Fulbright Swedish Scholar Program
Grants are available for Swedish scholars who wish to conduct advanced research and/or lecture in the United States and who have an established affiliation with an American university or research center. Applications from recent Ph.D. scholars to full professor level candidates are welcome. The period of stay in the United States is a minimum of three months with visa sponsorship up to twelve months. Scholars already conducting research with a U.S. institution at the time of application are not eligible. Scholars who have not yet completed a doctoral degree at the time of application will need to present evidence of completion of the degree prior to their departure to the United States.
This year's program announcement is available here and a promotional flyer here.
Grant Benefits
⚬ Fulbright branding
⚬ SEK 50,000 grant award
⚬ SEK 15,000 one-time travel allowance
⚬ Exclusive seminars and events in the U.S.
⚬ Coverage of all SEVIS and J-1 visa fees
⚬ Accident and sickness insurance for grantee
Annual Timeline (for the 2026-27 academic year)
August 15, 2025: online application open
January 9, 2026: application deadline
March 2026: notification
July-August 2026: visa application and
departure to the U.S.
Requirements
Swedish citizenship (dual U.S. and Swedish citizens may NOT apply)
Proficiency in English
Established affiliation with an American university or research center
Doctoral or other terminal degree by the time of departure to the U.S.
The online application is available from the first week of August for the following year.
The Fulbright Scholar Program
As one of the largest and most prestigious international exchange programs in the world today, the Fulbright Program’s main objective is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other nations through the sharing of ideas, knowledge, skills, and individual experiences. Over the past sixty years, the Fulbright Program has provided over 365,000 participants from 165 countries around the world the opportunity to share ideas, promote joint understanding of cultures, and learn about political and economic institutions. Sweden and the U.S. have been participating in the successful exchange of scholars and students since 1952.
Scholars are chosen based on their academic merit and leadership potential. The Fulbright Program also expects their grantees to demonstrate cultural sensitivity and actively contribute to the promotion of mutual understanding as unofficial “ambassadors" of their country. Successful applications also envision collaboration between the U.S. and Sweden to impact the future for positive change, to develop and advance their own profession or discipline, and to find solutions to national and international challenges in their field.
Eligibility Requirements for Swedish Applicants
• Swedish citizenship
• Fluency in English
• Doctoral or other terminal degree completed prior to departure to the U.S.
In the following cases, you are NOT eligible to apply:
• No doctoral/terminal degree prior to departure to the U.S.
• Dual citizenship with the U.S., a resident of the U.S., or possess a
"green card"
• Already started academic activity in the United States
Minimum program length in the U.S. is three months. Preference is given to candidates who have not studied for an extended period of time at a university in the United States.
Fulbright Scholars will be issued a U.S. J-1 visa. This visa is issued via the Fulbright office in Stockholm in cooperation with IIE in the United States. The visa process can NOT be issued by the host institution in the United States for those nominated for a Fulbright scholarship.
Note: the Fulbright Scholar program may not be appropriate for candidates wishing to pursue programs/projects that involve human or animal subjects. More information regarding this policy can be found here.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Please review prior to filling out the application.
Once you have registered and logged in at the application website (linked below), first select "Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program" as the program name. On the first page of the application, there are general guidelines on navigating the application form. We ask that you please read these in full before proceeding.
After you've completed the Preliminary Questions page, the other pages of the application will become available. On the Country Information page, please select "Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program" under Award Information.
Applications and ALL supplemental documents, including three (3) recommendation letters, must be submitted through the application portal by the deadline date, January 9, 2026. Applications and supplemental documents received after the deadline will not be accepted. Preliminary notification of awards will be made in March.
For questions regarding this program, please contact the Commission at fulbright@fulbright.se / +46 (0)8 525 07 500.