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.

Ecuador

Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health NEW

Accepted Degree Levels
  • Doctoral
Grant Period
Fall Start
Grant Length
9-10 Months
Award Type
Special Study/Research
Specialized Grant Types
  • Science/Public Health
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.

Grant Length
9-10 Months
Grant Period
Fall Start

Grantees should plan to arrive between mid-August and early September 2025.

Orientation
Pre-Departure Orientation

Participation in Commission-led virtual pre-departure orientation activities and attendance at the in-country arrival orientation are mandatory for all grantees. In addition, Fulbright-Fogarty Fellows 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.

What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?

Ecuadorians are very welcoming to Americans. Grantees are easily integrated into their communities and enjoy the different customs, foods, and festivals throughout the year. During the weekends, grantees get together to travel and visit new places. Due to its geography, in just one hour you can be in a completely different environment. 

The Ecuadorian economy is dollarized, which makes it one of the more stable economies of the region. The inflation rate is low. The cost of living is a bit higher in cities like Quito and Cuenca. Costs are reduced in provinces of the central and southern highland region and in rural areas.

The climate is pleasant most of the year and we do not get extreme temperatures. In the highland region, temperatures  are about 41° to 75° Farenheit. The Amazon region is humid and the average temperature is 82° Farenheit.

Eligibility
Residency in host country NOT permitted in year prior to grant
Indicate how many months is considered residency:
6 Months
Dual citizens of this country are NOT eligible
Degree Level of Applicant
  • Doctoral
Special Application Instructions

Select "Fulbright-Fogarty" for Award Type in the application.  All Fulbright-Fogarty applicants pursuing a placement in Ecuador should select “Public Health” as the Field of Study in the Fulbright application.

Foreign Language Proficiency
Required - Intermediate

Spanish language proficiency is necessary, not only for the development of the proposed project, but also in order to communicate on a daily basis. Advanced level proficiency may be necessary depending on the requirements of the proposed project. Applicants should include plans for language study between the time of application and the commencement of the grant in the Language Self-Evaluation. A Foreign Language Evaluation by a college-level Spanish-language instructor is also required.

Fulbright Proposal Types
Independent Study/Research:
Yes
Graduate Degree Enrollment:
No
Affiliation
Independent Study/Research:
Letter required for independent study or research at deadline

Affiliation Site: Fundación Cimas de Ecuador; U.S. Partner: GLOCAL; Primary Contacts: Dr. José Suárez, GloCal CIMAS Site PI, jsuarez@cimas.edu.ec (contact for letter of affiliation); Fundación Cimas del Ecuador (CIMAS) is an Ecuadorian nonprofit organization, with a mission to facilitate human development, aimed at promoting social equity. CIMAS supports environmental, social, cultural, and health research, with focus on health with an intercultural, gender, and generational-based perspective. CIMAS has offered academic, research activities, field observations and internships, providing training for U.S. institutions since 1990, with collaborations with the University of California San Diego since 2013. CIMAS has provided training to over 800 students since its inception in 1990.

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.

$1100 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.

1750 in
$ [US Dollar]
  • Excess baggage fees
  • Settling in allowance
  • Local transportation allowance

All grantees will receive the following one-time allowances:

  • Settling in allowance: $500
  • Research allowance: $400
  • Funds for books and materials: $250
  • Local travel: $300

The following allowances are reimbursed after presenting receipts:

  • Excess baggage: up to $200
  • Cultural allowance to attend events related to Ecuadorian culture: up to $100
Estimated Cost of Living

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

Ecuador is an inexpensive country; for this reason, many Americans and Canadians have chosen to retire in the country. 

Housing: Apartment rentals can go from $400 to $600 per month. Rent can be significantly reduced if you find a roommate.

Food: Grocery expenses per person can be up to $200, and a good 3-course lunch can go from $3.50 to $8. In good restaurants you can expect to pay $25 to $70 with non-alcoholic beverages.

Utilities and services: These are also inexpensive; gas, water and electricity will not exceed more than $50 per month. Internet service can be as low as $20 per month.

Transportation: Public transportation services (buses, Ecovia, Trolebus and Metro) go between $0.35 to $1.00 per ride. Minimum taxi fare ranges from $1.45 to $2. Uber service is also inexpensive. Most travel to other provinces can be done by land in buses or vans which costs $8 to $25 per person.

Healthcare: costs a fraction of what you would pay in the U.S. and most services are covered by the accident and sickness program provided by the Fulbright grant, as a reimbursement.

You may wish to visit this website to help estimate the cost of living, meals, and incidentals in different cities in Ecuador. 

Dependents
Dependent financial support is NOT available
Housing Arrangements

Grantees find their housing through Airbnb.

The Commission can recommend safer neighborhoods and provide information about previous places where grantees have stayed in Quito. If your project will take place in another province, we encourage you to request help from your affiliate institution.

Fulbright Program Management Contact
FBstudent.WHA@iie.org
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
http://www.fulbright.org.ec
Fundación Cimas de Ecuador - GLOCAL

U.S. University Consortia: GLOCAL

Summary of Site

Fundación Cimas del Ecuador (CIMAS) is an Ecuadorian nonprofit organization, with a mission to facilitate human development, aimed at promoting social equity. CIMAS supports environmental, social, cultural, and health research, with focus on health with an intercultural, gender, and generational-based perspective. CIMAS has offered academic, research activities, field observations and internships, providing training for U.S. institutions since 1990, with collaborations with the University of California San Diego since 2013. CIMAS has provided training to over 800 students since its inception in 1990.

For 30 years, CIMAS has participated in community-based action/research and interventions with the rural parish governments in Pedro Moncayo County, Pichincha province, Ecuador. To support this work, CIMAS implemented a local geo-referenced community information system in 2004, which includes social, behavioral, cultural, economic, reproductive, housing and agricultural information on more than 12,000 individuals.

Since 2008, UCSD has collaborated with CIMAS on the NIH-funded study of secondary exposures to pesticides among children and adolescents’ study (ESPINA). ESPINA is a prospective cohort study (next follow-up planned for 2022) aimed at assessing the associations of exposures to pesticides with the development of children living in agricultural settings (Pedro Moncayo County). Currently, CIMAS collaborates on four active NIH-funded studies covering a range of health assessments including neurobehavior, mental health, endocrine, inflammation, hemodynamic, respiratory, enzymatic, and metabolomic assessments.

CIMAS is located in the North Eastern part of Quito, and includes administrative offices, research areas, an auditorium, 15 classrooms and seminar areas, a library, computer lab, kitchen and dining areas, and recreational areas.

Primary Contacts

Areas of Focus

  • Environemental Health

Language Requirement

Two years of college-level Spanish instruction