United Kingdom

Placement Information

• Partner Organization: US-UK Fulbright Commission
• Eligible Program Dates: 3-6 months between January – June 2025
• Host Institution Expectations: Participants in the UK are hosted by specific partner universities. Current partner universities include:
  • Durham University
  • Queen’s University Belfast
  • University College London
  • University of Glasgow
  • University of Strathclyde
  • Applicants are asked to research the different partner institutions and indicate any preferences in the “Research Project Proposal” section of their application. Indicating a preference is optional and will not impact the selection process. Please note that the US-UK Fulbright Commission is unable to place teachers at non-partner institutions.
• Language Requirement: None
• Monthly Allowance: $4,200 - $4,500 (exact amount to be confirmed at a later date)
• Dependent Information: An allowance of $2,000 per eligible dependent will be provided as part of the grant. Participants will travel on a Temporary Worker – Government Authorized Exchange visa sponsored by the U.S.U.K. Fulbright Commission. Dependents will travel as Temporary Worker dependents. Dependent children can be enrolled in U.K. schools. Learn more about schools in the U.K.

Country Overview

The U.K. has participated in the Fulbright program since 1948 and there are strong relationships between the U.K. and the U.S. With its many countries, regions, and dependencies, the United Kingdom is a vibrant environment to research and study in. This YouTube video is an excellent tool for understanding the many realms and territories that make up the U.K.

Daily life in the U.K. can vary between large metropolitan cities like London, Belfast, or Glasgow, and smaller towns and rural areas. Larger cities tend to be multicultural, reflecting diverse histories of immigration to the U.K. Once in the U.K., it is easy to travel around the country and experience the unique identities of each region.

The U.K. has a strong cultural scene, and grantees in the U.K. often take advantage of opportunities to experience its arts, music, and history, as well as its natural beauty and thousands of miles of coastline.

Educational System Overview

Education in the United Kingdom is devolved with each of the countries of the United Kingdom having separate systems under different national governments. The U.K. Government is responsible for England, and the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive are responsible for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland respectively. Within these separate systems, students study for different qualifications at different stages of their education and they typically make choices about the subjects they will study much earlier than students would in the U.S. Education is compulsory until age 18, and both academic and vocational subjects may be studied as part of a student’s secondary education.

Possible Topics of Interest for U.S. Educators

The following topics have been identified by the partner universities as areas of particular interest that may be relevant to U.S. educators, although applicants should not feel limited to these areas of research.

• Inclusive education and provisions for students with diverse learning needs.
• Multicultural education, and the educational experiences of young migrants and refugees.
• Multilingual education, including: TESOL, English as an Additional Language, provisions and education in other U.K. languages.  
• Student wellbeing and mental health support in schools.
• Personal and social education, including health, relationship, sex education, and sexual identity.
• Social justice in education and the ‘attainment gap’.
• Teacher training, development, retention, and educational leadership.
• Climate change and sustainability education.
• Education in divided societies.

The following topics reflect distinct U.K. educational policies and provide opportunities for specialist case studies, studying “best practices”, or investigating current challenges.  

• Cooperation and collaboration between schools, including local and national networks of schools.
• The role of schools in teacher education.
• Subject choice and the impacts of different U.K. academic and vocational qualification systems.  
• The impacts of the Pupil Premium funding model in England.  
• Curriculum design across the U.K.  
• Formative assessment implementation and practice (e.g. Assessment for Learning).
• School leadership, including qualifications and the development of system leaders (e.g. National Professional Qualification for Middle Leadership).