Nepal
3 Fulbright-Fogarty Public Health Fellowship Award
Accepted Degree Levels
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Grant PeriodJuly StartGrant Length10 Months |
Award Type
Discipline-Specific Awards
Award Profile
The Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health are offered through a partnership between the Fulbright Program and the Fogarty International Center of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. These awards were established to promote the expansion of research in public health and clinical research in resource-limited settings.
Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships carry the same benefits as the traditional Fulbright Study/Research grants to the host country. The Fogarty International Center, NIH, will provide support to the research training site and may provide orientation for the fellows at the NIH.
For more details on Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships and application instructions, please review the ‘Type of Awards’ page: https://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/types-of-awards/fulbright-fogarty-fellowships-in-public-health
Grant Length
Grant Period
July Start, Mid-July through mid-May.
Orientation
Grantees must make their travel plans through the Fulbright Commission and should arrive in time to attend the mandatory mid-July orientation meetings in Kathmandu.
Grantees will be required to participate in a Virtual Pre-Departure Orientation (VPDO) in June/July as a condition of their grants. In addition, grantees will be required to participate in a Pre-Departure Orientation with NIH in July.
Candidate Profile
Must be enrolled in an accredited doctoral-level program (MD, PhD, DDS, or comparable degree from an accredited institution) in public health, government, business, design, engineering, education, medicine, nutrition, law, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and nursing. Eligible doctoral degrees include, but are not limited to: DMD, DC, DO, DVM, OD, DPM, ScD, EngD, DrPH, DNSc, DPT, PharmD, ND, DSW, PsyD, JD and Doctorate of Philosophy in Nursing.
Health-professional students who wish to interrupt their studies for a year or more to engage in full-time research training before completing their formal training programs are also eligible.
By the start of the program year (July 2027) fellows must be an MD (and other professional degrees) student who has completed their 3rd year or a Ph.D. candidate who has completed their Master’s level requirements (i.e., post-qualifying exam).
What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?
Applicants are expected to research their host country. Application materials should indicate a clear commitment to the host country community and a description of how you will engage with it.
Nepal offers a unique and transformative experience for Fulbrighters, blending its rich cultural heritage with a dynamic landscape of political and social change. In recent decades, the country has undergone significant transition, including the adoption of a federal constitution in 2015 that shifted key decision-making powers to provincial levels, empowering communities across its diverse regions.
With 40.33% of its population aged 16-40 (as per the 2011 Population and Housing Census), Nepal is a youthful nation ripe with potential. However, its educational infrastructure faces challenges that call for improvement, presenting important opportunities for teaching, research, and collaboration between U.S. and Nepalese institutions. While resources in Nepalese higher education may be modest compared to those in the U.S., Fulbrighters often find enthusiastic colleagues and motivated students eager to engage with contemporary global issues.
Success as a Fulbright grantee in Nepal requires patience, adaptability, a thirst for adventure, and a good sense of humor. These qualities help scholars navigate the cultural, logistical, and environmental nuances of living and working in this Himalayan nation.
Eligibility
6 Months
Degree Level of Applicant
- Doctoral
Special Application Instructions
All Fulbright-Fogarty applicants pursuing a placement in Nepal should select “Public Health” as the Field of Study in the Fulbright application.
Applicants proposing research involving human or animal subjects must ensure their projects comply with ethical guidelines:
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval:
- Applicants should have their research vetted by the IRB at their home institutions.
- While IRB approval is not required at the time of application, selected grantees must obtain all necessary ethical clearances before beginning research involving human or animal subjects under a Fulbright award.
Health-Related Research in Nepal:
- Projects involving health-related research must be approved by the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC), the sole Institutional Review Board in Nepal.
- Important: Health-related research projects cannot involve direct patient contact.
- Grantees should begin the NHRC approval process before arriving in Nepal and anticipate dedicating time to it at the start of their grant period.
Research in Restricted Areas:
Conducting research in government-designated restricted areas in Nepal requires special permits, which can be costly. These costs are not covered by the Fulbright Commission, and applicants should be prepared to cover them independently.
Foreign Language Evaluation (FLE) Form
If required, submission of the Foreign Language Evaluation (FLE) form is mandatory, even if you have advanced skills or are a native speaker of the language. Failure to submit the required FLE form may impact your eligibility.
Proficiency in Nepali or another local language (e.g., Bhojpuri, Maithili, Newari, Tibetan) commensurate with the nature of the proposed project is recommended. Applicants without Nepali or relevant local language skills should include significant plans for language study in their proposals. Regardless of language ability, grantees may undertake language study while in country. An allowance for continued language learning is included in the grant.
Foreign Language Proficiency Level by Grant Start
If a Foreign Language Evaluation (FLE) form is Required, applicants must have the following proficiency level by the start of the grant period. If a Foreign Language Evaluation (FLE) form is Recommended, applicants are encouraged but not required to have the following level by the start of the grant period.
Fulbright Proposal Types
Yes
No
Affiliation
Applicants are required to identify appropriate host institutions for their projects and to include Affiliation Letters with their Fulbright applications.
When emailing project contacts, please include all contacts and attach a current CV and a concise statement (less than 500 words) about your interest in the program (especially your primary research interest).
Affiliation Fees/Tuition
Award Benefits
- A stipend broadly based on the cost of living in the host country. These funds may be used by the grantee to support housing, meals, and incidental costs during the grant period.
- International travel benefits
- Accident & sickness health benefits
- 24/7 mental health support line for urgent and non-urgent situations
- 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status within the federal government
Stipend Amount
This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.
This stipend includes housing allowance.
One-Time Allowances
This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.
- Excess baggage fees
- Language training allowance
- Research/Materials allowance
- Settling in allowance
- Excess baggage fees: up to $400 (Re-imbursement basis)
- Language training allowance: up to $500 (Re-imbursement basis)
- Settling in allowance $400: (First month, lump sum)
- Incidental allowance for research/materials: $1,700 (First month, lump sum)
Additional Grant Benefits
- Mid-year seminar
Enrichment Seminar
A Fulbright Enrichment Seminar is held in the fall to bring together all Fulbright grantees in Nepal. This event provides an opportunity to:
- Share research plans and receive feedback from peers.
- Engage in discussions on topics of national and global significance.
- Build meaningful connections with fellow Fulbrighters.
- Participate in networking opportunities, insightful talks, and interactive forums.
South and Central Asia Fulbright Conference
The South and Central Asia (SCA) Fulbright Conference brings together Fulbright U.S. Scholars and U.S. Student Researchers to discuss each other’s work, network, and share their experiences as international exchange participants. Funding for the conference is provided by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The conference is typically held within the SCA region in February or March, and financial assistance to attend is provided. To be eligible, participants must be on their Fulbright grants at the time of the conference. Please note that conference plans are subject to change depending on programmatic or regional considerations.
Estimated Cost of Living
Consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country.
Cost of living in Nepal on average is 65% lower than the United States. Housing costs vary depending on location, size, and quality, starting from $250 per month for a room with kitchen and more for apartments or houses with amenities. For day-to-day expenses, $20-35 suffices if cooking at home. Dining out may cost $15-30 per meal at a good restaurant. Travel has been made easier due to the advent of ride apps such as Pathao and InDrive. Public transport is cheaper but congested. Researchers are advised to live near their research site or host institution to reduce commuting.
Dependents
Housing Arrangements
Grantees are required to secure their own accommodation.
Kathmandu University of Medical Science (KUSMS) - NPGH
U.S. University Consortia: NPGH
Summary of Site
Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (KUSMS) is an institution established in collaboration between Kathmandu University and Dhulikhel Hospital. The School of Medical Sciences is the largest school of Kathmandu University (KU) and is the leader in the field of health sciences education and research in Nepal. Every year it produces more than 1,000 medical doctors, 250 specialized doctors and other 1,000 health professionals in different fields. Fellows will work closely with U.S. and Nepali mentor teams to design and lead an independent research project embedded within ongoing programs at Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences and Dhulikhel Hospital. Projects span the full spectrum of implementation science—from adaptation and optimization of evidence-based interventions to hybrid effectiveness-implementation trials, digital health innovation, and longitudinal cohort studies. Fellows will engage in study design, field implementation, data analysis, stakeholder engagement, and dissemination, with opportunities to contribute to policy translation in low-resource settings.
In maternal, reproductive, and women’s health, ongoing work focuses on integrating a lifecourse approach into antenatal and postnatal care to prevent non-communicable diseases (IprenventNCD). Projects include developing and testing digital and mobile health tools to prevent excessive gestational weight gain and postpartum weight retention, mobile-based monitoring systems for pregnancies complicated by hypertension and diabetes (MOM-HD), and mobile applications to support gestational diabetes management. Additional initiatives aim to strengthen cervical cancer prevention and screening through multi-site collaborations in Nepal and Kenya, leveraging advanced diagnostics and implementation strategies to improve women’s cancer outcomes.
In non-communicable disease prevention and management, projects emphasize hypertension and diabetes control through community-based and primary care–integrated 2 of 3 models. Ongoing studies include stakeholder-driven co-design of group care models for hypertension and diabetes under the AMPATH Global NCD Initiative; community health worker–led and Female Community Health Volunteer–led hypertension prevention and control trials; and Co-DiRECT Nepal, a community-based dietary intervention to promote remission of type 2 diabetes and reduce cardiometabolic risk. These studies apply rigorous implementation frameworks and hybrid designs to improve reach, fidelity, equity, and sustainability in resource-limited settings.
In mental health and adolescent health, projects include pilot testing youth-focused, peer-delivered, and family-engaged suicide prevention packages and conducting adolescent health needs assessments to inform culturally tailored, scalable mental health interventions.
In cohort and longitudinal research, studies such as the Birth Cohort Study and the Dhulikhel Heart Study generate prospective data to examine early-life determinants of health, cardiovascular risk trajectories, and long-term outcomes.
In digital health, health informatics, and medical technology, work includes strengthening telemedicine, mobile health, and health informatics systems in resource-limited settings. These projects aim to enhance diagnostic accuracy, feasibility, and scalability of digital and point-of-care technologies within primary healthcare systems.
Across all focus areas, fellows will engage in interdisciplinary research that integrates clinical care, community systems, and policy translation to improve population health outcomes in Nepal and other low-resource settings.
Primary Contacts
Archana Shrestha, archana@kusms.edu.np
Nepal Cleft and Burn Center; Kirtipur Hospital - NPGH
U.S. Univeristy Consortia: NPGH
Summary of Site
The Nepal Cleft & Burn Center (NCBC), located within Kirtipur Hospital (National Public Health Ground) in Kathmandu, is Nepal’s leading national referral, teaching, and research center for burn injury and cleft lip/palate care. Opened in 2014, NCBC is a purpose-built, approximately 16,000-square-foot facility that integrates acute surgical care, intensive care, rehabilitation, psychosocial support, prevention, and research within a single institution. Over the past decade, NCBC has played a central role in improving burn survival, advancing systems of care, and building national capacity for burn and injury care in Nepal.
NCBC functions as both a high-volume clinical center and a platform for rigorous, policy-relevant research in a low-resource setting. The center provides comprehensive adult and pediatric burn care, including resuscitation, early excision and grafting, reconstructive surgery, rehabilitation, scar management, and long-term follow-up. It serves as a national training site for Nepali surgeons, anesthetists, nurses, physiotherapists, and allied health professionals, and maintains close collaboration with academic and public-sector partners in Nepal and internationally.
Research Environment and Infrastructure
NCBC offers a robust and supportive research environment well suited for Fogarty-Fulbright students interested in global surgery, injury epidemiology, implementation science, health systems strengthening, and community-engaged research. The site has established regulatory and ethical review pathways in Nepal, experience hosting international investigators, and infrastructure to support prospective clinical studies, pragmatic trials, qualitative research, and mixed-methods implementation studies.
Ongoing clinical registries and longitudinal burn databases support outcomes research and quality improvement. Research is tightly integrated with clinical care, prevention programming, and advocacy efforts, allowing scholars to engage in projects with direct relevance to patients, communities, and health policy. Scholars are embedded within active research teams and paired with both Nepali and U.S.-based mentors, emphasizing ethical global research practice, methodological rigor, and locally relevant scholarship.
Examples of Ongoing and Completed Research Projects
Fogarty-Fulbright students at NCBC have opportunities to participate in—and lead—projects across the continuum of burn care and injury prevention. Representative areas of work include:
Clinical and Critical Care Research
- Randomized and pragmatic trials evaluating enteral resuscitation strategies for major burn injury, including feasibility, physiologic endpoints, and clinical outcomes in resource-constrained intensive care settings.
- Studies examining burn shock, nutrition, infection, organ dysfunction, and perioperative care, with relevance to both global and high-income critical care practice.
Population-Based and Prevention Research and Programming
- National cluster-randomized household surveys characterizing burn injury hazards, fire safety practices, access to care, and risk perception across rural, urban, and informal settlements in Nepal.
- Community-engaged research informing scalable burn prevention and control strategies aligned with national priorities and global injury-prevention frameworks.
Psychosocial, Rehabilitation, and Recovery Research
- Peer-support interventions for women and parents after burn injury, including trials and mixed-methods studies evaluating mental health, stigma, social reintegration, and quality-of-life outcomes.
- Research addressing long-term functional recovery, caregiving burden, and the social consequences of burn injury.
Health Systems, Policy, and Advocacy Initiatives
- International burn injury advocacy programming linking facility-level data to national planning, policy development, and global injury-prevention agendas.
- Studies supporting burn system development, referral pathways, workforce training, and quality improvement in Nepal and similar settings.
Implementation Science and Surgical Capacity Building
- Development and evaluation of a skin bank and allograft program, including clinical outcomes, feasibility, cost considerations, and systems integration in a low-resource environment.
Many of these projects have resulted in peer-reviewed publications, presentations at international scientific meetings, and direct translation into clinical practice, training programs, or policy discussions.
Mentorship, Training, and Capacity Building
NCBC is deeply committed to mentored research and bidirectional capacity building. Fogarty and Fulbright scholars receive structured mentorship from Nepali faculty and University of Washington investigators, with projects tailored to the scholar’s background, interests, and career goals. Scholars gain hands-on experience in study design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination, while also participating in clinical care, teaching, and program development as appropriate.
A core expectation of the program is reciprocal learning and sustainability. Scholars are encouraged to work collaboratively with Nepali trainees, contribute to local research capacity, and develop skills in ethical global health research, implementation science, and community partnership. The aim is to produce work that is academically rigorous, locally meaningful, and sustainable beyond the scholar’s time in Nepal.
Commitment to Inclusion and Collaboration
NCBC welcomes applicants from all backgrounds, disciplines, and career stages. The site is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and supportive research environment and actively encourages applications from individuals historically underrepresented in global health research. Collaboration, humility, and partnership are core values, and scholars are integrated as members of multidisciplinary Nepali-led teams.
Primary Contacts
- Dr. Barclay Stewart at University of Washington: barclays@uw.edu
- Dr. Shankar Rai at Nepal Cleft & Burn Center: shankarrai1956@gmail.com
Areas of Focus
- Treatment of trauma and burns
Tribhuvan University - UJMT
U.S. University Consortia: UJMT
Summary of Site
Tribhuvan University (TU), established in 1959, is the first national institution of higher education in Nepal. The university governs five institutes: Institute of Medicine (IOM), Institute of Engineering (IOE), Institute of Science and Technology, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, and Institute of Forestry. The IOM was established in 1972 to train and develop all levels of health manpower. Since the initial phase of training of Health Assistants and Auxiliary Nurse Midwifes, the institute has grown over the years to become a pioneer and trendsetter in medical education in the country.
Primary Contacts
William Checkley – wcheckl1@jhmi.edu
Arun Sharma – docarunsharma@hotmail.com
Areas of Focus
- Respiratory Health
- Pneumonia
- Pediatrics
Security Information
The Fulbright Commission in Nepal will carefully review all Fulbright proposals for feasibility and security concerns. Applicants must be flexible in response to changing conditions and grantees must comply with all security procedures set in place by the Commission in consultation with the U.S. Embassy in Nepal.