Northwestern reaffirmed its position as one of the top 10 research universities for Fulbright grant recipients, according to rankings released last month by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

A total of 22 NU students and alumni accepted Fulbright awards, which fund international research initiatives, for the 2012-2013 academic year. Five others were chosen for the grant but declined it.

Representing the School of Law and almost every undergraduate school, this year’s NU winners will study in countries across the world, including Italy, Chile and China, according to a University news release. Academic disciplines range from psychology and journalism to engineering and medicine, the release said.

With 27 total awards, NU is the sixth-highest earner of Fulbright awards among research institutions across the country, tied with Columbia University and the University of Texas at Austin. The University of Michigan topped the list with 40 awards, followed by Harvard University, which had 31 grants.

This year’s rankings underscore NU’s reputation as a top producer of Fulbright winners over the past decade. For the past eight years, the University has been among the top 10 research institutions nationwide that apply for the award. For the 2011-2012 academic year, a total of 27 NU Fulbright grants placed the University second in the rankings, just below the University of Michigan’s 29 awards.

Sara Anson Vaux, director of the Office of Fellowships, which is responsible for NU’s Fulbright competition, said in the release that the office uses Fulbright faculty advisers and other NU faculty to select the best candidates for the grant.

“We owe our great success with the program to the talent of our undergraduate, graduate and professional school students and alums,” she said in the release.

— Lauren Caruba