IU names Fulbright scholars

For Deanna Wooley, visiting a foreign country for her dissertation research was imperative.\n"For a historian or any researcher working in a country outside of their own, it's essential to go there to do your research," she said. \nThat's why Wooley, a fourth-year graduate student, applied for a Fulbright grant, which provides full travel and living stipends for one year. She and 12 other IU students were awarded the prestigious grant for the 2004-05 school year, IU announced Tuesday. Two faculty members, Political Science Professor Jack Bielasiak and Professor Emeritus of English Kenneth Johnston, also received grants. \nWooley, who is currently studying contemporary history in the Czech Republic as a Fulbright scholar, found the IU Office of International Programs to be a very beneficial resource in her grant search.\n"Our goal is to give Fulbright grants to as many IU students as possible," said Rose Vondrasek, the IU Fulbright Program adviser. "It reflects IU's academic excellence in international areas."\nRose Vondrasek, who serves as a liaison between students interested in the grants and the program itself, manages the entire application process for IU, including the organization of on-campus meetings.\nThe naming of 10 IU scholars tied IU-Bloomington for 11th place in total number of awards among all U.S. research universities and fifth place among Midwestern colleges and universities, according to an IU press release. Only 1,000 grants are awarded nationally each year. \n"Fulbright grants are available to a full spectrum of students," Vondrasek said. "You can be a professional, an artist or a graduate student in any field, practically."\nAlso, graduate students utilize their grants to do research for their dissertation that cannot be done in the U.S. The grueling application begins in October and typically lasts up to late spring.\nSenior Angela Bredehoeft, who is presently working in Germany as an English teaching assistant, discussed her steps while applying for the grant.\n"There's an initial application consisting of three letters of recommendation, a proposed statement of research and (a statement about yourself)," Bredehoeft said. \nThe proposed statement of research is simply to give the administration an idea of the applicant's plans.\n"It could be for study, research or a combination of both," Vondrasek said. "They need to convince the organization that it's a feasible proposal."\nAfter the opening application process, the students' proposals are sent to the National Screening Committee in New York City. The committee receives about 7,000 applications.\nAs a final step in the procedure, the proposals are sent overseas to the specific country of interest for approval.\n"You're pretty much guaranteed the grant at that point," Bredehoeft said.\nFor those interested in applying, Vondrasek advised obtaining a copy of an annually-published book on the Fulbright Program.\n"The book lists the grants available in each country for each year," Vondrasek said. "There are very specific requirements for each country."\nFor example, certain countries require fluency in a language to be eligible and others do not. Also, only certain fields of study are permitted in different countries. Bredehoeft also warned the original plan might not be the outcome.\n"It's completely different than what I expected," she said. "I thought I would be helping the teacher, but I'm actually teaching here."\n-- Contact staff writer Teri Rosenbaum at terosenb@indiana.edu.