areas

• Economics
  • The study of production, demand, and allocation of resources in society, economic trends, and effects of government economic policy on the economy. Subspecialties include development economics, international economics, macroeconomics, microeconomics, labor economics, agricultural economics, and public finance, among others.
• Higher Education Administration
  • The study of all aspects of higher education administration including policy planning and management, student affairs, academic affairs, admissions and enrolment management, curriculum design, learning assessment, financial management, alumni and community relations, internationalization of higher education, quality assurance, and use of technology in higher education, among others.
• Journalism and Mass Communication
  • The study of all aspects of mass communication, including individual and convergent media platforms such as print, broadcast and new media. Sub-specialties include media management, and communications research and strategy. Subspecialties include media management, print journalism, online journalism, broadcast (radio, television, internet) journalism, and communications research and strategy among others.
• Sustainable Development/Sustainability
  • The study of all aspects of sustainability, including environmental protection, environmental law and policy, affordable and clean energy, sustainable resource management, green technologies, social equity, water resources policy and watershed management, natural ecosystems and biodiversity, urban planning and sustainable cities, sustainable products and services, efficient resource use and equitable distribution, among others.
• Environmental Science/Studies
  • The study of the environment in all its complexities. Subspecialties include environmental toxicology, natural resource management, pollution prevention, environmental law, environmental engineering, and environmental policy analysis, among others.
• International Legal Studies
  • The study of all aspects of international legal studies including business law, commercial and trade law, employment and labor law, environmental law, global health law, human rights, intellectual property rights and law, international organizations, securities and financial regulations, litigation law, and tax law, among others.
• Public Health
  • The study of all aspects of public health including biostatistics, environmental and occupational health, epidemiology, health law, bioethics and human rights, health policy and management, public health delivery systems, international health, and reproductive, maternal and child health, among others.
• Urban and Regional Planning
  • The study of all aspects of urban and regional planning, including sustainable infrastructure, transportation policy, planning and improvements, water and sanitation, town and rural planning, equitability, public space programming and governance, land use, community visioning, urban resilience, housing and real estate development, and waste management, among others.

Benefits

• The fellowship will provide J-1 visa support, round-trip economy class air travel from fellow’s home city to the host institution in the U.S., funding for tuition and fees, living and related costs, and accident and sickness coverage per U.S. Government guidelines.
• The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships provide no financial support for dependents.
• USIEF funding may not cover all costs and the fellow may need to supplement grant benefits with other resources.

Eligibility Requirements

• Must have completed an equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a recognized Indian university with at least 55% marks. Applicants must either possess a four-year bachelor’s degree or a completed master’s degree; or a full-time postgraduate diploma from a recognized Indian institution, if the bachelor’s degree is of less than four years’ duration;
• Must have at least three years’ full-time (paid) professional work experience relevant to the proposed field of study by the application deadline;
• Should demonstrate experience in leadership and community service;
• Must not have another degree from a U.S. university or be enrolled in a U.S. degree program;
• If employed, should follow the instructions carefully regarding employer’s endorsement. If applicable, obtain the endorsement from the appropriate administrative authority on the FNMasters Employer’s Endorsement Form. The employer must indicate that leave will be granted for the fellowship period.
• Employees of the Government of India and Indian State Governments are not eligible for any Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships. This includes civil servants in central services (such as IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS, and allied services), state government services (including state civil services), and bureaucratic staff employed in central and state ministries or departments.

Application Requirements

• You can apply for only one Fulbright-Nehru fellowship category during a competition cycle.
• Plagiarism in the application will lead to disqualification. Some US universities and colleges have developed and published policies on the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) on applications for admission or affiliation with their institution. Some institutions may scan applications for the use of language produced by GenAI. While individual institutional policies range widely and policy responses from US universities will continue to evolve, copying language/content produced by GenAI directly into your application may negatively impact admission or affiliation decisions.
• Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Incomplete applications will be rejected.
• Extensions and Transfer of visa sponsorship will not be permitted.
• Prospective Fulbright participants should be aware that public health conditions, availability of consular services and travel, as well as U.S. institutional operating status and policies may affect their ability to travel to the U.S. and participate in academic programs.

For more information, visit USIEF.