Host Department Responsibilities: As the host department, you (and the host faculty) are absolutely welcome to approach prospective Fulbright affiliations as you would any other international visiting scholar following your unit’s policies and procedures for visiting scholars with grant funding without consulting Our Office. Your human resources department can approach a visiting Fulbright scholar as the department would any other visiting scholar. The host department responsibilities when hosting Fulbright scholars at the invitation of faculty can include but are not limited by:
- Coordinating with the prospective host faculty member regarding all aspects of hosting a visiting scholar
- Notifying the Department Chair of the affiliation
- Preparing an invitation letter (to be endorsed by your faculty and/or Chair as appropriate). Sample letters are available upon request and your unit is welcome to edit to comply with your departmental policies and place on your letterhead.
- Identifying an office or space where the scholar can hosted as appropriate.
- Communicating all associated fees that your department’s hosted visiting Fulbright scholar should expect to pay (e.g. departmental affiliation fees, Grad Division fees, etc.) and their deadlines. They need this information correctly listed in their grant.
- Working with your human resource department to complete the Institutional Reply Form (IRF), a document that Fulbright/IIE will send to process the scholar’s visa. Oftentimes, completion of this document is very time sensitive as the scholar is waiting to get an appointment at the U.S. Embassy in their home country and the IRF is used to process their visa.
- As illustrated in the Academic Personnel manual, Appendix 39, your unit’s Dean’s (or Vice Provost’s) signature completes the IRF through their administrative roles and budgetary oversight.
- Coordinating fee payment between the scholar and your unit or department.
- Working with your relevant division to identify the most appropriate classification to appoint the scholar in UCPath appointments,
- Setting up an e-mail account for the scholars if it follows your department’s and the University’s policies and procedures
- Liaising with your department’s stakeholders about offering or declining a work space, access to laboratories, and computer facilities
- Securing online/offline library privileges (e.g. host departments can purchase a card for affiliates; assistance with VPN access as needed, etc.),
- Assisting with BruinCard registration, processing, and problem resolution
- Managing Departmental and/or Graduate Programs fee collection/payments and problem resolution. Please note that the International Institute has no authority to intercede on your department’s behalf with Graduate Programs if fees are not collected in a timely manner. Any issues should be addressed and resolved between Graduate Programs and the Department directly.
- Onboarding and placing the Scholar in alignment with your Department’s and campus policies and procedures for international visiting scholars
- Pointing the scholar in the right direction with respect to housing as appropriate.
- Helping with any other visiting scholar items that your unit customarily performs as a part of visiting scholar appointments
Office of Vice Provost Cindy Fan Responsibilities: As our office has no authority over scholars that your department invites, hosts, and appoints, our Office can only:
- run a visual compliance background check if your Department does not have access through the usual means used when appointing your Department’s visiting scholars
- connect you with an insurance representative if the scholar would like to supplement their Department of State insurance
Additional items of note
- Fulbright Coordinator Ann Kerr (akerr@international.ucla.edu) stewards and guides the UCLA Visiting Fulbright Scholar Enrichment Program (VFSEP). Often in coordination with the Rand Corporation, the Getty, the LA Times, LACMA, and others aims, the goal of the VFSEP is to extend visiting Fulbright scholars' personal experiences into the community through cultural enrichment programs in the Southern California community and its institutions. Additionally, Ann teaches a Fiat Lux course called “Perceptions of Americans Abroad, Discussions with Visiting Fulbright Scholars” for visiting Fulbright scholars. All Fulbright scholars at UCLA are welcome to enroll and join if they are interested. Please direct questions about the VFSEP to Ann Kerr at akerr@international.ucla.edu
- Please note that as a Fulbright grantee, the scholar is required to enter the United States under the sponsorship of the Department of State's J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. UCLA should not provide a DS-2019 as it will be issued by Fulbright or IIE. The scholar grant benefits include round-trip international travel and health insurance coverage complying with J-1 visa requirements.
- The Dashew Center does not have the authority to provide any J-1 visa related services for them such as extensions or travel signatures. Fulbright scholars are not required to report to our office and complete the J-1 visa check-in. The jPATH online orientation is also not required, but is optional. They will be required to pay the $59 orientation fee if they choose to access the orientation. A portion of the orientation will not be applicable to them because it covers Dashew visa services. Fulbright scholars are allowed and encouraged to participate in the Dashew Center cultural programming. More information on programming is provided on their website here: https://internationalcenter.ucla.edu/programs-events/program-overview
- U.S. Department of State (Fulbright Scholar Program), not UCLA, sponsors the J-1 visa and provides the participant with health benefit coverage that meets J-1 visa requirements as described here: https://www.sevencorners.com/gov/usdos. The participant is also required to obtain sickness and accident insurance meeting J visa requirements for all accompanying dependents.
- If host faculty members would like to use their own funds to pay the prospective Fulbright scholars fees, they are welcome to do so and the host department can coordinate directly with the Fulbright organization directly to facilitate this
- If the host department would like to cover the prospective scholar’s fees as a gesture of hospitality for their distinguished visitors, they are welcome to do so
- The International Institute does not offer grants or scholarships for prospective Fulbright scholars to pay for their fees.
- In the event of legal troubles related to privately arranging housing, please note that visiting scholars do not have the option of relying on UCLA Student Legal Services, though they are welcome to explore community resources which may be of assistance.
- Fulbright Visiting Student Researchers (VSR) are not authorized to work while in the US. Generally, work is not authorized for VSRs as the intent of the program is for researchers to be engaged in full-time activity to accomplish specific research objectives. If the responsibilities directly relate to the scholar’s research objectives, it may be possible for Fulbright to perform an exceptional review.