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.

Sierra Leone

Open Study/Research Award

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

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program in Sierra Leone aims to strengthen educational and cultural relationships between the United States and Sierra Leone. 

Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements from all applicable public policy areas and academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply and will be eligible for selection. Candidates with projects in the following areas are especially encouraged to apply: agriculture, economic development, education, human rights and justice, and public health.

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 Freetown.

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?

The U.S. established diplomatic relations with Sierra Leone in 1961, following its independence from the United Kingdom. The U.S. and Sierra Leone enjoy a warm and cordial relationship. The two countries are linked by the history of slavery in the U.S., an institution that sent a large number of African slaves from present-day Sierra Leone to the then-colonies of Georgia and South Carolina. Today, thousands of Sierra Leoneans and their descendants reside in the United States. Notably, many descendants of former slaves still reside in the same region and have maintained their unique culture known as Gullah. Furthermore, nearly two percent of Sierra Leone’s population is of Krio heritage, a group of freed slaves historically known for returning to Sierra Leone beginning in the late 1700s from Great Britain and North America.

In early 2014, the United Nations hailed Sierra Leone as a success story due to its remarkable post-conflict transition following a brutal civil war (1991-2002), which destroyed the country’s infrastructure and hampered its political, social, and economic development. But Sierra Leone’s positive trajectory was interrupted in May 2014 when the deadly Ebola epidemic struck and quickly overtook the country’s fragile health care system. Over 14,000 Sierra Leoneans contracted Ebola with more than 3,900 deaths. The economy, which had experienced a high growth rate before Ebola, contracted due to the epidemic and global drop in prices for its major iron ore exports. The epidemic was declared over in November 2015, and the government launched an ambitious recovery plan that has received significant donor support. In 2020, Sierra Leone was selected to develop a Millennium Challenge Corporation compact after continued improvements on the MCC scorecard.

Sierra Leone has several major public universities, including the University of Sierra Leone, Njala University, University of Makeni and Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology. The academic year consists of two semesters: September through December and February through June.

 

The U.S. Embassy located in Freetown offers guidance on visa, housing and security issues. The American International School of Freetown offers educational programs for dependent children in grades K-8 who accompany the Fulbrighter.

Eligibility
Residency in host country permitted in year prior to grant
Dual citizens of this country are eligible
Degree Level of Applicant
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Foreign Language Proficiency
Not Required

Additional Information: English is the official language, although Krio (a creole of English and various indigenous languages) would be useful in and around Freetown. Knowledge of - or the services of an interpreter for - indigenous languages may be necessary for field research.

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 educational or research 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.

3,640 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 Expatistan and Numbeo have useful, up-to-date cost of living information.

Dependents
Dependent financial support is available
Fulbright Program Management Contact
FBstudent.AF@iie.org
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
http://sl.usembassy.gov
Specific Considerations

Even by developing-country standards, the transport and communications infrastructure in Sierra Leone presents daunting obstacles. Sierra Leone reportedly has the lowest level of internet connectivity in Africa, and even the country's major governmental and educational institutions have little or no reliable internet access.