Hosting Fulbright Scholars and Students J-1 Fulbright Scholars

If you are interested in hosting a Fulbright Visiting Scholar (Teaching Assistant, Faculty, or Researcher) at Penn, there are several steps to initiate the process:

• Department/Faculty Member Invitation: Your Department or you may decide to invite an overseas colleague to come to Penn as a visiting scholar; or the scholar may contact Penn directly and start the conversation.

• Recommend that the scholar contact the Fulbright commission/or U.S. Embassy in his/her home country for eligibility requirements, program details, and application and deadline information.

• Confirm the scholar’s status to see if the scholar is considered a postdoc or as a visiting scholar.

• Provide a letter of invitation to the scholar indicating the terms of the proposed partnership and the relationship between the scholar’s interests and those of the department.

• Upon receipt of a Fulbright award, work with the visiting scholar to determine an appropriate arrival date to campus.

• Familiarize yourself with the funding model for the scholar and make sure all details are clear BEFORE the scholar arrives at Penn. Funding issues take place when not all the information has been discussed. Questions to ask:

  • How long is the funding for?

  • What does it cover?

  • Will you need additional funding (to take courses)? Who will fund that?

  • What if the IIE funding ends? Your college/department will be responsible for any funding support that go beyond Fulbright or related organizations (LASPAU).

• Provide advice with pre-arrival logistics as needed using the ISSS Fulbright-related Resources: (e.g. short-term housing, securing a bank account, driver’s license, and social security card, transportation upon arrival and during stay, school registration for dependents, etc.)

The Penn Host department or faculty should establish contact with the visiting scholar before arrival to campus to answer any initial questions or concerns and to establish an appropriate start date. Once the visiting scholar arrives, the department/faculty host plays a key role in helping the scholar settle into campus by:

• Encouraging the visiting scholar to visit the ISSS Office to confirm arrival and go through a Welcome Check in process.

• Visiting scholars are required to attend an ISSS orientation for J-1 scholars that provides useful information about campus.

• They should schedule an appointment with me (Dr. Rudie Altamirano, Executive Director, ISSS) through Edith Zhang, Global Program Assistant (edithz@upenn.edu)

• ISSS can provide information on short-term housing, securing a bank account, driver’s licenses, social security cards, transportation upon arrival and during stay, and school registration for dependents.

• Arranging for a Penn email account

• Providing appropriate office space, and computer and library access

• Assisting the scholar in obtaining a Penn Card

• Providing a tour of campus

• Introducing the visiting scholar to all members of the hosting department and/or college, including a personal introduction to the college administration (dean/associate dean).

• Encouraging the scholar to attend events around campus offered by ISSS or the many other groups and/or offices.

• Introducing the scholar to department staff and colleagues and discuss an appropriate work schedule.

• Maintaining frequent contact with the scholar throughout the duration of his/her stay on campus.

If the Fulbright Scholar that you are hosting is a student , they are encouraged to integrate into the Penn community as other international students. As such, although the host department/faculty will play a key role as these students arrive on campus, they will be encouraged to participate in activities with the international student community at Penn and have them contact Dr. Yuhong He, Associate Director of Integration and Community Engagement, ISSS (yuhonghe@upenn.edu).