Recently, the Department of Education abolished all Fulbright Hays international research programs following a Congressional appropriations bill (HR 1473) cutting $800 million from higher education programs. The decision to cut these programs came 6 months after students and faculty had submitted their applications for funding for the 2011-12 academic year. While applicants were made aware in March that such programs could be affected by budget cuts, no one anticipated the loss of the entire Fulbright Hays program. Our petition requests restoration of Fulbright Hays funding now and in the future because such programs are vital for international exchange, the advancement of knowledge, and the promotion of goodwill between nations.

We the undersigned respectfully request the restoration of funding for the Department of Education's Fulbright Hays Programs, which are part of the International Education and Foreign Language Studies (IEFLS) programs recently affected by budget cuts in HR 1473. HR 1473 in no way specifies cuts specifically to Fulbright Hays, and therefore we urge restored funding for its programs. Between 1964 and 2010, Fulbright-Hays funded a total of 5,254 individual research projects. In 2010, grants were given to fund research projects in 75 countries, in 64 different languages and in 22 different disciplines. Not only does Fulbright Hays provide much needed financial support for university students and faculty, it also helps to foster mutual understanding, cross-cultural exchange, and global citizenship, all of which are vital to American foreign policy, national security, and our commitment to the principles of democracy. Because of its national importance, we urge restored funding to Fulbright Hays now and in the future. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.