"Do you have any advice about the side project? Does it have to be research related?"
Oh, the side project. For those of you applying/those who've already applied for an ETA, you'll know that Fulbright wants to think you're going to be Olivia Overachiever and so they want you to convince them that you're going to do something productive with the 30 hours of the work week that you're not required to teach. It does not have to be research related, but lets be honest - you're just gonna tell Fulbright what they wanna hear whether or not it's a legitimate plan. I find it best to get creative. What is something you're interested in that sets you apart as a candidate?
As a double major in music, I decided to exploit that for my side project. And I kid you not when I tell you my "proposal" went something along the lines of "I'm gonna take my horn with me and play some music with the Germans." With a lot more fancy words, of course. I mean, really? That's not a side project. That's not really a project. It's maybe a little side... My only advice for the side project is to make it something believable/reasonable. Stick to something you have actually know/really have an interest in and be prepared to present a legitimate [rough] plan of action (a plan is all you need though) for how you could do your side project.
Basically, you just have to convince them that you're not going to spend your free time watching hours upon hours of How I Met Your Mother, Buffy, Doctor Who and so on (who would do that??
"What happens if you are not able to follow through on your side project? Is there a check up?"
Nothing. Absolutely nothing happens if you never do anything about your side project. Now it just so happens I did take my horn and play some music with the Germans. But had I not, absolutely nothing would have happened. The Fulbright police would not have knocked on my door in March, stripped me of my grant and sent me home, never to mention that I was once associated with the program. There is a mid-year and end-year report where they'll ask you about your side project. You can either a.) just tell them it's all going swimmingly regardless of it's actual success or b.) tell them you never did it and watch how they just don't care.
Now I'm all for a good side project if you really want to take advantage for your Fulbright year for that, but I also like to spread the truth that you shouldn't spend your nights worrying about whether or not your side project is quality enough for Fulbright or how on Earth you're actually going to succeed in carrying it out.
But if anyone asks, you didn't hear it from me.
other Fulbright FAQ posts can be found here
other questions can be emailed to me here or left as a comment on this post
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