Fulbright New Century Scholars Program

Primary Sponsor: Fulbright Scholar Program

KEYWORDS

A new pilot program for scholarly research and collaboration designed to build on the strengths of the Fulbright Scholar Program by extending its mission and outreach.

As one of the oldest and largest international exchange programs in the world, the Fulbright Scholar Program is in a unique position to respond to the opportunities ushered in by a new century in which the nations and citizens of the world are increasingly interdependent. Its worldwide design and its long standing international relationships represent a natural platform upon which to build new models for collaborative thinking among scholars of many different nationalities about the challenges and possibilities for humankind in the 21st century.

The New Century Scholars Program will create new opportunities for approximately 25-30 leading scholars and professionals from the US and abroad to engage in international collaboration of the highest quality on a topic of substantial global significance from a multidisciplinary perspective. The research theme for the first year of the New Century Scholars Program will treat some aspect of "Challenges of Health in a Borderless World."

Program details are being finalized and additional details and information will be available soon. Please follow the links below (or wherever they are) for a preview of the program.

Overview

One of the fundamental issues of global health in the 21st Century is the challenge of optimizing public health in the face of social disparity and poverty not only among peoples but also between nations. Thus it is important to foster an international exchange of ideas and experience related to protecting good health for all.

While we recognize the importance of scientific and medical research for disease prevention and spread, we cannot ignore the broader social context of public health since major health challenges in today's world are inextricably intertwined with many societal issues. We believe that the relevant social, political and economic aspects must be addressed as important factors of disease prevention and containment. Addressing cultural issues as well as local and national policies is also essential to the examination.

By considering such public health related issues as inequality and poverty, governance and accountability, infrastructure, resource allocation and restrictions, uses and accessibility of new technology and pharmaceuticals, and increased education - all of which have clear transnational implications for the future - the New Century Scholars Program can identify innovative approaches to meeting the challenges of global health in the 21st century. Ultimately, we hope that the New Century Scholars Program will contribute to creating a solid foundation for the implementation of new scientific and medical discoveries of the 21st Century.

Program Activities

Along the lines of the traditional Fulbright Scholar Program, the New Century Scholars Program will offer participants an international exchange opportunity to further their research and investigate comparative approaches by interacting with colleagues abroad.

In addition, The New Century Scholars Program will add a new dimension to the traditional Fulbright exchange experience by providing opportunities for participants to maintain contact and exchange ideas about their research during the program year. Specifically, participants will be brought together at the program's midpoint via an electronic seminar and, at the end of the program year, for a three-week plenary seminar under the leadership of a distinguished New Century Scholar Leader, an individual selected for expertise and standing in the area of the research topic as well as for the ability to approach the topic from an interdisciplinary perspective.

At the final plenary seminar, participants will share the results of their research on the topic, meet with other international experts, compare and contrast their findings and perspectives, explore new avenues of inquiry and collaboration, and make recommendations for framing policy discussions at both the national and international levels. Resource experts representing government agencies, NGOs, and other interested national and international organizations will be invited to participate and take an active role in the proceedings.

The reports and recommendations resulting from the final plenary seminar, with an introduction and summary by the distinguished New Century Scholar Leader, will be published and distributed in both electronic and print version.

New Century Scholar Participants

Participants in the New Century Scholars Program will be scholars or professionals active in the academic, public or private sector and will demonstrate outstanding qualifications and a record of experience and accomplishment in an area clearly related to the New Century Scholar research theme. Approximately one third of the participants will be US scholars and approximately two thirds will represent various nationalities worldwide. Participants will represent a variety of disciplines, be engaged in current research relevant to the New Century Scholar theme and open to exploring international, interdisciplinary approaches in their investigations.

During the program year, individuals selected as New Century Scholars will be encouraged to maintain contact with one another as a means to expand their own research directions. New Century Scholars will be expected to make an international research visit abroad of approximately 3-6 month's duration, participate in the mid-term electronic seminar and attend the three-week plenary seminar in the Washington, D.C. area at the end of the program year.

General Selection Criteria

Applications will be reviewed and New Century Scholar participants selected on the basis of the following criteria:

* Potential for the applicant and his/her proposed research to contribute to an interdisciplinary discussion and treatment of the NCS research theme

* Contribution of the proposed research to a better understanding of the NCS topic on both the national and international level

* Potential of the proposed research to develop or add an innovative perspective to the NCS topic

* Potential for development of new international collaborations or approaches to the NCS topic

* Project's methodology and feasibility

* Justification for the proposed international research visit and its significance for advancing the proposed research in terms of adding a comparative, international dimension

* Significance and relevance of applicant's research and other professional accomplishments to the announced research topic and objectives of the NCS program

* Ability of the applicant to carry out the project

Program Staff

For additional information about the New Century Scholars Program or to be put on the program mailing list, please contact:

Micaela S. Iovine, Ph.D., Senior Program Officer Council for International Exchange of Scholars 3007 Tilden St., NW Washington, D.C. 20008 E-mail: miovine@cies.iie.org Phone: (202) 686-6253

Dana Hamilton Senior Program Associate Council for International Exchange of Scholars 3007 Tilden St., NW Washington, D.C. 20008 E-mail: dhamilton@iie.org Phone: (202) 686-6252

KEYWORDS:

000795003 Disease Control 000785000 Specialties of Medical & Allied Fields 000783015 Health Planning & Policy 000780010 Biomedical Research Resources Other 000745035 Health Promotion 000745027 Disease Prevention 000740025 Pharmaceuticals 000730070 Public Health 000730023 Health Care Policy 000720005 Biomedical Research Training 000720000 Education & Instruction (Health & Safety & Medical) 000710030 Biomedical Research Multidisciplinary 000700000 Health & Safety, Medical Sciences, Biomedical 000507000 Special Education 0000000N5 Health Sciences 000000026 International Exchange Programs