INTRODUCTION

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State is pleased to announce the competition for the sixth year of the Fulbright New Century Scholars Program (NCS). The Fulbright New Century Scholars Program is a global program that brings together annually 30 outstanding research scholars and professionals from the U.S. and around the world. NCS fellows engage in multidisciplinary collaboration under the leadership of a Distinguished Scholar Leader and work together to seek solutions to issues and concerns that affect all humankind. The 2009 program continue the theme of higher education and 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". Dr. Miranda Schreurs, Director of the Environmental Policy Research Center and Professor of Comparative Politics at the Free University of Berlin, will serve as the Distinguished New Century Scholar Leader.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

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.

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 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.

PROGRAM DESIGN

The Program will begin in May 2009 and conclude in April 2010. A total of 25-30 subject experts from the U.S. and participating countries will be selected as Fulbright New Century Scholars. Approximately one third of the participants will be U.S. scholars who will do research in a number of countries worldwide. The remaining two thirds of the program's participants will be visiting scholars from outside the United States. Participants may be academics or professionals in the academic, public, or private sectors in their countries. During the program year, all participating scholars from outside the United States will be expected to participate in the three plenary seminar meetings, make a research exchange visit in the United States with colleagues at an institution with which they have pre-arranged collaboration and a formal affiliation, and maintain contact and intellectual exchange with fellow NCS Scholars during the program year. Research visits may be two to three months in duration, and all visits should be completed prior to April 2010.

The NCS Program is carried out under the guidance of a distinguished Scholar Leader, selected for his/her interdisciplinary expertise and professional standing in the area of the research topic. This Leader will ensure productive, cross-disciplinary discussion and the development of collaborative activities among the multi-national group of grantees chosen to participate.

Program activities include:

• Orientation and Goal Setting (May 2009)
• Mid-term Meeting (October 2009) 
• Final Plenary NCS Seminar (April 2010) 
• International exchange visit of 3 months, to be completed at any time between May 2009 and April 2010
• Ongoing communication and interaction with NCS Distinguished Scholar Leader and other NCS Scholars throughout program year

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.

AWARD/BENEFITS

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.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

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. Non-US applications must be submitted through a participating Fulbright Commission or Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in the home country.

• Indian applicants should refer to the "How to Apply" section in this announcement.

GENERAL SELECTION CRITERIA

Applications will be reviewed and NCS Fellows selected on the basis of the following criteria:

• Formal qualifications of the applicant, including academic degrees, training, rank and position; national/international reputation in his/her field; quality of professional accomplishments as demonstrated through publications, research grants, other professional achievements
• Merits of the research proposal and its relevance to the New Century Scholars research topic
• Potential of the applicant to contribute to interdisciplinary discussion and collaboration related to the NCS topic
• Significance and relevance of applicant's current research to the NCS theme
• Potential of the applicant's proposed research to develop or add new approaches or perspectives to the New Century Scholar topic
• Potential of the proposed research to contribute to a better understanding of the NCS topic at the national and international level
• Justification for the proposed international exchange visit, including its significance for advancing understanding of the subject
• Ability of the applicant to carry out the project;
• Oral Fluency in English.

USIEF will review the applications from Indian nationals and send its nominations to CIES for further consideration. CIES will convene a selection panel that will include the New Century Scholar Leader and a multi-disciplinary group of experts.  The 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. 

Final selection will be based on the referenced criteria as well as on the need for a diversity of projects, disciplinary fields and geographic areas represented in the program.

APPLICATION MATERIALS AND HANDOUTS

All applicants must complete the APPLICATION FORM along with the following items:

• Proposal Abstract (not to exceed two single-spaced paragraphs)
• Research Proposal, not to exceed four typed single-spaced pages, and a one-page bibliography of relevant sources
• A Curriculum Vitae, not to exceed 8 pages and publication list
• Two Letters of Support
• Letter of Invitation from the prospective host institution.

Applications lacking required materials will not be forwarded for review. Please do not include any additional materials. Detailed application guidelines are available on the CIES website www.cies.org/ncs. Final review and selection of New Century Scholars will be conducted by CIES 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.

HOW TO APPLY

Indian applicants: Indian citizens, resident in India, can obtain application materials either in person at any of USIEF offices ( addresses mentioned below) or by sending requests to USIEF, 12 Hailey Road, New Delhi 110001 along with a  self-addressed stamped (Rs. 20) 10"X 7" envelope. Indicate NCS in your request. Click here to download application form. To receive the forms as an email attachment in MS word format (send request to: <ip@fulbright-india.org>). We encourage you to visit the CIES website http://www.cies.org/NCS/  for complete details of the program. Please follow the instructions for non U.S. applicants.

Indian applicants must submit their applications, no later than October 15, 2008, to USIEF, 12 Hailey Road, New Delhi 110001 and not directly to CIES. Employed applicants must submit their applications through proper channel by this date. A national level expert committee will review all eligible applications. Short-listed applications will be forwarded to the US for final review.  The 2010-2011 Fulbright New Century scholars will be announced sometime in January 2009.

U.S. applicants: U.S. citizens and citizens of other participating countries other than India should refer to the CIES website http://www.cies.org/NCS/  for application materials and details.

USIEF Offices

USIEF has headquarters in New Delhi, and three regional offices in Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai.

• USIEF, " Fulbright House", 12 Hailey Road, New Delhi 110001
  Email: ip@fulbright-india.org  website: www.fulbright-india.org   Phone: 011-2332-8944-48;Fax: 011-2332-9718
  (For Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, and all Union Territories in the North)

• USIEF Regional Office, American Center, 4 New Marine Lines, Mumbai 400 020
  Email: usefibom@bom3.vsnl.net.in Phone: 022-2262-4603; Fax: 022-2262-4595
  (For Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and all Union Territories in the West)

• USIEF Regional Office, The American Center, 38A, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata 700071
  Email: usefical@dataone.in Phone: 033-2288-1200 Fax: 033-2288-1636
  (For Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal, and all Union Territories in the East)

• USIEF Regional Office, American Consulate Building, Mount Road, Anna Salai, Chennai 6000 06
  Email: usefichennai@dataone.in Phone: 044-2811-2049; Fax: 044-2811-2020
  (For Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and all Union Territories in the South)