Northwestern has secured a spot among the top 10 research institutions that produce Fulbright U.S. Student award winners after 27 NU students and alumni accepted a grant this academic year, the University announced Thursday.

NU is in the top 10 list for the ninth straight year. This year, NU ranks third among U.S. research institutions that send applications for the Fulbright award.

The data was published in the Chronicle of Higher Education on Thursday.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education, is designed to support American students and young professionals pursuing advanced research, graduate studies or teaching opportunities internationally.

This year’s NU Fulbrighters have diverse academic backgrounds ranging from mathematics to political science and currently pursue programs in countries such as Brazil, Israel and India.

Sara Anson Vaux, director of the Office of Fellowships, said two Fulbrights were for the United Kingdom, one of the most competitive locations.

“Bringing the Wildcat (spirit) to New Zealand, Tanzania, Poland, Uruguay and all points in between, Northwestern students will once again be in the field pushing forward their intellectual agendas,” said Stephen Hill, senior associate director in the Office of Fellowships, in a news release.

NU’s largest Fulbright class, for the 2008-09 academic year, included 32 grant winners. 

The headline and text of this article were updated for clarity Thursday at 11:55 p.m. 

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