The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Education. It provides opportunities to doctoral candidates to engage in full-time dissertation research abroad utilizing modern foreign languages and area studies expertise across disciplines. You must be a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States to apply.
Projects deepen research knowledge on and help the nation develop capability in areas of the world not generally included in U.S. curricula. Projects focusing on Western Europe are not supported though multi-site proposals are accepted and can include research in Western Europe provided the primary site is elsewhere.
The 2025-2026 DDRA competition is now OPEN!! Campus deadline to submit applications is 10am, Monday, January 13, 2025. No exceptions or flexibility in this deadline. Complete information below!!
We will have additional programming later in November and early December – please visit the website or contact Mark to learn more and be kept up-to-date.
Have questions? Schedule an appointment with Mark Lilleleht, UW-Madison Fulbright Coordinator, to discuss the DDRA program and your interests & goals further via Starfish.
Applicants
Graduate students
Field(s)
Research
Open to
U.S. citizens, nationals, permanent residents
Program duration
6-12 months
Award amount
Varies (applicants propose their own budgets)
Application deadline
UW-Madison student applicants for the 2025 Fulbright-Hays DDRA award need to submit through the G6/G5 application system by 10am CST on Monday, January 13, 2025.
Apply
ELIGIBILITY
- Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
- Be a graduate student in good standing at an institution of higher education and will be a dissertator by the time you intend to start your DDRA-funded research abroad
- Proposing 6-12 months of continuous dissertation research abroad during the “award year” (18-month window for 2024: 10/1/24-3/31/26)
- Possess advanced foreign language skills to conduct the dissertation research project
- Be planning a U.S. teaching career upon doctoral degree completion
APPLYING
The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) 2025 competition is now OPEN. The deadline for students to submit their completed 2025-2026 applications is 10:00 am CST, Monday, January 13, 2025. Letters of support and language evaluations must be submitted BEFORE the student can submit their application. There are no exceptions to the campus deadline and no changes are allowed to the application after this deadline; incomplete applications will not be forwarded to the U.S. Department of Education.
GUIDANCE
Prospective applicants should contact Mark Lilleleht, the UW-Madison’s Fulbright Coordinator (256 Bascom Hall, uwfulbright@wisc.edu, 608.265.6070) to discuss their application. Mark is available to advise on all aspects of the competition and proposal. The Fulbright-Hays DDRA is an institutional award; individual applicants submit their applications through their home institution in the G6/G5 application system.
If you are interested in applying, please read & review the following material:
- Campus Instructions
- Attachment A (applicant authorization)
- Notice to Referees: Applicants can use this statement to inform their referees of the campus deadline for electronically submitting letters/language evaluations. All support documents must be submitted prior to the campus deadline – NOT the national/institutional deadline contained in the email that referees will receive from the application system
- Human Subjects Narrative – all applicants must submit this regardless of the nature of the project
- Countries (or parts) closed to 2025 Fulbright-Hays DDRA applications
We also have project statements & bibliographies of past successful UW-Madison applicants available for review. Please email Mark if you are interested in taking a look at this material.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
UW-Madison DDRA awardees will have the value of the International Academic Programs graduate course fee for their award term paid to them as a scholarship by the Graduate School. The UW-Madison Fulbright Coordinator will be responsible for notifying the Graduate School of the amount and duration of the IAP program fees for students who accept these awards.
UW-Madison Travel Policy precludes university-affiliated student travel to locations that are under a current U.S. Department of State (DoS) Level 3 or Level 4 advisory designation, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Warning Level 3 notice, and locations specifically designated as a “Travel Warning” location by the Provost. To read this policy and potentially request a waiver, see information on UW-Madison International Safety and Security website. Students hoping to travel to a location currently under a travel advisory SHOULD apply for a Fulbright-Hays DDRA award but it is the responsibility of awardees to secure any necessary waivers via the UW-Madison’s international travel policy. Notice that the above information applies to your planned travel if any part of your itinerary takes you through an area that is under a travel advisory. Questions regarding the UW-Madison travel policy should be directed to Ron Machoian, the UW-Madison ISSD, who can be contacted at ronald.machoian@wisc.edu, or at 608.890.2446.
UW-Madison awardees
2024 – https://international.wisc.edu/meet-uw-madisons-newest-fulbright-hays-ddra-awardees/
- Corinne Hale, Dominican Republic, Anthropology
- Francisco Hernandez Moleres, France & Mexico, History
- Dragan Mikulin, Czech Republic & Slovakia, Language Sciences Program & Geography
- Kharis Ralph, South Korea, History
2023
- Jamie de Moya-Cotter, Ecuador & Peru, Spanish and Portuguese
- Cynthia Simekha, Kenya, Curriculum and Instruction
2022
- Kelsey Dalrymple, Tanzania, Educational Policy Studies
- Christopher Hulshof, Indonesia, History
- Sabina Madrid-Malloy, Mexico, Spanish
- Addison Nace, Guatemala & Mexico, Design Studies
- Taryn Valley, Guatemala, Anthropology and Medicine
- Katherine Ward, Ecuador, Spanish
2021
- Johnny Bassett, Philippines, History
- Samantha Helle, Nepal, Wildlife Ecology
- Rachel Hodapp, Tanzania, Anthropology
- Chris Kelly, Philippines, Literature
- Jon Marino, Uganda, Education
- Samuel Meyerson, History, Uganda
- Claudia Triana, Mexico, Educational Policy Studies
- Sophia Winkler-Schor, Mexico, Environmental Studies and Conservation Psychology
- Matthew Zinsli, France & Ecuador, Sociology
2020
- Ariel Borns, Guatemala, Educational Policy Studies
- Sarah Farr, Mexico, Sociology
- Tyler Hook, Sierra Leone, Educational Policy Studies and Anthropology
- Ned Littlefield, Brazil, Political Science
- Jeremy Mannheim, India, Asian Languages and Cultures
- Matthew Venker, Myanmar, Anthropology
2019
- Kate Carter, Kenya, Political Science
- Karann Putrevu, Russia, Environment and Resources
2018 – https://international.wisc.edu/uw-madison-is-top-university-for-2018-fulbright-ddra-awards/
- Bailey Albrecht, Japan, History
- Diana Famakinwa, Nigeria, Educational Policy Studies
- David Greenwood-Sanchez, Mexico & Peru, Political Science
- Kelsey Huisman, Ecuador, Botany
- Isaac Leslie, Argentina, Socilogy
- Molly Minden, Guatemala, Political Science
- Choua Xiong, Thailand, Educational Policy Studies
2017 – https://international.wisc.edu/four-uw-madison-students-win-2017-2018-fulbright-hays-awards/
- Lindsay Ehrisman, Uganda, History
- Nicolle Etchart, Ecuador, Geography
- Akshay Sarathi, Tanzania, Anthropology
- Alicia Wright, India, Journalism
2016
- Jason Hopper, Bhutan, Anthropology
- Kip Hutchins, Mongolia, Anthropology
- Caitlin Tyler-Richards, Nigeria, History
- Fernanda Villarroel, Germany, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Art History
2015 – https://international.wisc.edu/2016-fulbright-ddra/
- Alexandra Allweiss, Guatemala, History
- Lauren Glover, Japan, Archaeology
- Marguerite Heckscher, Germany & Tanzania, Art History
- Rachel Jacobs, Cambodia, Political Science
- Teresa Speciale, Senegal, Educational Policy Studies
- Matthew Trew, Cambodia, Anthropology
- Bridgette Werner, Bolivia, Archaeology
2014 – https://international.wisc.edu/uw-fulbright-doctoral-2014/
- Jacob Blanc, Brazil & Paraguay, History
- David Chambers, Thailand, Geography
- Amy Porter, Senegal, Educational Policy
- Brett Reilly, France, History
- Nancy Rydberg, Uganda, Educational Policy Studies & Development
- William Shattuck, Thailand, Geography
- Sarah Stefanos, Ethiopia, Environmental Studies
2013 – https://international.wisc.edu/2013-fulbright-ddra/
- Nicholas Barnes, Brazil, Political Science
- Christina Cappy, South Africa, Educational Policy Studies & Anthropology
- Rachael Goodman, India, Anthropology
- James Krueger, Kenya, Environmental Studies
- Samantha Vortherms, Hong Kong & China, Political Science
2012 – https://international.wisc.edu/uw-madison-students-faculty-receive-2012-13-fulbright-program-grants/
- Nick Abbott, India, History
- Brandon Lamson, China, Political Science
- Kyle Marquardt, Russia & Moldova, Political Science
2011
- No awards given
2010
- Melissa Anderson, Vietnam & France, History
- Adam Auerbach, India, Political Science
- Sara Brinegar, Azerbaijan & Russia, History
- Melissa Reiser, Senegal, Ethnomusicology
- Janine Sytsma, Nigeria, Art History
2009
- Matthew Brown, Nigeria & South Africa, Language & Literature
- Bennett Cross, Nigeria & Mali, History
- Nicole Eggers, Democratic Republic of Congo, African History
- Joshua Gedacht, Philippines & Indonesia, History
- Gwendolyn Kelly, India, Anthropology
- Jessica Krug, Angola & Brazil, History
- Carmen McCain, Nigeria & Niger, African Languages & Literature
- Melissa Tully, Kenya, Mass Communications
2008
- Tamara Feinstein, Peru, History
- Joseph Harris, Thailand, Sociology
- Leela Hazzah, Kenya, Environmental Studies – Land Resources
- Tricia Olsen, Brazil & Mexico, Political Science
- Natalie Porter, Vietnam, Anthropology
- Susan Rottmann, Turkey, Cultural Anthropology
2007
- Michitake Aso, Vietnam, History of Science
- Sarah Besky, India, Anthropology
- Taylor Easum, Thailand, History
- Christian Haskett, India, Religious Studies
- Alice Kang, Benin & Niger, Political Science
- Alex Nading, Nicaragua, Anthropology
2006
- Keera Allendorf, India, Sociology
- Danielle Berman, Russia, Sociology
- Andrew Hicken, Indonesia, Ethnomusicology
- Kristy Kelly, Vietnam, Educational Policy Studies
- Robert Phillips, India, Languages and Cultures of Asia
- Shane Strate, Thailand, Southeast Asian History
2005 – https://international.wisc.edu/uw-madison-students-winners-of-fulbright-boren-awards/
- Paul Bjerk, Tanzania, History
- Kelley Cormier, Kyrgyzstan, Agricultural Economics
- Erick Danzer, Indonesia, Political Science
- Sangeeta Desai, India, South Asian Religions and Literatures
- Diana Finnegan, India, South Asian Studies
- James Hoesterey, Indonesia, Anthropology
- Daniel Magaziner, South Africa, History
- Sarah Robert, Argentina, Educational Policy Studies
- Anna Senarslan, Azerbaijan, Turkic Languages and Literatures
- David Weber, Russia, Anthropology
2004
- Vincent Bohlinger, Russia, Film Studies
- Ehito Kimura, Indonesia, Political Science
- Erica Nelson, Bolivia, History
- Kristin Phillips, Tanzania, Anthropology
- Janet Spurgeon, Japan, Art History
2003
- Lisa Heaton, Bolivia, Urban and Regional Planning
- Marc Hertzman, Brazil, History
- Tyrone Siren, Cambodia, Anthropology
- David Vernikov, Russia, Literature
- Brian Wiley, Philippines, Urban and Regional Planning
2002
- Rachel DeMotts, South Africa, Political Science
- Libbie Freed, Central African Republic & Cameroon, History of Science
- Eric Haanstad, Thailand, Anthropology
- Lawrence Markowitz, Uzbekistan, Political Science
- Gary Marquardt, Namibia & South Africa, History
2001
- Mara Goldman, Tanzania, Geography
- Anne Kuriakose, India, Development
- David Mason, India, Theatre and Drama
2000
- Mark Dennis, Japan, Buddhist Studies
- Sean Hanretta, Mali & Ivory Coast, History