Netherlands Open Study/Research Award

The Fulbright Netherlands Open Study/Research Award provides approximately 8 grants for U.S. citizens to pursue graduate study or research in the Netherlands for 9 months. Grants can be in any field and may support either a Master's degree program or an independent research project. Of the 8 grants, approximately 6 are sponsored by the Netherland-America Foundation (NAF), which seeks to maintain and strengthen ties between the Netherlands and the United States. Applicants may include students pursuing Master's degrees, those combining research with advanced graduate courses at Dutch universities, conservatories and art schools, or doctoral candidates conducting well-formulated independent research projects. Applications for creative and performing arts are also accepted. Grant activities must begin by September 1 to allow participation in the mandatory orientation at the end of August or beginning of September. The program includes four meetings throughout the year, including two introduction meetings, a mid-year evaluation, and an end-of-grant meeting, as well as approximately four cultural excursions to places of interest in the Netherlands. The Fulbright Commission the Netherlands prefers applicants with no or limited experience in the Netherlands, especially in the year prior to the grant period. Grantees receive a monthly stipend of €1,550, international travel benefits (either €1,000 allowance or roundtrip KLM ticket for NAF-sponsored grants), coverage for residence permit costs, reimbursement for mandatory meeting travel, health benefits, and access to mental health support. The grant also includes reimbursement for a Museum Year Card providing free access to over 400 museums in the Netherlands.