2026-2027 Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (Fulbright TEA) Program

The Embassy of the United States of America in Belgrade is pleased to announce the opening of the 2026-2027 Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program competition.

The online application is now available at https://fulbright.irex.org/ .

Application deadline: March 15, 2026, at 23:59 local (Serbia) time. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by the Embassy for interviews in late March or early April 2026.

Below you will find a program overview, as well as information on eligibility and selection criteria. For program-related questions or technical assistance, please contact us at BelgradeFulbrightTea@state.gov before the application deadline.

Program Overview

The Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (Fulbright TEA) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX.  The Fulbright program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by former United States Senator William Fulbright of Arkansas. Fulbright grants are awarded to students, scholars, teachers and other professionals from the United States and to foreign nationals to study, teach, or conduct research. Since its inception in 1946, more than 400,000 “Fulbrighters” have participated in the Fulbright program.

The Fulbright TEA Program will bring approximately 100 international secondary-level teachers to the United States for a six-week program in January 2027 or September 2027 to take academic seminars for professional development at a host university and to observe and share their expertise with teachers and students at the host university and at local secondary schools.

Teachers are nominated to participate in the Fulbright TEA Program based on their educational and professional experience, academic training, and leadership. Final selection of Fulbright TEA Program teachers is made by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB). The FFSB is an independent, presidentially-appointed board that has oversight responsibility for all Fulbright academic exchange programs.

Program Components

Teachers who are selected to participate in the Fulbright TEA Program will:

1) Take part in tailored graduate-level seminars at a U.S. host university.

2) Observe classes, co-teach, and share their expertise with U.S. colleagues in U.S. secondary schools.

3) Engage in an online professional learning community with other participants to share best practices and other elements of host and home country educational systems; and

4) Take part in other educational and cultural activities while on program in the United States.

Upon returning home, teachers will share the knowledge and experience gained on the program with educators and students in their home schools and communities.

University Coursework:

Weekly Seminars: Teachers will participate in weekly seminars at their host university featuring presentations and discussions led by university staff, faculty members, and invited educational experts. The Fulbright TEA Program provides academic seminars focusing on new teaching methodologies, student-centered learning, content-based instruction, lesson planning, and instructional technology training for teachers.

U.S. School Placements: The program will also include a practicum of at least 40 hours with a U.S. partner teacher in a secondary school near the host university to actively engage participants in the U.S. classroom environment. Cultural enrichment, mentoring, and support will be provided to participants throughout the program.

Online Professional Learning Community: Each Fulbright teacher will participate in a virtual community with other international educators to collaborate and share best practices about education and leadership in the participating countries.

What the Program Covers / Logistical Information:

Travel: Participants will receive international airline tickets and a travel allowance for incidental expenses and reimbursement for round-trip travel expenses between their home and airport.

Candidates must arrive in the United States on the start date of the Fulbright TEA Program and return home at the conclusion of the Fellowship. Any personal travel during the program must be approved in advance. Participants may not miss any program activities for personal travel or visits (including, but not limited to, courses, workshops, field experience, cultural and civic activities). Participants may not travel outside of the United States. If they do plan to travel within the United States, they are responsible for all related expenses and travel arrangements and must seek prior approval.

Housing: Participants will live on or near the host university campus in housing rooms arranged for them by the university.

Maintenance Allowances: Each Fulbright teacher will receive a maintenance allowance during the program to cover expenses such as supplies for classes, household items, personal items, and cultural and other activities. Included in this total is a daily stipend to purchase groceries, meals at local restaurants, or food from on-campus dining services.

Dependents are not permitted to accompany participants on this six-week program.

Eligibility:

This program is open to anyone who:

• Is a citizen and resident of the Serbia qualified to hold a valid passport of the Republic of Serbia.

• Is a current secondary-level, full-time teacher of English as a Foreign Language, math, science, foreign languages, social studies, journalism, communications, and special education at institutions serving primarily a local population. (Secondary-level teachers include both middle and high school teachers serving students between approximately 12 and 18 years of age. Teachers responsible for teaching additional grade levels must teach middle or high school students more than 50% of their work time in order to be eligible for the program.)

• Has at least three years of full-time teaching experience by the start of the program, with a preference for those who have completed at least five years of full-time teaching.  The most competitive applicants will have shown evidence of leadership in their schools.

• Has completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent at the time of application.

• Demonstrates English language proficiency adequate to manage coursework, develop lesson plans, and team-teach in U.S. Schools. At the initial application stage, candidates are not required to register for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or provide additional documentation. If a valid TOEFL score report is available, it should be uploaded onto the online application. Finalists only are required to have a valid TOEFL score; there are no exceptions to this requirement. The Embassy will provide registration instructions and test fee vouchers to finalists only.

• Is cleared by a physician to participate in the program (finalists only).

• Is eligible to receive and maintain the exchange visitor J-1 non-immigrant visa (link to: https://j1visa.state.gov/programs  ) required for the program. Participants do not have to pay fees for the J-1 visa but need to be interviewed by the Embassy’s Consular Section.

• Is committed to continuing teaching after completion of the program.

Not Eligible:

• Candidates with dual U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status

• Educational administrators (such as representatives or officials of the Ministry of Education) and school administrators who do not teach at least fifty percent of their time, full-time teacher trainers, university faculty, private English Language tutors, and teachers from schools primarily serving expatriates.

• Candidates who have in the past three years traveled to the U.S. for exchange programs for professional development.

• Candidates who have attended undergraduate or graduate school in the United States for one academic year or more during the seven years prior to date of application. (A candidate who has lived in the United States for nine months or more during a calendar year is deemed to have resided abroad for that year.)

• Employees who work for the U.S. Department of State and their immediate family members (spouses and dependent children) are ineligible for grants during and for a period ending one year following the termination of such employment, association, or service. This provision includes all employees, paid or unpaid (including part-time or temporary employees, consultants, externs, fellows, and contract employees). This provision does not apply to interns and does not disqualify self-supporting children who live apart from their parents. The one-year period of ineligibility is calculated from the date of termination of employment, service, or association until the program application deadline.

If you have participated in other U.S. government-funded professional development exchange programs, please contact the U.S. Embassy in Serbia BelgradeFulbrightTea@state.gov to inquire about your eligibility.

Applicants with PhDs from their home countries are eligible to apply for Fulbright Teacher Exchange programs, but if you have a PhD in topics that are the focus of Fulbright TEA, this program is likely not suitable for you.

Applications not meeting the above eligibility requirements will not be forwarded to the selection committee.

The online application package must include:

• Completed online application form

• Statement of purpose responding to the prompts in the online application

• Institutional Support and Reference form & Leave Approval form completed by applicant’s supervisor. There is a section within the online application where you are prompted to download and print the forms. You then need to upload the complete scanned copies to the system. The Online Application System will not let you submit your application without uploading the ISRF and Leave Approval Form

• Copy of applicant’s passport photo and information pages (or photo identification)

• If TOEFL scores have recently been taken, these should be included in the application; TOEFL is not required at the time of application, however if applicant is selected as a finalist current TOEFL scores will be required. The embassy will provide registration information and vouchers for finalists who need to take the TOEFL test.

Selection criteria:

• Demonstrated commitment to teaching in the field of secondary education

• Demonstrated leadership potential

• Professional and educational experience and achievements

• Potential for developing long-term linkages between U.S. and home country educational institutions and schools

• Preparedness (including maturity, flexibility, and ability to function independently) for an intensive U.S.-based training program with very limited free time for personal travel or sightseeing

• Willingness and capacity to work and live collaboratively with international peers to foster a positive learning community for professional development

• Articulated ideas for applying program experience to improving secondary education in the home country or territory

• Ability to express ideas clearly and effectively

• Applicants who have had few or no opportunities to travel to the U.S. will be given priority

• Preference will also be given to applicants who have not previously received a Fulbright grant.

Application Process:

The online application for the 2026-2027 Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program is available at https://fulbright.irex.org/

Application deadline is March 15, 2026, 23:59 local (Serbia) time.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by the Embassy for an interview in late March or early April 2026.

For program-related questions or if you experience any technical problems, please email us at BelgradeFulbrightTea@state.gov before the deadline.

https://rs.usembassy.gov/2026-2027-fulbright-teaching-excellence-and-achievement-program/