The 2025-2026 application is now closed. The 2026-2027 competition will open in Spring 2025.

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Current U.S. Student

United States citizens who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are eligible to apply.If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a U.S. college or university, you will apply through that institution, even if you are not currently a resident there. Find the Fulbright Program Adviser on your campus.

U.S. Citizen but not a Student

If you are a U.S. citizen, will hold a bachelor’s degree by the award start date, and do not have a Ph.D. degree, then you are eligible to apply. Non-enrolled applicants should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Candidates with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

The Getting Started page will provide information on eligibility and next steps.

Artist

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program welcomes applications in the creative and performing arts. Arts candidates for the U.S. Student Program should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Artists with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Creative & Performing Arts projects fall under the Study/Research grant category and are available in all countries where Study/Research grants are offered.

FPA

U.S. Professor/Administrator

If you are a U.S. citizen and a professor or administrator at a U.S. institution and are interested in applying for a Fulbright Scholar Award, you will need to apply through fulbrightscholars.org.

To support your students in applying for a U.S. Student Program award, please connect with the Fulbright Program Adviser at your institution.

Non U.S. Citizens

If you are a non-U.S. citizen interested in applying for a Fulbright Award to the United States, you will need to apply through the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your home country. Find out more information on the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program or Fulbright Foreign Student Program.

Cote d'Ivoire

Open Study/Research Award

Accepted Degree Levels
  • Doctoral
Grant Period
Flexible Start
Grant Length
6-9 Months
Award Type
Open Study/Research
Award Profile

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program in Cote d'Ivoire aims to strengthen educational and cultural relationships between the United States and Cote d'Ivoire. 

Candidates may propose to conduct research in TEFL/TESL and help in curriculum development. There are also research opportunities in the medical sciences, biological sciences, and French studies, among other fields.

Grant Length
6-9 Months
Grant Period
Flexible Start

Fulbright grants will begin between August 2025 and March 2026, subject to the approval of the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan.

Orientation
Pre-Departure Orientation

As a condition of their grants, all grantees may be required to participate in a Pre-Departure Orientation during the summer of 2025.

What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?

Cote d'Ivoire's estimated population of 24 million comprise 60 ethno-linguistic groups, approximately equally divided between Christians, Muslims, and animist/spiritualists along a 40:40:20 split.  The northern part of the country is predominantly Muslim while the coastal southern areas are mainly Christian.  One-quarter of Cote d'Ivoire's residents are non-Ivorian citizens due to a combination of factors, including the country's modern history as a refuge for those fleeing regional wars as well as post-independence government policies seeking to attract skilled and unskilled labor.  Ivorians are proud of their tradition of welcoming hospitality and peaceful tolerance and, following bouts of serious civic strife and violence in the past two decades, the country is positioning itself to be a regional economic hub and bridge between francophone and anglophone Africa.  Cote d'Ivoire is the region's fastest growing economy with, on average, 8-9% growth annually, albeit with significant disparities in income and literacy that, if unchecked, pose serious dangers to the country's stability.  Together with Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire accounts for nearly three-quarters of the world's cocoa and coffee production. 

US Embassy Abidjan actively manages a portfolio of political engagement and economic, health, and infrastructural development programs overseen by U.S. Agency for International Development, the Centers for Disease Control, the Department of State, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) which signed a five-year $525 million Compact with the Government of Cote d'Ivoire in 2017 targeting agricultural and pedagogical infrastructure development.

Eligibility
Residency in host country permitted in year prior to grant
Dual citizens of this country are eligible
Degree Level of Applicant
  • Doctoral
Foreign Language Proficiency
Required - Intermediate

Additional Information: A moderate level of conversational French is needed to function comfortably in Cote d'Ivoire. Fluent French is required to take or audit classes in universities and institutes or to do research. Researchers in the sciences will generally have colleagues with a working knowledge of English, but primary documents and texts will be in French.

Fulbright Proposal Types
Independent Study/Research:
Yes
Graduate Degree Enrollment:
No
Affiliation
Independent Study/Research:
Letter recommended but not required at deadline

It is the applicant’s responsibility to secure affiliation with an appropriate host institution. It is strongly recommended that applicants identify appropriate host institutions for their projects and that they include affiliation letters with their Fulbright applications.

Affiliation Fees/Tuition
Affiliation Fees/Tuition not covered in grant benefits
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.

3,450 monthly stipend amount in
$ [US Dollar]
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.

3,550 in
$ [US Dollar]
  • Excess baggage fees
  • Research/Materials allowance
  • Settling in allowance
Estimated Cost of Living

Consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country.

The websites linked here and here have useful, up-to-date cost of living information.

Dependents
Dependent financial support is available
Housing Arrangements

The Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy can assist with locating housing if necessary.

Fulbright Program Management Contact
FBstudent.AF@iie.org
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
https://ci.usembassy.gov
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Contact
Guy Honore Koffi: KoffiGH@state.gov
Rubani I Trimiew: trimiewri@state.gov
Additional Online Resources
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USAbidjan/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/USEmbAbidjan
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOMiNfCDecFMap8s1i0i8xQ
American Spaces: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086096765681