For over 60 years, the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) has helped administer the Fulbright Scholar Program, the U.S. government's flagship academic exchange effort, on behalf of the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Founded in 1947, CIES is a private organization with a staff of around 60 people supplemented by 300 voluntary peer reviewers, primarily academics.
Awards are granted in all academic disciplines and a variety of interdisciplinary fields.
The Fulbright Visiting Specialists Program: Direct Access to the Muslim World brings scholars, from predominantly Muslim communities in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, as well as several countries in Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and Africa, to U.S. institutions for three to six weeks to offer short courses, team-teach, or consult on curriculum development, as well as speak to community groups.
The Fulbright Interfaith Community Action Program provides a multinational group of 10 to 12 religious leaders, scholars of religion, non-governmental organization and/or community leaders from diverse religious backgrounds, who are engaged actively in interfaith dialogue in their home countries, with a semester-long exchange experience at a U.S. host institution.